Game Day: Revisionist History

 

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Maybe the Owls’ defense will finally show Collins what Mayhem looks like this afternoon.

You never like to say a guy is lying but, for two years, Geoff Collins stretched the truth a lot of his time at Temple University.

None more than earlier this week in the formal press conference leading up to today’s game (3:30, Lincoln Financial Field) when he answered a question this way:
On whether there’s familiarity in the Temple roster after being the coach there previously:

“The entire two-deep either played for us for the last two years or we recruited them.”

Hmm.

Not exactly a lie, but not exactly the truth either. The truth part is that “the entire two-deep either played for us” is correct. That’s to be expected, though. What was Collins supposed to do when he arrived at Temple? Play guys who weren’t there previously? The recruited part? Not so much.

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Checking the two-deep released in the pre-game notes against the recruiting charts of both Scout.com and Rivals.com, as many as 17 starters in today’s game were recruited not by Collins but by Matt Rhule and one (Harrison Hand) was recruited by Rod Carey.

Less even last year when only two starters–both offensive line tackles–were recruited by Collins.

When he arrived, Collins promised defensive Mayhem. If you count your own players not staying home on cutback running plays as Mayhem, he delivered. If not, and I don’t, Mayhem never arrived.

Screenshot 2019-09-27 at 10.33.12 PM

Pre-game watching at the Steve Conjar tailgate …

OK, Geoff, whatever you say.

The bottom line of the Collins Era at Temple is that he underachieved with the talent he inherited and wasn’t the dynamic recruiter everyone expected him to be when he arrived in Philadelphia. Rhule, who won 10 games in consecutive years, left Collins with 10-win talent both seasons and Collins underachieved by roughly five games.

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Just a Cherry-colored tank top or t-shirt needed today. Hopefully, everybody goes in from the tailgates and cheers their lungs off for the Owls.

That’s not to say Collins–an engaging bull-crapper, no doubt–won’t be able to sweet-talk recruits to attend Georgia Tech.

It is to say that it did not happen for him here.

For Temple to win today, it will have to do something that Rhule put a premium on–protecting the football. The Owls have to treat it like Gold and, if they win the turnover battle, they should be all right. That should be the lesson of Buffalo going forward.

Something tells me Carey understands that better than the snake oil salesman who is someone else’s problem now.

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Post-game watching at the Steve Conjar tailgate (although I think he will be packed up long before the 10 p.m. game)

Tomorrow: Game Analysis

Tuesday: Fizzy’s Corner

Thursday: ECU Preview

Friday: Game Analysis

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10 thoughts on “Game Day: Revisionist History

  1. Couple things :
    1)If I remember correctly – both of Collins recruiting classes ranked in the bottom of the AAC , and in the nation.
    2) Like most people, I call bullshit when I see it. Most everything out of that Waffle House chewing mouth was bullshit .
    3) Is the 2 deep reference in reference to Above or Bellow the Line ???

    • Today’s two-deep for us, not last year’s two-deep or this year’s two-deep for them.. Whoops, they don’t even have a two-deep because Collins doesn’t like to do one.

  2. Ga Tech will be the underdogs for the rest of the season. Collins knows this game is the most winnable. He wants to beat Temple as much as the Temple players want to win…, this is just another game for Carey.

    Our DL should dominate the Ga Tech OL.

    Thacker will blitz early and often to get inside Russo’s head.

    At this point in the season Temple is clearly the better team. Go Owls!

    Would like to see our team play and look like a disciplined squad. You never see the top teams in the country running around with shirts out, mouth pieces dangling from face masks, piling up targeting calls, etc.,

    I didn’t expect that from Carey.

  3. I think it might be time to go back to Mike’s favorite, two tight ends, fullback, Temple TUFF football. I don’t think the RPO is going to work with our players.

  4. Taking the BSL to the game .
    Lots of Cherry & White in the subway cars.
    A few GT fans .
    I made sure to tell them to take the EL to game .

  5. We can’t keep letting Russo throw it. INT machine.

  6. flipping between Temple and SMU/USF games.., Temple offense looks terrible, USF offense looks worse. SMU is a Top 25 team..,

    Carey needs to start thinking about putting Centeio in the game

  7. Kenny Walls is looking tough.
    Haven’t seen a lot of coverage on him

  8. Commentators reference the single digit jerseys but don’t explain
    Very easy to say they’re voted on by the players as the toughest guys on the team

  9. Winning formula: Davis runs for >100 yds, Temple finishes ahead in time of possession advantage. 49 rushing attempts today, took a page from the win vs Houston last year.

    It appears Carey has discovered the MR winning formula. Control the clock, maintain field position, protect the football, and rely on a dominant defense.

    Great win, Temple is 3-1 heading into conference play. Go Owls

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