Knock on every door at about 7 a.m.
| Before you leave for tailgate,might want to bring these items: | Only clear plastic bags allowed inside the stadium |
| Temple roster | http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/roster/_/id/218/temple-owls |
| Houston roster | http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/roster/_/id/248/houston-cougars |
| Radio | Brewskis |
| Sunscreen | Food |
| Tickets | Sunglasses |
| Binoculars | Weather: Sunny, 79 by kickoff |
John Chaney used to talk about the known and unknown. The all-time Temple great basketball coach became an all-time great because he took care of the known and improvised and adjusted on the unknown.
There is a lot of both out there as Temple hosts Houston (noon Saturday) in the first-ever American Athletic Conference football game.
Thanks to David Murphy of 6ABC for putting the Temple T in here. Should be great weather for a Temple game.
Taking care of the known, the strength of the Temple team is both the offensive and defensive lines.
The strength of Houston is a sophisticated passing attack.
That said, Temple controlling the rock and giving future NFL back Zaire Williams the first of his many 100-plus yard games on the ground is ALMOST as important as the Temple defensive line creating havoc in the Houston backfield.
Almost.
We all know that the Temple defensive line more than held its own against the vaunted Notre Dame running attack, so it should be able to the same against any running back the Cougars throw at them.
What was really alarming, though, was that the Temple pass rush only got to quarterback Tommy Rees for one sack. This was the same Temple pass rush that produced nine sacks in the spring game against the same offensive line that handled two first-team All-Americans (Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt) last week.
So it comes down to this: Pass rush.
Temple signs home and home deal with a Big 10 school not named Penn State or Rutgers. Click on logo for details.
When you look at the box score this time, don’t look at first downs (Temple had 25 to Notre Dame’s 21 last week) or time of possession, look at sacks.
Hurries are important, too, because that forces the quarterback to put the ball up earlier than expected and allows someone like Tavon Young to step in front of a pass and get a pick-six.
The best pass defense, though, is putting the quarterback on his ass. So sacks, though, are the most important stat in this game.
If Temple gets five or more, Temple wins going away. Four and it comes down to a field goal. Three or less, Temple loses. You don’t want just four.
Guys like Sean Daniels, Levi Brown, Averee Robinson, Kamal Johnson and Shahbaz Ahmed are going to have to regularly meet at the Houston quarterback in order to do it, maybe punching the ball out while bringing him down.
We all know they are capable, but we all know they didn’t do it last week. Robinson is the brother of former MAC Player of the Year (and current Denver Bronco) Adrian Robinson, who made his reputation having quarterbacks for lunch. Robinson is also a three-time Pennsylvania heavyweight wrestling champ and that kind of ability allows for tremendous gap leverage. Brown is a former preseason All-Big East pick. Daniels is the team’s best pass-rusher. Johnson had sacks in both the Eagle Bank Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl. Ahmed came from nowhere to earn a starting spot at one end. A sub on the line, Shadid Paulhill, had the big sack that clinched the win over South Florida last year. Another sub, Matt Ioannidis, had the sack against ND. Brandon Chudnoff, a pass-rushing specialist who didn’t play against ND, got the clearance to play this week. He had two fumble recoveries against UConn last year.
This is the same defensive line that shut out UConn in the second half last year.
This is a formidable defensive line. It’s time they played like it.
If they do, the Owls win by a touchdown or two. I think they will.
Prediction: Temple, 27-17.
Last week’s prediction: Notre Dame, 37-15
Last week’s result: Notre Dame, 28-6.
Tomorrow: An early tailgate, a lot of cheering in the middle, and a very late game analysis
Sunday: The road ahead
“P.J., I asked coach Foley what he did with that sheet of trick plays I had and he said he left it at the hotel.”
As a rule, I’m not a big proponent of so-called trick plays.
This year, though, with this Temple team, I will make an exception.
The Tarps are down at Lincoln Financial Field.
You have two guys on offense who have a history passing the ball and passing it exceptionally who now have other responsibilities, Chris Coyer and Jalen Fitzpatrick. Coyer was an MVP quarterback in a bowl game. Fitzpatrick was the starting quarterback for the Big 33 team against Ohio. Coyer is now the H-Back. Fitzpatrick is now the wide receiver.
I expected to see Coyer take a simple pitchout from Connor Reilly and at least TRY to throw the ball downfield against Notre Dame last week. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Jalen Fitzpatrick threw off a reverse like he did for a first down against Louisville last year.
Neither happened.
My feeling is that you use the whole bag of tricks, if needed, and I thought that was needed against Notre Dame.
It might not be needed against Houston, but one or two trick (I prefer to call them extra imaginative) plays might result in the score that turns a one-score game into Temple’s favor.
Villanova would have scored one less touchdown against Boston College if it didn’t try this play:
I love this play. Fortunately, Andy Talley didn’t listen when someone told him it might not work.
Sadly, we did not see those plays last week against Notre Dame. Some people say that’s because Brian Kelly would have been ready for it. We don’t really know, though, because they weren’t tried. Temple moved the ball well between the 20s. Would they have scored on one of these plays? What would have been the harm in trying?
That’s sort of like Edison telling someone he wants to experiment with this thing called electricity. “You don’t want to do that because Brian Kelly’s gas lamp lights work just fine.” Edison: “Yeah, OK. That’s a bad idea. I’m sorry I thought of it. What was I thinking?”
Now because head coach Matt Rhule didn’t use any of these type plays against Notre Dame doesn’t mean that he won’t. Remember, except for one of these plays below, Matt was the offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach for these plays:
Joey Jones
THE JOEY JONES DOUBLE-REVERSE PASS: Unquestionably, the best spiral thrown during a season when Chester Stewart was the starting quarterback. Jones got the ball on a double-reverse at Army and found Michael Campbell in the end zone for a touchdown. Temple won the game, 42-35. Thank God Matt Rhule (or Al Golden) had the guts to call it. Joey Jones’ birthday is a week from today. When you wish him a happy one, thank him for that pass.
That piece of athletic equipment on the field is the jock that Jalen Fitzpatrick faked this Maryland defender out of on the way to a TD.
THE ADAM DIMICHELE FAKE KNEELDOWN: At Navy in 2008, Temple was running out the clock near midfield. After a couple of runs into the line, the clock wound down to 21 seconds. DiMichele walked to the line in victory formation, feigned a knee, and before his knee touched the ground, he lifted up and found Bruce Francis (now open by 30 yards) for a score. As we learned later, ADM told the line judge he was going to do it so there would not be a quick whistle. Smart quarterback, that ADM.
THE TIM BROWN FLEA-FLICKER: After Tim Brown established himself as Temple’s top offensive weapon against Bowling Green, the Falcons were keying on him. Offensive coordinator George DeLeone took advantage of that (Rhule was an assistant at the time) by calling a quick handoff to Brown, who then pitched the ball back to DiMichele, who found 4.3 sprinter Travis Sheldon all alone behind the defense for six. (This was also used twice in Bruce Arians’ last game as a Temple coach, as Mike Palys caught two flea-flickers for long touchowns in a 45-28 win over Boston College.)
THE JALEN FITZPATRICK THROWBACK: This is a play I called for in TFF on June 4, 2012. It wasn’t used until the Nov. 8 game at Louisville. Who knew Daz read TFF, but he used it exactly like I drew it up: Fitzpatrick got the ball on a reverse, ran to one side of the field. With the Louisville defense over pursuing to his side, Fitzpatrick threw a pass across the field to Coyer, who had to come back a yard for it but still gained 15 yards and a first down. Had Coyer been able to catch it in stride, it’s six points. Against a team like Louisville, you’ve got to get your six points anyway you can get them.
Tomorrow: Game Preview
Last year, was a very blurry and fuzzy year for Houston fans.
Houston’s program is a lot like Temple’s in that it suffered a misstep last year after running a solid string of seasons before that.
However, the Cougars come to Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday a three-point favorite and it’s really hard to figure out why.
From the Eastern Michigan game in 2009 through the entire 2011 season, Temple was 16-3 in a span of 19 home games, one of the best home records in all of college football. Maybe it was the Cherry helmets. The Owls need to get that kind of home domination back.
Temple opened up against the Notre Dame, which played in the National Championship game a few months ago, and put up more yards and first downs against the Irish than any team not named Alabama over the last 12 months. Notre Dame played a considerably more impressive schedule than Houston did.
Houston opened this season with a 62-point effort against Southern, one of the worst FCS teams in the nation. Last year, New Mexico opened the season with a 62-point effort against Southern and New Mexico finished the season one of the worst teams in FBS football.
So if you think scoring 62 points against Southern is impressive, think again.
According to this, there are only 763 tickets “available.”
Last year, Houston lost to Texas State, 30-13. That’s right, Texas State, playing its first year of FBS football. Not Texas or Texas A&M or even Texas Christian.
Texas … Freaking … State.
Last year, Temple dropped 62 points of its own on a foe in a game and that was against Army. Yes, the same Army team that beat Boston College. Temple, despite having its worst season in five years, went on the road and beat UConn and UConn went on the road and beat Louisville. Yeah, the same Louisville team that beat Florida. Houston gave up 72 points to SMU and the last time I checked SMU did not play in a BCS bowl last year.
While transitive property doesn’t mean anything in a one-game comparison, when you lump three or four games together you get a GENERAL idea of where the two programs are.
After playing Southern, Houston will likely be shocked by the size and speed and skill set of Temple. After playing Notre Dame, Temple will not likely be shocked by the size and speed and skill set of Houston.
Notre Dame recruits in a different stratosphere than both Houston and Temple yet the Owls more than held their own on both sides of the line against the Irish.
When the Owls come out of the tunnel on Saturday to the sound of D.J. Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win” you will know that the swag is back at the Linc. The swag won’t mean anything, though, unless players like Sean Daniels, Kamal Johnson, Shahbaz Ahmed and Levi Brown get into the Houston backfield on a regular basis.
If Texas State can get into the Cougars’ backfield, though, so should they.
Texas … Freaking … State.
Houston also lost to Marshall and East Carolina last season. Badly.
Temple has a new coach almost everyone here considers a gigantic upgrade over the last one. Houston has the same coach who suffered all of those embarrassing losses a year ago.
Take the three points because the Owls win this by a touchdown or two.
Tomorrow: We’re All in This Together
Thursday: Five Trick Plays I’d Like to See
Friday: Game Preview
Saturday: Game Analysis
Don Bitterlich, who now plays the best rendition of Fight Temple Fight I’ve ever heard, never missed a FG inside the 40 in his 3 years as Temple’s kicker.
Cap Poklemba after winning indoor football league title for Harrisburg pro team this season (with his rugrat).
One of the great things about HDTV is that you can see the expression on guys’ faces during the game.
One of the worst things about HDTV is that you can see the expression on guys’ faces during the game.
When I saw Jim Cooper Jr.’s face before he lined up for the first kick of his collegiate career against Notre Dame, I said to the person sitting next to me: “Geez, the poor kid looks scared to death.”
Wouldn’t you?
Wouldn’t anyone?
Well, not really.
Cap Poklemba, in my mind, would have embraced the moment. So would have Brandon McManus. So would have Don Bitterlich.
In a way, so would have Jim Cooper Sr.
Jim Cooper Jr.’s dad missed a big kick early in a game against West Virginia. A few minutes later, he kicked the game-winner.
Maybe Jim should talk to his dad about it. Maybe they already have.
Or maybe he should talk Cap or Don. There’s something about kickers. Both Cap and Don have remained loyal to the school after all these years and will be in Lot K on Saturday. I’m sure Brandon will, too. For years, another kicker, Wes Sornisky, ran the tailgate in the Jethro Lot. Ron Fiorvante, who kicked the game-winning field goal in a 34-31 win at Hawaii in 1979, will be there Saturday, as will former kicker and punter Jake Brownell, who made the trip with the team to the Eagle Bank Bowl in 1979.
There have been no more loyal group of ex-Temple players than the kickers and punters.
Click on the photo of Don Bitterlich kicking to read my story on him that appeared in a suburban newspaper.
I was at Rutgers’ Stadium the night Poklemba was being heckled by Rutgers’ fans. He turned around and said to them, “You better hope this doesn’t come down to a kick because I’M WINNING THIS GAME!” It came down to a kick and Poklemba nailed it and led the Owls over to the Big East Logo and they danced on the logo and sung T for Temple U in a pouring rain. That was a few months after Temple was kicked out of the Big East for being “non-competitive.” It was also the Owls’ fourth-straight win over “competitive” Rutgers. That was the loudest I’ve ever heard the team sing T for Temple U. They carried five Rutgers’ players off the field that night on stretchers. It was Temple’s version of the body bag game. Thank God the “targeting” penalty wasn’t in effect that night.
Someday, Jim Cooper Jr. will have that kind of attitude.
The good news for Jim Cooper Jr. is one day he will laugh about his first game and that he did not miss the kick that would have cost Temple, say, a 29-28 win.
Before the game, I wrote the key number for Temple was getting double-digit sacks. I know that’s a lot to ask for, but really that’s what needed to happen. It didn’t. Temple got 1/10th the number of sacks it needed to get to tilt the playing field. Temple needed to buzz around Tommy Rees like a bunch of crazed hornets. When the Owls never got close to Rees, I knew this gig was up. The lack of pass rush was the No. 1 reason why Temple lost. The placekicking game was about eighth on the list.
The interesting thing about Bitterlich was that he kicked for three years at Temple and NEVER missed a field goal within 40 yards DESPITE never having kicked a field goal UNTIL he got to Temple.
Click over logo for an excellent story in the New York Times on the game by an AP reporter. Note Kelly’s “dink and dunk” comment near the middle.
Don, who plays a mean accordion and the best rendition of Fight Temple Fight (which is kind of like T for Temple U, just a better beat and you can dance to it), will be hosting a tailgate party of his own in Lot K. It’s a private party, but I’m sure you can walk over and say hello.
Bitterlich not only kicked a 56-yarder for Temple, but he held the school’s single-season point-scoring record until 2009 (when Bernard Pierce and Brandon McManus scored 95 points).
At least Cooper The Younger won’t have to chase Bitterlich’s record for perfect games.
Even McManus missed key field goals (Bowling Green, 2011). He shook it off well.
I’m sure Jim will, too, and learn to embrace the moment with the strange mixture of determination and relaxation. I think the kids call it “being in a zone.”
He’ll just have to develop a meaner game face.
One last Temple look at Matt Brown. Something tells me we will see him again playing on a different day of the week.
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Right about now, Temple head football coach Steve Addazio is setting the GPS for the road to Super Phenomenal.
If the Owls get there, it will depend a lot on Daz inputing the right coordinates.
At the very least, you’ve got to figure that Temple is going to be a better football team this year than next.
The Owls played as many as 16 freshmen starters at times this year and a couple of solid teams leave the schedule in Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
Addazio says the team is moving in a “super phenomenal direction” and you’ve got to hope that Daz’s definition of “super phenomenal” is not just five wins next year.
What is my definition of “‘super phenomenal” .. hmm, AT LEAST flipping the 4-7 into 7-5 next year. I’ve never seen a “regular” phenomenal 6-6 team. If “super phenomenal” is, say, 9-3 or better in a couple of years, you’ve got to at least go 7-5 along the way.
Still, though, there are some serious concerns to be addressed before the Owls chose the road that leads them to Super Phenomenal.
Since you’ve got to go with the current roster personnel, I would tweak things just a big to improve the 2013 Owls. I don’t think anybody currently playing in high school is going to make the Owls super phenomenal next year.
My easy fixes:
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| Looks like the Army Billy Goat followed the Owls from West Point in this great image captured by Frank Stephens. The shadow behind John Christopher was not photo shopped. |
DEFENSIVE SECONARDY _ Can this be fixed in one year? I don’t know but I would give a serious look to former Rutgers’ recruit Abdul Smith as a cornerback. Unlike the current starter, who was recruited by FCS Hofstra (now without a program), Smith brings solid BCS recruit potential in there and I thought he played very well in his most extended duty, the UConn game. With lock-down cornerback Anthony Robey on the other end, that’s an upgrade. I would give Kevin Newsome the entire spring to become the star playmaking free safety I think he can be and he was proven to be in high school. If the first two QBs get injured, Newsome’s 2012 of being third-team quarterback won’t be wasted and he could fill in as emergency QB. He’s too good an athlete to keep off the field, though.
DEFENSIVE LINE _ Since the Owls appear to be thin there and have plenty of talented linebackers, why not go 3-4 instead of 4-3. With a 3-4 you need to have a good nose guard and I think both Levi Brown and Hershey Walton fit that bill. I would recruit a big, mean, pass-rushing JUCO DE or at least two. Playng a 3-4 allows you to blitz a couple of speedy linebackers on passing downs, while leaving two back to cover a screen or draw.
OFFENSIVE SCHEME _ I would ditch this run-first approach and rehire Scot Loeffler as offensive coordinator. The Owls’ offense was much more smooth under Loeffler and he was even able to make Chester Stewart effective in the Maryland game by a lot of short rollout passes to the tight end and running backs on first down. That made Bernard Pierce a much more effective back. Daz needs more than a yes man as OC and Loeffler would fit that bill nicely. Without Matt Brown and Montel Harriss, the Owls can’t be one-dimensional. I think Jamie Gilmore and Montrell Dobbs would thrive under a more balanced approach and the Owls have to show future quarterback recruits they are more than ready and willing to throw the football.
That’s how my GPS tells me to get to Super Phenomenal. I hope Daz has the same GPS system.
Every time I start to feel sorry for myself that I still haven’t found a job in the newspaper business after cutbacks cost me mine and the money is about to run out (there still is a newspaper business, right?), I see something that I have to shake my head about and thank God for my blessings.
Lately, it was a story about a poor military guy who lost both legs in Afghanistan or Iraq and is keeping on keeping on.
I plan to do the same, although the next step might be as a greeter at Wal-Mart. I’ll keep my hand in writing here.
That brings me to fandom.
A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling sorry because my university, a school I said was going to shock the Big East world a couple of months ago, was getting pasted for the fourth straight time by a Big East team.
It rocked my world, but it could be worse.
I could be a Boston College fan.
I found this while searching a Boston College fan site the other day:
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| This from a Boston College fan lamenting a bad day in a bad season. |
Montel Harris was trending on Yahoo late Saturday afternoon.
It was the second item right below General Patraeus.
That’s good news for Temple, bad news for Boston College.
While Temple is 4-6 with two more Big East wins than many of the pundits thought possible, Boston College is a two-win team looking for a new head coach.
The Eagles have a great on-campus stadium, but a terrible product and the guy who they kicked off the team is doing pretty well at Temple.
Yes, it could be worse.
In life and in fandom.
Wednesday: A tribute to the seniors
In this, the second installment of “What, Me Worry?” , Temple Football Forever is officially worried.
Fortunately, the first installment of worry (The Big East invitation) turned out to be unfounded.
I hope this installment turns out the same way.
Worried about the outcome of tomorrow’s game at Army.
Nothing the Owls have done in the last four weeks have shown me they can beat EVEN Army, and that would be the exclamation mark of a downward trend between this season and last season that is alarming at best.
Look at what Army’s has done in recent weeks:
Look at what Temple has done in recent weeks: Lost by 47-17 to a Pitt team that gave Notre Dame a good game.
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| Even Temple grad Dick Weiss is picking against the Owls. |
Lost by 45-17 to a Louisville team that was given a good game by 0-9 Southern Mississppi and 1-9 Florida International.
Lost by 35-10 to a Rutgers’ team that lost to Kent State.
Temple beat Kent State, 34-16, last year.
Temple also beat Army by 42-14 last year.
Temple also beat Ball State by 42-0 last year.
Ball State is one of the best teams in a Mid-American Conference that is outstanding this year.
Listen, I know Temple lost six starters on defense and most of the offensive line to the pros last year but it did not lose SO much talent to have this kind of a downturn in 12 months.
Except for a 16-for-20 performance in the passing game against South Florida, Temple seemed to spend the entire season in an attempt to return college football back to the days of Woody Hayes and “three-yards-in-a-cloud-of-dust” approach. Only it worked for Ohio State, not Temple.
Beating a 2-8 Army team would not be a feather in the Owls’ cap, but it would certainly show signs that this program has a pulse and won’t take the final game against Syracuse lying down.
Yeah, I’m worried.
I have reason to be.
I hope the football program and team prove my worries as unfounded as the administration did back in March.
Picks:
Last week: Was a good week. I went top-heavy on high-value underdogs. The only loss was the Army game and it was 7-7 in the fourth quarter. I had ARMY getting 18 at Rutgers; MIAMI (FLA.) getting 1 at Virginia (a push); VANDY getting 3 at Mississippi (Vandy won outright); GEORGIA TECH getting 9 at North Carolina (GT blew out UNC outright); BUFFALO getting 2 1/2 at home vs. Western Michigan (Buffalo won outright). Only liked one favorite: TULSA giving 2 at Houston and Tulsa won, 41-7.
This week: Going the other way, liking three favorites and a dog. BUFFALO giving 10 at Umass; TULSA giving 2 to visiting UCF and LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE giving 4 to visiting Western Kentucky. Like one underdog and that’s SOUTH FLORIDA getting 7 at Miami.
Records:
Last week: 4-1 overall, 4-1 ATS.
Season: 17-8 overall, 15-11 ATS.
Saturday: No story, but complete analysis of the game on Sunday
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| The swing state in this election could be the 12,500 students living on campus. |
After what seems like years watching commentary on this presidential campaign, my head is about to explode after hearing about how this state would break down and that state would break down.
One guy says Romney is going to win in a landslide.
I’ve heard one “comfortable” Obama win prediction.
Most guys say it’s going to be close either way.
I have no idea who is going to win.
I’ll find out around midnight, unless there’s a state out there that still uses punch cards.
Right now, I can be certain of two things.
I’m voting for Temple football on Saturday and, sadly, I don’t think there is going to be a big turnout of people voting with their feet like me.
I’m not an expert on politics, but I do consider myself an expert on Temple’s fragile fan base.
I’m often able to predict the Temple crowd, almost down to a person.
For the Homecoming Game against South Florida, I predicted 26K and Temple drew 25,896.
For the Rutgers’ game, I predicted 41K but I had to smack the upside of my head for not factoring in the “over-the-air” free TV hit of between 5-10K Temple takes. Facts show that when Temple is on live TV, it takes a huge hit somewhere in that general ballpark figure.
Rutgers took care of its end of the bargain, bringing at least 15K. (To be fair, RU was 6-0 and Temple 3-2.) Temple must have brought no more than 20K, meaning at least 6K fans stayed home and watched on TV.
This week, probably more unfortunately than other weeks, the game is on TV.
Students have come out in big numbers in the past. There were 12K students for the Villanova game, but that was at night when they did not have to set their alarms after a Friday of partying. When I went to Temple, I had no problem setting my alarm for noon games so I never understood that reasoning. The Temple students could be the swing part of this election, but they came up lame against Maryland and Rutgers so I don’t expect they’ll suddenly, err, wake up.
I’ve always said this:
Temple has a hardcore fan base of 15-17K who will show up no matter what.
It also has a “softcore” fan base of between 20-30K who need a reason to believe.
Thirty years of football futility lost that secondary fan base and it’s going to take more than three or four years of good football to bring it back.
Three weeks of Gosh-awful football have lost that softcore base for this season.
In a way, I can’t blame them.
You can’t call yourself a BCS team and throw the ball only 10 times in a 45-17 loss. That tells your fan base either you a) gave up or b) have Stevie Wonder calling the plays.
I expect the 17K to show up on Saturday, but no more.
It might be as low as 15K, which would put it in the same neighborhood as the Penn vs. Harvard Ivy League football championship game being played at the same time across town.
I do know this: There are 270K Temple alumni, 130K living within an hour’s drive of Lincoln Financial Field and 39K students, 12.5K living within a 10-minute subway ride of LFF. That’s a lot of potential voters out there. I’m voting for Temple but only because I’m a Temple football junkie and I need my fix.
Someday, hopefully soon, there will be a lot more Temple people who use Saturdays in the fall to cast a vote for their school.
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| These were Temple’s first five plays vs. Louisville. |
My back hurts from getting patted so much after calling for the Jalen Fitzpatrick throwback pass to Chris Coyer, finally used by Temple three months into the season.
My heart aches from being non-competitive on the scoreboard for three weeks.
My head still works, though.
I called for that pass on June 4 in a post I wrote detailing what would be a dream scenario season for the Temple football Owls. That’s five months and one day ago.
In order to avoid a nightmare scenario and get the Owls jump-started on a fine end to a rocky season, I would like to RESPECTFULLY suggest the following 10 scripted plays to open up the game on Saturday:
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| Khalif Herbin: First of his many Owl TDs. |
We’ll assume Temple wins the toss and Cincy kicks it through the end zone.
TU25-Chris Coyer uses a play-action fake to Montel Harris to freeze the defense and rolls out and hits Ryan Alderman for a 6-yard gain near the sideline.
TU31-Coyer drops back to pass, then shovels it forward to Harris for an 8-yard gain.
TU39-Coyer runs right on a read option with Harris trailing. When the pitch guy goes for Harris, Coyer takes it upfield for +14, running out of bounds for ball security purposes.
CI46-Coyer hands off to Fitzpatrick coming around on reverse. Fitzpatrick feigns a throw downfield, handing it off to 4.29 sprinter Khalif Herbin coming from the other side on the double reverse. Field opens for Herbin, who scores a 46-yard touchdown.
Temple 7, Cincinnati 0
Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux then drops back and surprisingly finds the middle of the Temple defense open and hits George Winn for a 75-yard touchdown. Temple makes a nice tackle on Winn in the end zone, though.
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| TFF’s first scripted play of the game. |
Temple 7, Cincinnati 7
TU25-Coyer drops back and hands off to Harris on the wraparound draw, good for +15
TU40-Coyer rolls out and finds Harris over the middle of the field, +10.
50-Coyer rolls out and DBs come up on run support so he floats the ball over DBs head to Fitzpatrick, who gains 20.
C30-Coyer hands it off to Harris up the middle, +1.
C29-Coyer hands off to Harris, who uses a crunching block from No. 44 (Wyatt Benson) to get outside ala South Florida and scores a 29-yard touchdown.
Temple 14, Cincinnati 7
At this point, defensive coordinator Chuck Heater can be seen mouthing “bleep it” (only he didn’t say bleep) and goes to a 3-4 blitzing defensive scheme and unleashes speedy Owl linebackers Tyler Matakevitch and Nate D. Smith on pass rush responsibilities and Temple records a school-record 15 sacks. Other Owl LBs, like Blaze Caponegro and Ahkeem Smith, do a great job in run support. That allows Temple head coach Steve Addazio the comfort level to go back to his pound and ground approach and the Owls control both the clock and, with the help of Brandon McManus’ punting, the field position battle and win going away.
After the team sings “T for Temple U” public address announcer Carlos Bates says the uni will be giving out free Hawaiian Cherry and White Leis to the first 10K fans who come to the Syracuse game.
Hopefully, I won’t wake up from this dream to the last three weeks of nightmares.
Temple Football Forever 