11.30.23
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E.J. Warner: Could haves and Should Haves

The fact that E.J. was concussed during this press conference probably led to him leaving Temple. Ironically, a “concussed” Warner made far greater sense here than a fully “cussed” Stan Drayton did in any of the press conferences.

When the history of Temple football of Temple football is written, and I have a sinking feeling that will come pretty soon, there should at least be one chapter titled: “Could haves and Should Haves.”

Maybe two.

One for players and another for coaches.

Stan Drayton has exactly nine months to close a 161-team gap in talent.

Not only for the 2023 season, but the program as a whole.

Had to laugh at all the “should haves, could haves” coming out of Stan Drayton’s press conferences in this abysmal 3-9 season.

Instead of blaming the guy who was in charge of the defense when both FIU (2021) and Temple (2023) imploded, he shook his head and blamed the PLAYERS for “misfits” after allowing 48 to Tulsa, 55 to SMU, 45 to North Texas and 45 to Memphis.

That finger should have been pointed inward, not outward.

No way could Saint Everett Withers be responsible for putting said players in terrible spots.

Sarcasm intended.

Now E.J. Warner is gone in the transfer portal and another set of should haves and could haves need to be raised today.

Had Temple gone out this offseason and got a big-time offensive line and a big-time running back in the transfer portal, would Warner be gone now?

Doubtful and there are a couple of clues.

The players wanted Matt Rhule and the administration gave him to them and they rewarded with consecutive 10-win seasons. The players wanted Fran Brown and they gave a big FU to the players and ended up with Rod Carey and Stan Drayton. There is a lesson in there somewhere.

His mom, Brenda, tweeted after Warner missed the North Texas game “I hate football but I love my son.” The hate comes from the fact that Warner’s bell was rung so much in the UTSA game that he had to miss the next two. E.J. had a big red mark on his far head for the final couple of games he game back to play. My educated guess at some point is that mom and dad discussed after the concussion that it was time to get Warner out of Temple before he got killed (figuratively speaking, of course).

Had Warner been protected sufficiently and Temple established a running game that would have contributed to at least a few more wins, the discussion could have changed.

Warner’s dad is worth $30 million. E.J. doesn’t need the NIL money. Playing in an NFL stadium for an improving team with a halfway decent offensive line and a viable running game probably would have been enough to make him stay.

Could have, should have but we will never know.

Check that, as Harry Donahue might say.

We will ONLY know what Drayton thinks about Warner leaving on signing day, Dec. 21, the next “media availability” for Drayton. That’s almost a month away.

E.J. Warner is headed to another school, my guess following Curt Cignetti to Indiana. Both should have been retained by Temple.

If this were any other big city with any other high-profile quarterback, the head coach of the city’s most prominent college football team would have already been interviewed and given his thoughts on the departure and plans to replace him.

Instead, nobody from the media cares and there is no demand among the fans of the few outlets who cover the team to get a quote or two from the coach.

In the same week, two former Temple assistant coaches were arguably the very best college football head coaching hires this offseason. On Tuesday, Fran Brown was hired by Syracuse and, on Thursday, Curt Cignetti was hired by Indiana. Brown was a defensive backs coach at Temple. Cignetti was a four-year QB coach at Temple.

When the Owls had head coaching openings, Temple players begged for both Cignetti and Brown to be hired and those pleas fell on deaf Temple administration ears. When it comes to Temple football, the Temple administration has dropped more balls in Sullivan Hall than anyone ever has at Lincoln Financial Field.

Amazing how Temple players begged the administration to hire four coaches in my lifetime: Cig, Matt Rhule, Phil Snow and Fran Brown and the administration gave a big FU to the players all but one time. That one coach the kids selected gave Temple a win over Penn State and an ESPN College Gameday.

Could haves, should haves indeed.

Monday: Do You Believe in Magic?

23 thoughts on “E.J. Warner: Could haves and Should Haves”

  1. I don’t see how this program can survive. I’ve mentioned the reasons elsewhere: three 3-9 seasons in a row, star quarterback leaves through the portal, pitiful attendance at home games, the NIL, luke warm university support for the program, questionable coaching, poor recruiting and stadium issues. Where is the money coming from to support an FBS program?

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    • Jerry Kill would have saved the program. He would have come in 2021. He’s not coming in 2024. We’re doomed. Would not be surprised to get a text message that I have to come down to Mitten Hall for a “major announcement” by March, 2024 (just before spring practice). The adminstration cannot be happy but they are the main culprits.

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    • Hey Jim, comments spot on! Hope you and your wife are well. Happy Holidays.

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  2. A lot of talk of JUCO players over on the recruiting thread of the Shawn Pastor OwlsDaily site. Starting to remind me an awful lot of the Bobby Wallace era. I got that same sinking feeling about the future of this program. Seems like this downward spiral is accepted by the BOT so it’s an easy decision for the new president to turn off the lights. As for the Warner’s, I think the lack of Drayton doing anything to fill some of the holes on this team in his second year was a big contributor in this decision. I mean Kurt’s Isn’t dumb, he knew the shape this program was in when EJ committed, hence the opportunity to start right away but had to expect Drayton would be working on getting o-lineman, a good RB, etc instead of sitting on his hands this past off season.That being said part of me thinks a 2 year “audition” at TU may have been the plan all along with the concussion you sealing the deal.

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    • JUCOs not the way to go. The only “Hail Mary” this program has is to do what New Mexico State has done: Field a team of 22 FCS All-Americans. Most of those guys aren’t wanted by P5 teams who just now raid other P5 and G5 trams. FCS ball is great ball. There are about 29 FCS teams who would beat Temple by double digits. Sad to say but true. Let’s get those players and move up 30 spots in the food chain.

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  3. Mike,

    My blood is boiling! If you want, I’d like you to speak to you tomorrow. I have some thoughts and observations. My # is (216) 402-7034. Thanks.

    PS it’s not boiling because of you…

    <

    div>The administrati

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  4. Sorry for the early note. Woke up to pee and read Mike’s article. Got to thinking and my blood started to boil.
    I have been a temple football fan for over 50 years. And, quite frankly, have enjoyed being a fan and watching the guys succeed. But, I have always thought that there was a disconnection between the administration’s level of commitment to athletics. Especially football. They want to field a team where the kids have an equally opportunity of getting a quality education and or CTE. Excuse the sarcastic posture! Simply put, the AD and several current coaches are JV at best. They are incapable of stewardship of said programs. How is it possible the wheels have coming of the football and basketball programs. All 5 starters hop into the portal and bolt. And, the next (2) off the bench. Rooster management matters. We’re dealing with fragile 17-21 year olds. Their bones are barely ossified… forgive my medical analogy. As an “X” D-1 athlete that contributed much to the university 73-77, (and the ink is dry on OUR accomplishment) I am appalled at the level of decision making at the temple administration. It’s complicit, junior and needs to be called out. The athletes are being cheated and exposed to danger!

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  5. I get  the frustration but this era of football players are different. NIL, transfer portal and instant gratification has changed college football. At best EJ was a 2 star player coming out of high school, Temple gave him a chance to play at  the D1 level. It will be interesting to see where he lands next season. Or will  EJ be stuck in the transfer portal abyss.  The Acre of Diamonds story is what Temple was built on and we continue to look for  the next best thing or  next big time coach. What big time coach do you think would come to Philly? And when he comes he will bring his friends and former coaches he coached with? Sheldon D. Morris EDU 88 Temple Football 83-88

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    • Yeah, Shel. I think he’ll flourish. He has the “it” factor. Was a perfect player for Temple in that he didn’t need NIL money. I like Stan but this isn’t the job he signed up for even two years ago. It’s getting to be a worse job every year. There are a couple of ways to look at it. 1) The Temple administration says screw this and gives up on football; 2) … and this is my choice… find one of those guys who have succeeded at the G5 level (Sumrall at Troy, Kill at New Mexico State, Liberty, South Alabama and UNLV and offer them the Temple job. All of those guys are making in the $500K range. Stan is making $2.5 million. There is no NIL money at any of those schools but there is a head coaching plan in place to bring in FCS guys (not JUCO ones) to immediately compete.

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  6. Mike. I’m going with option 1 above. Think the admin has said screw this and are just going to let the program with on the vine and die. You made a good point in a previous post when it comes to extending the Linc lease after the 2024 season. If it is the same length as Draytons contract then we will definitely know where this program is heading. Makes me think that is one of the reasons there is chatter of looking a a lot of JUCO players, don’t want to bring in recruits that could be here for more than 2 years. As I’ve said before, much like Bobby Wallace towards the end. Maybe the admin figures this is easier than just dropping football right now. Let Drayton finish his contract, have to pay it anyway, have the smallest number of players still on scholarship and the end and that’s it.

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  7. I hate to put on the tin foil hat and be a conspiracy theorist (there are enough of those in the political space) but when you think of it what would be the administration’s “best” plan to soften the blow of dropping football? 1) Hire an AD from Texas with no Philly connections; 2) Hire a RB coach who has never done a HC job or even an OC job before whose only Philly connection were in a different century at Villanova and Penn; 3) Have both ruin Temple football so much that nobody comes to the games; 4) Blame dropping Temple football on nobody coming to the games.

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    • Yep, plan is in place and apparently working quite well!

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    • Mike, it’s only a conspiracy theory if it turns out to be not true which sadly doesn’t appear to be the case the way things are going. See Davion Hood just entered the transfer portal…..good thing the players like Drayton unlike Carey 😆. I will now say Drayton is no improvement over Carey at all and won’t be surprised if we lose just as many of the remaining talented players to the portal as we did under Carey. Do you have an extra tin foil hat. Also wouldn’t surprise me if Weisehan turned up on the Syracuse staff. One of the few coaches on this staff who I feel knows what he’s doing that Drayton saw fit to call out in one of his post games. Not a peep about his buddy at DC though, other than injuries and misfits.

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      • Notice how Drayton called out the best coach on the staff after the Tulsa game and didn’t say DickieMcGeeSak (borrowed that name from Kyle Kulinski) about the worst coach on the team, Everett Withers. One is a long-time friend. The other is not. If Temple swung and missed on proven guys like Jerry Kill, I would take Chris W. in a heartbeat over Stan Drayton as the next Temple HC.

  8. Temple doesn’t have a Div 1 QB, or much else. Least talented team in the AAC going into 2024.

    https://theamerican.org/news/2023/11/29/2023-football-postseason-awards.aspx

    2024 non-conference schedule: Oklahoma, Coastal Carolina, Utah St, and UCONN equals 0-4.

    2024 Conference Schedule:
    Home: Tulsa, Tulane, UAB, Charlotte
    Away: UTSA, Memphis, East Carolina, Navy

    2-10?

    TUFB is getting worse rapidly.

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    • Pull out of the Oklahoma game now.

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      • Yes! But how embarrassing would that be? Too weak to compete? After eventually recovering from getting booted from the Big East in ‘01, we began to have some fun, working up to those unforgettable ‘015/‘016 seasons. But alas, here we are in ‘023 at the bottom of the pit, with the continuation of the program likely in jeopardy.

      • Even if we lose “only” 63-0 we will still be the top negative story in college football on Aug. 31. I really think this has the earmarks of a 90-7 loss with all of these guys hitting the portal and Drayton stubbornly bringing in at least 8 high school players. We’re going 90mph headed for a wall with no brakes. Time to turn the car around.

  9. How much $ is the school on the hook for if the OU game is played? Or dropped?

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    • $400K. They will not eat it and take the 69-7 beating. If I’m Arthur, I’m looking for every single school playing a game on Aug. 31 and offering them our spot in Oklahoma for whoever they are playing where ever they are playing.

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  10. I’m remembering worse or at least equally bad seasons and down periods and once there was a scare whether football would be dropped so who knows what will happen! But things sure look fishy. Maybe it will depend on who the next uni president will be?

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    • If it was me voting, the next university president would be a former Temple football player (not Bill Cosby, of course). It’s not me so they will probably hire some nerd from a non-football school.

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