Going from National to Regional: The New Normal?

Current UAB head coach Trent Dilfer talks former Temple quarterback Anthony Russo.

Back in the 1950s, a guy named Art Linkletter made a mint on a show called “Kids Say the Darndest Things.”

He would stick a microphone in the face of a 5-year-old and if the kid said something funny that didn’t include the f-word, it made the TV.

Linkletter never had to hire a writer or put a script together because the kids made the money for him.

Today’s modern equivalent is social media and, when it comes to Temple football, it’s the fans, not the kids, who say the darndest things.

Anthony Russo produced 27 points in the Independence Bowl against Duke. The defense was the culprit that day, allowing 56 points.

Some of those darn things are true.

I’m not sure I know a poster on OwlsDaily named “PinballOwl93” but he nailed it after reading a piece by editor Shawn Pastor on a quarterback the Owls are recruiting named Chris Dietrich.

“Not in love with 11 TD with 12 INTs last year in High school. Like to see those INTs way lower because the college game will be moving much faster for him to make those quick reads.”

Fair enough.

That was followed by another comment by “Owlsilver:” “I wonder if this is the new normal with NIL. Going from “real” Elite 11s (Anthony Russo, Re’Al Mitchell, Dwan Mathis) to “regional” Elite 11s. #Sad.”

This is what a “national” Elite 11 quarterback looks like playing for Temple. We have yet to see what a “regional” Elite 11 quarterback looks like.

Right below that a guy who goes by the handle “R3Regioinal Rail” correctly pointed out that Quincy Patterson made the Elite 11. He failed to mention that Anthony Russo made the same Elite 11.

Russo became, at least statistically, the fourth-best quarterback in Temple history.

That’s the 11-best high school quarterbacks in the country, not the region, and prior Temple staffs deserve credit for luring that kind of talent to North Broad Street.

Those two could have picked any school.

They chose Temple (well, after Virginia Tech, North Dakota State, and Rutgers) but they chose Temple.

Gotta wonder if Owlsilver is right, though.

Dietrich was an “Elite 11 Northeast Regional” quarterback. Russo, Dwan Mathis, Patterson, and Re’Al Mitchell (who just missed out on an Elite 11 invite but still ended up at Temple) for a while represented a different level.

What’s next? Going after “Elite South of Northeast” regional quarterbacks? Elite 11 always meant just that, Elite and, I don’t think any other G5 has had the same kind of recent success recruiting national Elite 11 quarterbacks that Temple had.

Are the days of Temple luring that kind of talent over or do we celebrate the potential signing of someone who tossed 11 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions on the high school level? In my 50 years of following Temple football, I have never once heard of the Owls ever recruiting a quarterback who had more interceptions than touchdown passes.

I love this staff but they’ve got to do better than that.

In the 50s, kids said the darndest things that were both true and funny on national TV.

Nowadays maybe those kids are on fan message boards and the truth isn’t as funny as it might represent the new normal with this NIL and transfer portal nonsense.

Monday: A Debate Worth Having

5 thoughts on “Going from National to Regional: The New Normal?

  1. This gives a good idea of the uphill battle Drayton had in recruiting when he took the job. Reality is Elite 11 QBs haven’t looked at TUFB since Carey’s first year. The stench of that era has lessened but still lingers, which is why I expected it would take two full years for Stan to get the ship full steam ahead in the right direction.

    I have no concerns over Dietrich’s stats. This is a developmental program and he will be developed. He is a Langsdorf recruit, same as Warner, which gives me confidence seeing what Langsdorf has done with EJ.

    My concern at this point is OL and depth across the rest of the roster. Progress has been made but work still to be done.

  2. Need to see the tape on the INT’s. Were they simply bad throws, or balls that bounced of stone fingers to defenders? Did receivers fall down with the ball in the air so defenders had an easy pick? We don’t know about the receiver talent this QB had to throw to or if his line gave him more than two seconds to read, process, throw. Maybe those things even out such that the overall numbers are accurate reflections, maybe not.

    • Russo’s stats in his senior year at Wood: 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. As Kenny Harper told the 2014 Owls on his last day addressing the 6-6 team: Leave No Doubt. That became the rallying cry for the 10-win season the next year. If all 12 ints hit his teammates in the numbers and bounced up in the air and were intercepted by the bad guys, I apologize. Seriously doubt it, though. Leave No Doubt indeed.

    • Give me Oklahoma and Miami instead of Akron and Lafayette. Scheduling is one of the ways to elevate the program.

      Some of the Chaney philosophy here. Schedule tough teams and good things will happen as the program evolves.

      Playing brand name opponents will also help Temple TV ratings which are going to be required if there is ever a chance to move up the conference food chain.

Leave a comment