Editor’s Note: Dave “Fizzy” Weinraub, a weekly contributor, is a former Temple player who once dated Bill Cosby’s college girlfriend while both were teammates (but not while she was Cos’ girl). Maybe he’ll write about that later this season. 🙂

By Dave (Fizzy) Weinraub

The summer after Jayson Werth jumped to the Washington nationals, I saw the best sign of all times in the stands.  “Was it Werth it?” the sign read.  I wonder if coach Collins has any of those thoughts today?  Of course, he had a few million other reasons to consider.

Before I get to a brief review of the Georgia Tech game, I’d like us all to consider a mystery of life question.  How is it Temple can secure so much outstanding talent when supposedly, we’re being out-recruited by all the schools that get the three- and four-star high school athletes?   Surely, we’ve had more talent than Maryland and Georgia Tech, two of the lousiest Power Five teams.  And Buffalo, who beat us the last two years, also seems to support this question.

Other than the top six or eight teams in the country who have unbelievable depth, there’s been a great evening out of the talent. On any given Saturday, the outcome of a game between any other of the 115 top football schools many times comes down to the coaching and/or one or two significant plays or errors. One answer obviously is that it’s very difficult to predict which players are going to succeed at the next level.  Another reason is that more talent is getting into college than ever before.  That’s because, if we’re honest, a coach of a big-time football program can now get just about any recruit he wants to be admitted to his university. (See the number of people who are going to jail because they bribed coaches to say their kid was an athlete.)  Lastly, it’s as it’s always been, great coaches attract great talent. So for whatever the reason, Temple has been most fortunate.  It remains to be seen if Coach Carey can continue this recruiting success.

Now to the game.

This was a woulda, coulda, shoulda game for Georgia Tech.  Their very costly quarterback fumbles turned the game around. The first was one foot from the end zone, the other was at the tail end of a very successful drive towards the Temple goal.  Had they scored on both of those occasions, and not given us a lengthy fumble recovery for a touchdown, the game would have been a nail biter.  On the other hand, our defense kept them scoreless on at least five trips into our red zone.  So, congratulations to our defense once again.

As I’m the world’s greatest football nitpicker, I could isolate on a number of things.  But this is going to be Fizzy light.  I would like to congratulate wide receiver Branden Mack and quarterback Anthony Russo for finally running the hook pass just past the first-down chains, successfully.  The offensive line did a hell of a job, and running back Re’Mahn Davis timed his bounces to the outside perfectly. Before he was hobbled, Jager Gardner really pounded inside.

However, one bootleg or keeper wasn’t called for Russo, although they were wide open all day and we’ve still yet to see a speed sweep by Wright, or gasp, a reverse.  I still look forward to the day when Russo is damn near perfect.

It’s now conference time.  Take a nap on Thursday afternoon.

additional editor’s note… and now for shits and giggles … 

Thursday: Game Night

Friday: Game Analysis