Some interesting comments from the TV guys.

Todd Bowles is believed to be the first Temple grad ever named a head coach in the NFL and that came late this afternoon. Congratulations to Todd, the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Chad Smith runs Wyoming Football Forever, a Temple Football Forever equivalent in a parallel universe.
Only kidding about the name, though.
Smith’s blog is here, the 7220 report, and it covers all things Cowboy football.
With the Wyoming vs. Temple game only a few days away, we thought this would be a good time for a question exchange.
My questions are in white type and his answers are yellow below:

1) I wonder if you heard any more from Wyoming fans watching ESPN and noticed them laughing when our bowl came up and what was the reaction there?

Wyoming fans surely took notice of this and thought it was a slap in the face to both the Wyoming and Temple football programs. This type of reaction just reinforces the ESPN-ization of college football; that being if you are not a BCS school you basically no longer matter in college football. What makes this reaction even more bizarre is the fact that ESPN actually owns the New Mexico Bowl! So they were in fact mocking their own product. Great work “world wide leader”!

2) Sum up your personal off-the-field experiences from the New Mexico Bowl two years ago, both highlights and lowlights?

The New Mexico Bowl may be only five years old but I can assure you it is a first class operation. They know that they are low in the pecking order in terms of bowl prestige and history but have a goal of being the most hospitable bowl out there. They put on some great events with luncheons, dinners, a pep rally (with fireworks!) and the pre-game fan party outside the stadium. The activities and the southwestern food are all top class and made for an enjoyable experience. There weren’t really any lowlights in terms of experience the only negative thing is out of the Bowl’s control as the weather in Albuquerque isn’t all that warm this time of year.

This clay pot is the trophy the Owls hope to hoist Saturday.

3) What is it about Albuquerque, the town itself, that surprised you the most in 2009?

There wasn’t much that surprised me in 2009 because with the University of New Mexico being in the Mountain West, I’ve been to Albuquerque more than a few times for both football and basketball. The first time I went there I was surprised by two things. First, I thought the city was a little dirty (in a dusty type of way) but hey what city in the high desert isn’t? Secondly, I found there to be a wide variety of different things to do (shopping, museums, outdoor recreation etc.) and was something I did not expect. Most surprising to me was downtown Albuquerque although not big in size, there are some nice cafes, bars and restaurants along Central street. I think Temple fans will enjoy the city.

4) Is your freshman QB mostly a drop-back passer or a mobile quarterback who can throw?

Brett Smith is definitely not a pure drop back passer and he isn’t a run first type of quarterback either. I would say your moniker of a mobile quarterback who can throw is the best description. That is what has impressed me the most about him in his true freshman season. He is a very good runner but he always looks to throw first before running. Most QB’s with his skill set take off and run right away when things break down but Smith always keeps his head up and is looking for an open wide receiver down field first.

5) Who are the players on the Cowboys will might play on Sundays and who are the other players to watch by the numbers come Saturday?

There aren’t any sure fire NFL prospects on this team but the two players who have the best chance that I know NFL scouts are looking at are defensive back Tashaun Gipson (4) and defensive end Josh Biezuns (44). Gipson is a four year starter who is good at making plays on the ball. He started the first three years at cornerback but switched to safety halfway through this year to help the team. Biezuns is a little undersized at 6-2 and 245 pounds but he has a non-stop motor and is always near the ball which is amazing for a defensive lineman and could be a good fir in a 3-4 defense as a OLB. The two other key players temple fans should watch on defense are linebacker Brian Hendricks (8) who is a tackling machine in the middle and defensive tackle Gabe Knapton(52) who you will see lineup on the inside and outside of the defensive line. Offensively the playmakers are quarterback Brett Smith (16), running back Alvester Alexander (32) who is your classic one cut runner and true freshman wide receiver Josh Doctson (89) who has emerged as a speed threat on the outside.