12.05.11
by

A good night at the LC

Wyoming rushes the field after its last NMB win in 2009.

I got a chance to shake Bernard Pierce’s hand and wish him luck in the game. If any of my running ability rubbed off in the handshake, Bernard should finish with 27 yards. Or maybe minus 27. So he’s going to have to go for 227 to save me a guilt trip.

Watched a little of the start of the Bowl Selection show at the Liacouras Center with former Temple great running back Sheldon Morris and we were both looking for the fast forward button on TV remote.
Neither of us had the remote, but Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw took the microphone during the first commercial break and broke the suspense.
Temple vs. Wyoming, New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 17.
You know what?
Both Sheldon and I and about 90 to 92 percent of the other season-ticket holders won’t be able to make it in body (we don’t have deep enough pockets) but we will be there in spirit.
It was a surprise in a sense.
Both Sheldon and I (and about 90 to 92 percent of the other season-ticket holders) would have been able to make it to D.C., but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Most of the players thought the nation’s capital would be the destination as of about 5 p.m. (At least those at the E-O with my text number) so this pairing comes as a surprise.
Disappointment might be a little strong because any bowl is a good one but this announcement could have been better from my perspective.
Disappointment would have been the word I would have used if Temple was left out.
Temple should take care of business and move the program forward with the school’s first bowl win since 1979.
For a week, the talk had been of a Temple bowl rematch with Cal (1979 win) or UCLA (2009 loss).
Wyoming will be a rematch of sorts, too.
The Cowboys handed visiting Temple one of its only four losses during the 1990 season (28-23). Dick Beck, the current North Penn head coach, was the captain of that Temple team.
Still, I would have preferred to see Temple put a Big East team on its ass.
I would have liked to see Temple play Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl, but nobody asked me. SMU will play Pitt in Birmingham, Ala. instead. Temple vs. Pitt would have made a better storyline.
The TV show itself could have been better.
College football probably will never figure out a way to harness the suspense in its bowl selection show that college basketball has when announcing the brackets, but everyone got a chance to go home early.
I met a lot of the parents and I can now understand why this is a solid group made up of good and humble young men. They are all very nice people. I could not be prouder of a group representing Temple than this football organization and that goes from Steve Addazio through the players through the video and managerial staff.
I got a chance to shake Bernard Pierce’s hand and wish him luck in the game. If any of my running ability rubbed off in the handshake, Bernard should finish with 27 yards. Or maybe minus 27. So he’s going to have to go for 227 to save me a guilt trip.
There were plenty of Temple fans there and plenty of Temple fight songs played by the band.
All in all a good night at the LC.
Spare me of the endless Alabama vs. LSU talk.
These other schools deserve some love, too.
Temple football got some love at the LC, if not on the TV.

12.04.11
by

Owls holding breath for that bowl bid




New Mexico Bowl and Military Bowl remain the likely destinations for Temple.

 

If you are a Temple fan, disappointment is a familiar word.
A couple of years ago, I watched a pre-game college basketball show from my neighborhood gym and the two guys were debating whether or not Temple’s 29-win basketball team was a two or three seed.
“I think Temple’s done enough to move up to the two line,” Doug Gottlieb said.
What happened?
The Owls slipped to No. 5 and had to play a 27-4 Cornell team in the first round.
I did not find that out until attending the selection party at the Liacouras Center that night. Driving down, I was whistling Gottlieb’s No. 2 tune.
Most people’s reactions:
WTF?
You know what those three letters stand for, so I won’t elaborate.
Last year, they had a bowl selection party scheduled for the LC but had to cancel it at noon.
“Guys, we’re done,” were the famous three words uttered by Al Golden in a team meeting at the E-O.

If there is a WTF moment on Sunday, Temple should pursue all avenues to escape from the MAC immediately. Conference USA would accept Temple in a heartbeat and that’s really where the Owls belong anyway


WTF?
Back in September, Temple officials were telling Owl fans that joining the Big East would happen “in a matter of days, not weeks” at the wine and cheese pre-game tailgate against Maryland.
Then Villanova stepped in and cried like a baby on the phone to its fellow Big East Catholic schools for three days and suddenly that situation fell apart, too.
WTF?
So there’s a party scheduled for the LC Sunday night.
I remain optimistic that the Owls will receive an invite to the bowl party but I’ve seen too many funky things happen to Temple to be absolutely sure.
As I write this late Saturday night, no official bowl invitation has been received by Temple. In fact, two websites (College Football News and NBC sports) have the Owls projected out of the bowl picture entirely.
One has a 7-5 MAC team, Western Michigan, with no TV ratings and a smaller fan base, projected against Cincinnati in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Ridiculous is one word.
WTF is three words.
Heck, even Florida International University has received and accepted its bowl invite (Beef O’Brady’s, St. Pete) but not Temple.
If there is a WTF moment on Sunday night, Temple should pursue all avenues to escape from the MAC immediately.
Conference USA would accept Temple in a heartbeat and that’s really where the Owls belong anyway.
Hopefully, we will all be breathing a sigh of relief at 8:15 p.m. but it never should have come down to the last moment nor should it ever again.
Temple’s athletic administration should see to that no later than Monday morning.

12.01.11
by

Five 7 reasons why Bernard Pierce should stay

“When I get out of here, I’m going to lay out that guy with the long hair
 from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Troy Polamalu, and the only reason I’m going to be able
 to do that is because I stayed my full time at Temple building my body for the rigors
 of the NFL.  When I do that, you’ll know it’s a signal from me to you to stay in school.”



Just as promised, Steve Maneri lays out Palamalu.


The subject of my favorite Temple Owl came up with one of my favorite Temple fans in the parking lot before the game last Friday.
“What is Bernard majoring in?” my friend, Chet, said.
“Nuclear physics,” I shot back.
Of course I knew Bernard Pierce is majoring in the same thing I majored in at Temple University, Communications. I have that degree on my wall and it is next to my two Associated Press Best Sports Story awards and one Pennsylvania Newspaper Publisher Association award for Best Feature Story.
Without the degree, I don’t get a chance to get the other two items framed. Whatever little writing talent I had as a 17-year-old was harnessed into a readable style thanks to Temple profs.


Of course, I could never run the ball like Bernard Pierce can but I see a bright future for him in Communications after football and the average work lifespan of a good NFL running back is about five years.

The average work lifespan of a TV guy with a Temple degree is about 60 years longer than that.
Ask Kevin Neghandi of ESPN.

Another reason to come back: Steve Addazio tells funny jokes.



If Bernard really was majoring in nuclear physics, I’d advise him to leave.

Since it is Communications and he is thisclose to graduating, he would be a wise Owl to stay.
He’s going to run into a lot of shady sports agent characters and they are going to give him a lot of advice designed to get their cut of his money a year early. My best advice (and it’s free) for him is to go with the first agent who tells him it is in his best interest to stay.
Five good reasons:



Mel Kiper is much more likely
to call Bernard Pierce a No. 1 choice
next year, not this one.

 Draft status _ There are plenty of good running backs coming out including Trent Richardson (Alabama), Lamar Miller (Miami), Montee Ball (Wisconsin), Chris Polk (Washington), Cyrus Gray (Texas A & M) and LaMichael James (Oregon). I know Bernard is better than these guys. You know Bernard is better than these guys but, right now, those guys are rated higher than Bernard. That means he could go as low and third or fourth round. Next year, when he’s the unquestioned best (by you, me AND Mel Kiper), he will get guaranteed first-round money and be able to start his own TV station. If he gets drafted in the second round or below, which appears likely, there is no guaranteed money, which means he is an injury away from getting cut and sitting next to me in the stands at Temple games wishing he was out there (just like Big East player of the year Walter Washington sadly did when he got bad advice from an agent and came out early in 2004).

 

Bernard already has a nice suit
ready for next year’s Heisman ceremony.



The Heisman Trophy _ With Richardson, James and Ball graduating, Bernard has jumped over the field into the top five in next year’s Heisman conversation. All the good backs will be gone. He’ll be on national TV in the bowl game and every TV guy will be mentioning his name as one to watch in next year’s Heisman talk. Also, he’s playing Villanova next year in the first game. He should get 500 yards and six touchdowns in that game alone and that should catapult him into the top of the race. Usually, guys who get to the top early stay there at the end. If he stays, I will make it a singular mission to gather up all my Temple communications alumni buddies and get Bernard the Heisman Trophy. What a great thing it would be for him to be at the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan accepting the award that just eluded Temple’s Paul Palmer in 1986. Plus, it would set him up for a good TV gig 10 years down the road.



No wonder BP has such
great vision.
The Franchise Tag _ Not Temple’s, mine. For the past three years, I have been the guy yelling the loudest from the stands: “GIVE THE BALL TO THE FRANCHISE. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT’S FOOTBALL!!” For some reason, I didn’t do that in the Kent State game and, after all three BP touchdowns, the two teenage girls sitting in front of me turned around to me, gave me a fist bump, and said: “GIVE THE BALL TO THE FRANCHISE. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT’S FOOTBALL!” I wonder where they got that from? I must’ve been a bad influence on those kids. If there’s no Bernard Pierce next year, I got nothing. Matty Brown will do a nice job, but it won’t be the same without The Franchise. Scot Loeffler, you are on your own calling plays. Could get scary.

Tesa, Wayne and Cyrus Tribue
The Mom Factor _ Watching all the moms with their sons on Friday, I thought it would be great if Tammy Pierce would be escorted onto the field by Bernard Pierce for the Senior Day ceremony next year. Tammy has been Bernard’s No. 1 fan since Day One. She deserves that day in front of a packed house next year. (And it will be a packed house. Paul Palmer drew over 40,000 to crappy Veterans Stadium for his final home game.)  I met her in the concourse at the Miami game and, without knowing who she was, she said to me: “Nice to meet, you, I’m Bernard Pierce’s mom.” I stood there with my mouth open for about five seconds before thinking of something to say. “He’s my favorite player, I love him,” I said (nothing kinky, of course just like a proud adopted uncle). Tammy said, “Well, we do, too.” There’s a lot more people at Temple who love him than in the NFL. There is no agent out there who loves him like we do.

Ramone looks sad he came back (not!)

Lavoy: All smiles during his senior year.

Ramone Moore and Lavoy Allen _ Like Bernard Pierce, both Ramone Moore and Lavoy Allen filed paperwork with the pros to determine the level of interest. Hopefully, like Ramone and Lavoy, Bernard will make the same determination to come back. Neither guy is far away if Bernard wants to get advice. Lavoy is practicing with the Sixers. Bernard walks by Temple basketball practice on the way to class every day so he can talk to Ramone as well. Just by looking at the smiles on the faces of both guys during their senior years at Temple should be enough for Bernard to want to experience his senior year at Temple as well.

Daz finally figured out how to use Bernard Pierce best.
The Daz Factor _ Both head coach Steve Addazio and offensive coordinator Loeffler finally figured out by the Army game that the best way to use Bernard Pierce was outside the tackle box, not between the hash marks. You hear the term “edge rusher” almost exclusively referring to a defensive player, but Bernard Pierce is the best edge rusher on offense I’ve ever seen. When Addazio stopped using Pierce between the tackles like he did at Ohio and Bowling Green, we saw the real Bernard Pierce once again. He’s got the speed to beat everyone outside on sweeps and tosses. I don’t think they will go back to between the tackles again. That will undoubtedly  mean bigger numbers and bigger things for a bigger and better Bernard Pierce in 2012.




11.28.11
by

Temple bowl foes: The unusual suspects

Expect Morkeith Brown to be in the middle of the bowl celebration again.

All of this bowl talk reminds me of the shell game on the Jumbotron at Lincoln Financial Field.
You know the one.
Three Temple helmets and guess which one the ball is under.
That’s pretty much how it is today, about a week before the official selection Sunday.
Like that video game, there are too many moving parts to make a solid prediction but there are just enough moving parts to know it is a limited pool of opponents to chose from right now.
I’m pretty sure of two things. They are going to have a bowl selection party at the Liacouras Center and everybody is going to go crazy around Morkeith Brown in the center of the room.
Everything else is just speculation at this point. The real bowl is under one of six helmets.
What isn’t speculation is the number of teams are mostly unusual foes for Temple football. I like that aspect of the bowl games. Reminds me of the World Series before interleague play ruined that element.
Heck, I’m excited to be playing anywhere but I’m a little more excited about certain matchups.
The speculation:

1) Rutgers vs. Temple, Birmingham Ala. BBVA Compass Bowl _ Two sites have this has the possible matchup. This is very appealing to me for three reasons: 1) Temple is underrated and 2) Rutgers is overrated and 3) It would give Temple another chance to shove it in the Big East’s face. Put me down for this one. Army keeps coming up as a common foe. Rutgers beat Army, 27-13. Temple beat Army, 42-14. RU also beat Ohio at home, 38-26, while the Owls lost at Ohio. The Owls were struggling with QB issues vs. Ohio but got that ironed out by Army.

2) San Diego State vs. Temple, New Mexico Bowl _ Should be good weather for this one. The teams have one common opponent and that is Army. San Diego State beat Army, 23-20. Temple beat Army, 42-14. This appears to be more likely than the first one because it makes sense, geographically. San Diego State brings the crowd. Temple brings the East Coast TV ratings. If Temple fans want to go on the cheap, they can take scenic Route 66 out to Albuquerque. It’s only a three-day ride. I’ll have to thumb it because I can’t afford the gas money. Both CNNSI and CBS Sportsline have this matchup.
3) Western Kentucky vs. Temple, Kraft Hunger Bowl, San Francisco _ ESPN predicted this and it makes no sense to me at all. Not because Temple is there, but because Western Kentucky is there. Western Kentucky brings nothing to the table. No fans. No TV ratings. Western Kentucky is to FBS football what Villanova is to FCS football in terms of interest and that is no interest. Temple brings a big-time East Coast TV following. It would make a lot more sense if UCLA is able to obtain a NCAA waiver and compete in this bowl at 6-7. Either UCLA or Cal vs. Temple would be a bowl rematch and a great game.

4) Florida International vs. Temple, Beef O’Brady Bowl _ Plenty of Temple fans in the Clearwater/St. Pete, Fla. area because I run into them every March at Phillies Spring Training. Probably the nicest town (go to Ybor City for night life) and the best weather. I’ll take it over any venue but Birmingham. Don’t like the foe because beating FIU doesn’t do much to promote the Temple football brand. Both teams have one common foe: Akron. FIU beat the Zips, 27-17. Temple won, 41-3.

5) Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Temple, New Orleans Bowl _ Great town, not-so-great foe. See the note on Florida International as far as promoting the Temple brand. The teams have one common foe, Kent State. Temple beat Kent State, 34-16. Louisiana-Lafayette beat Kent State, 20-12. College Football News is reporting this matchup.

Temple fans are still thawing out from D.C. game in 2009.

6) Wake Forest vs. Temple, Military Bowl _ Affords Temple fans the short and relatively cheap Amtrak trip to Washington, D.C., just like 2009. Unlike 2009, it can’t get to be that cold again in late December. Average high in Washington that week is 48. Temple drew 20,000 fans despite wind-chills below zero and a real temperature of 11 degrees above zero. Both teams have one common opponent, Maryland. Not much to chose. Temple went on the road and won at Maryland, 38-7. Wake beat Maryland at home, 31-10. This would be a nice win for Temple in front of a big homefield advantage for the Owls. USA Today is reporting this matchup.
Listen, when you are in the MAC and you don’t take care of business in three league games, any bowl is a great bowl.
There are just some better than others and I’m rooting for the first or second matchup.
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11.25.11
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Handicapping Temple’s bowl odds

“There is no doubt that Temple will be in a bowl game.”
_ Steve Addazio

Only 14 more games remain in Bernard Pierce’s career at Temple (this year’s
bowl game and next’s year’s 13 games) and that thought seems to weigh heavy on
head coach Steve Addazio as the two share a hug on Friday afternoon.

Great photo by Mike Edwards

It’s been a long time since I’ve put some sheckles on a football game, but I could not help but noticing the score of Temple’s game today against visiting Kent State in the final moments.
Temple 34, Kent State 16.
Temple was a 17 1/2-point favorite.
The Owls won by 18.
“How good is Vegas?” I said.
Not as good as me, though. I predicted a 28-10 Temple win and the line fell right on that 18-point spread.
I don’t think Vegas does lines on handicapping bowls, but I’ll take a shot.
Temple’s got a 75 percent chance or BETTER of going to SOME bowl with an 8-4 record. Had the Owls lost, it would have been a 25 percent chance or LOWER of going to a bowl.

Here’s what I have:
KRAFT HUNGER BOWL _ Better than a 50 percent shot and I think this is where the Owls eventually land. Since the bowl is in San Francisco, I think they will land a California team (Cal?) to play Temple. Since the local angle takes care of the crowd, the KHB won’t be as keen on a team that brings a big following as one that gives them big East Coast TV ratings and Temple provides that. It’s a great story line, too, in that it could be a rematch of the 1979 Garden State Bowl, won by Temple.

NEW MEXICO BOWL _ Owls have a 40 percent chance of going here. Look for a Utah State vs. Temple matchup if that happens. Utah State brings the crowd, Temple brings the East Coast TV ratings.

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL _ Owls have a 20 percent chance of heading to this one but I think the Boise people would like a team that brings a crowd and that would not apply to Temple. The Owls probably won’t travel more than 1,000 fans to Boise and you can blame that on the $825 round-trip airfare with at least two connections.
MILITARY BOWL _ The game, formerly the Eagle Bank Bowl, has good memories of Temple since the Owls brought 20,000 of their fans to the 2009 bowl. Still, the Military Bowl people seem to be keen on an Air Force vs. Conference USA matchup and that’s why I think Temple has only about a 10 percent chance here.
Other possibilities (less than five percent) include New Orleans and the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. I only throw those in because both bowls had representatives at today’s game.
Whatever, though, it appears because the Owls have legitimate star power (Bernard Pierce) and TV ratings in a large market coming off a three-game winning streak, they will be ticketed for somewhere.
Dec. 4 is Bowl Selection Sunday.
The Owls will know their destination well before then.
You can take that to the bank.

11.25.11
by

Game Day, Week 12: The playoffs have begun

Morkeith Brown, Adrian Robinson and Daquan Cooper will be all smiles
once again if the Owls beat Kent State  to secure a bowl bid.

According to the NCAA, bowl games can’t start until December but you might want to call Temple’s game on Friday against Kent State as Philadelphia’s first college bowl game since the Liberty Bowl in 1961.
That’s because, if Temple wins, it has a pretty good shot at going to a bowl.
If Temple loses, it has almost no shot.
Call it a bowl game to play a bowl game then.
Or a playoff game.

Beautiful photo of Army watching Owls sing T for Temple U
Photo by Ted DeLapp

That’s what Kee-ayre Griffin did in the Tuesday presser this week and the ball-hawking Temple right-cornerback is completely right.
Win and advance.
Lose and go home.
That’s what the playoffs are all about.
That’s what this game means to Temple.
Temple has been mentioned for three bowls if it goes 8-4 and those are in California, New Mexico and Idaho.
Late Thursday night, it was learned that Liberty Bowl officials have also requested credentials for Friday’s game, even though it would appear that matchup is likely set. (Maybe there could be some jockeying and trading of teams we don’t know about. Still an interesting development.)

Why work or shop on a day this beautiful when you can
enjoy it outside watching Temple football?

Temple’s team will have to show up for this one, like it did against Army, Penn State and Maryland. If the team that shows up against Bowling Green or Ohio surfaces again, it’ll be time to pack the helmets and the shoulder pads away.
It would also be nice if Temple’s fans showed up, especially the 130,000 alumni living in Philadelphia, because the students are away on break.
Most alumni have off Friday, most of them don’t like to shop and their presence is needed to impress any bowl officials in attendance. If there was ever a call to arms (and feet and backsides) for Temple fans to attend a regular-season home game, this is it.
Nothing would impress the suits who represent the bowls more than a big crowd.
Temple’s players plan to take care of business or, in this case, bidness.
As I see it, Temple’s got to follow Steve Addazio’s plan to win.
That is, play great defense, make a difference on the special teams (a punt block like the ones vs. Penn State and Maryland might be in order), limit turnovers and use the run to set up the pass.
That last part is important because if Bernard Pierce and Matty Brown get going, Kent State is going to load up the box. Once that happens, Chris Coyer is going to use deft play-action faking to find Joey Jones, Evan Rodriguez and Rod Streater because that initial fake will freeze the defense enough to free those guys.
I expect those four to make explosive plays down the field.

MAC BLOGGER ROUNDTABLE

This week’s host for the MAC Blogger Roundtable is B.J. Fischer of Bowling Green’s Falcon blog.
His questions:
Who is the MAC Offensive Player of the Year?
TFF: Bernard Pierce, Temple … can’t argue with his touchdown numbers.
Who is the MAC Defensive Player of the Year?
TFF: Adrian Robinson, Temple… was the defensive player of the year and eschewed the draft last year and it turned out to be a great decision because he moved up from a projected fourth-rounder to a projected second.
Who is the MAC Player of the Year?
TFF: Eric Page, Toledo
Who is the MAC Special teams Player of the Year?
TFF: Eric Page, Toledo
Who is the MAC Freshman of the Year?
TFF: Titus Davis, Central Michigan. The first-team all-state receiver from Wheaton, Ill. did not disappoint this year. He got on the field and performed right away. Ryan Brumfield of EMU did not get on the field much because he had a pair of studs ahead of him, but I suspect he will make a big-time impact down the line.
Who is the MAC Coach of the Year?
TFF: Pete Lembo, Ball State. … the former Lehigh coach said, after losing to Temple, 42-0, “that’s the kind of team we’re looking to become in four years.” Then, shortly after that, forced the clock ahead four years by doing something Temple could not do: Win at Ohio. Still had the same players.
Who is your team’s MVP.
TFF: Bernard Pierce.
Rank ’em:
1) Northern Illinois
2) Toledo
3) Ohio
4) Temple
5) Western Michigan
6) Ball State
7) Eastern Michigan
8) Bowling Green
9) Central Michigan
10) Miami
11) Kent State
12) Buffalo
13) Akron

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11.22.11
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Thanks(giving) for a special group of seniors

Derek Dennis, Wayne Tribue, Pat Boyle, John Palumbo are among the seniors on the OL.


One more win and this is the greatest senior class ever.


Some highlights of this class:

  • The 2011 Owl seniors are the winningest four-year class in school history.
  • All but two members of the starting offensive line are seniors.
  • They are the first class in school history to be bowl eligible in three consecutive years.
  • They have won more conference games than any other class in school history
  • They have recorded three consecutive winning seasons and out-scored opponents in four straight seasons.

On the subjects of how quickly time passes and Thanksgiving Day remembrances, we have reached a perfect confluence of that and the Temple University football seniors.
Friday is going to be a sad day for me because I will be seeing a group of seniors wear a Temple uniform for the last time.
It is a reminder of how fleeting life is and how so many players have come and gone but the legacy of this group already is very impressive.
 So I’m officially depressed.
 What do I usually do when I’m depressed?
 Eat a gallon of non-fat yogart?
No.
I’m going to play the lottery on Thursday night, Match 6. Since the numbers only go 1-49, I’m picking the numbers of each of the senior starters on defense (sorry, Morkeith Brown and Stephen Johnson, you are No. 85 and 53) plus two guys on offense. Adrian Robinson (43), Tahir Whitehead (2), Kee-Ayre Griffin (20), Kevin Kroboth (37), Joey Jones (26) and Rod Streater (18). If 2-18-20-26-37-43 come up, I win $900,000 and it’ll take a little sting off the next day.
Even as a near-millionaire, there’s still going to be some sadness.
This year will be even more depressing because the group includes the following names: TE Matt Balasavage (Lancaster, Pa.), DE Morris Blueford (Chesapeake, Va.), OL Pat Boyle (Towson, Md.), DE Morkeith Brown (Harrisburg, Pa.), OL Derek Dennis (Peekskill, N.Y.), DB Kee-ayre Griffin (East Orange, N.J.), LB Stephen Johnson (Norristown, Pa.), WR Joe Jones (Hollywood, Fla.), DB Kevin Kroboth (Nazareth, Pa.), OL John Palumbo (Lyndhurst, N.J.), DB Deonte Parker (Lakeland, Fla.), DE Adrian Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa.), TE Evan Rodriguez (North Bergen, N.J.), OL Jeremy Schonbrunner (Salisbury, Md.), QB Chester Stewart (Hanover, Md.), WR Rod Streater (Burlington, N.J.), OL Wayne Tribue (York, Pa.), LB Quinten White (Philadelphia, Pa.), and LB Tahir Whitehead (Newark, N.J.).
   A personal note about a couple of guys.
 I feel bad for Rod Streater because I feel he fits the profile of one of those “explosive” players who can make big plays down the field. Same with Joey Jones, who was one of Al Golden’s first-high profile recruits out of South Florida. Not getting the ball to Streats and Jones enough at Bowling Green probably cost the Owls a win there.

Adrian Robinson was a four-year starter and MVP of the Big 33 game and defensive MVP of the MAC. He set a terrific example for the Owls behind him by forgoing the pros this year and staying his senior year

Kee-Ayre Griffin was the subject of the only email Al Golden ever sent me. I congratulated Al on his first recruiting class and Al wrote back: “Mike, thanks, but we’re going after a guy right now from St. Peter’s Prep in North Jersey who would really big a big get. Wish us luck.” That guy is Kee-Ayre Griffin, who finally found his way here and was part of the building process from Day One. He was the last recruit of Golden’s first year.
    I’ll never forget the joy on the face of Morkeith Brown at the bowl selection party and how the entire team surrounded him in celebration (see upper right corner of the logo at the top of the page).
 Adrian Robinson was a four-year starter and MVP of the Big 33 game and defensive MVP of the MAC. He set a terrific example for the Owls behind him by forgoing the pros this year and staying his senior year. The pros will always been there and Robinson enhanced his draft status by staying. You only have four years in college. Cherish them and use all four of them.
Derek “Bone-Crusher” Dennis was a stalwart on the second-best offensive line I’ve ever seen at Temple and has completely erased the memory of him being the only Temple player in history to tackle another Temple player in the open field (at Army, 2008). Well, maybe not completely because it is a pretty funny memory (and a heckuva tackle of Adam DiMichele, by the way).

I’m going to miss them all, whether they make me a millionaire or not on Thanksgiving.

 
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11.21.11
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Benkin makes TU football fun to listen to again

Ron Menchine (left) and Dave Sims were terrific announcers for Temple football.

We take a break from all of this bowl talk (about five days premature, if you ask me) to get something off my chest that has been bugging me for over 20 years.
As a kid, I used to love listening to Harry Kalas do the Phillies and Charlie Swift and, later, Merrill Reese do the Eagles.
Some of my greatest sports moments have come from Harry the K saying “there is it, the No. 500 home run for Michael Jack Schmidt” and literally hearing the tears stream down his face over the enormity of the moment.
Ron Menchine was a terrific announcer for Temple back in the day as well.

Ed Benkin and I have only one thing in common and
that is a face for radio. Hire this guy immediately.

“There he goes, Henry Dynamo Hyno Hynoski, running over Pitt defenders like they were bowling pins. He looks like Bronco Nagurski our there.”
I didn’t know who Bronco Nagurski was at the time but I knew he must have been good because Ron Menchine said so.
Dave Sims, now at Westwood One, was a superb play-by-play guy for Temple in the 1990 season.
I miss Harry Kalas very much and I still enjoy Merrill, but our own Harry (Donahue) comes up small in comparison.
Very small.
Too much of this: “Owls make the tackle. There’s a fumble. Temple recovers! No check that, they didn’t..” Or: “The ball is INTERCEPTED! No, dropped.”
Or calling Temple’s kicker Bernard McManus. Or calling a bone-jarring hit a jone-barring hit.
I could go on and on but there is only so much bandwidth on the internet.
The last 20-plus years as a Temple fan have been a silent spring for me.
I try to avoid the radio as much as possible because it is just too frustrating to listen to anymore. Steve Joachim, I like. I know some people can’t take Steve but I think he knows offensive football inside and out and I don’t mind hearing his perspective.
Then Harry Donahue took a trip to Puerto Rico with the basketball team and, all of a sudden, Temple football announcing got good again.
Ed Benkin did a terrific job in Donahue’s place. He and Joachim were a nice tandem.
I don’t know Ed, personally. Heck, I’ve never even met the guy but I know he’s good. When I’m out jogging on a Saturday afternoon (and I’ve done that the two weeks Temple was playing on Wednesdays), I like to take my transitor radio and scoot around the dial.
I fell on some Princeton football games and thought, “who is this guy” doing the play-by-play?
He was that good.
It was no fluke he was good for Temple as well.
Benkin, a co-worker of Donahue’s at KYW, did a terrific job getting the down and distance right and who had the ball and who caught it, all the first time.
Important stuff when you are the eyes and ears of the fans on the other end of the dial.
Now, do I think Benkin has a shot getting the full-time job?
No.
Harry and Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw are long-time golfing buddies and I don’t think Bradshaw would have the gonads to tell Harry to take a hike.
I hope I’m wrong for the 270K alumni who would like to have an opportunity to listen to Temple football again without throwing the radio out the window.
Those transitor radios can get pretty expensive to replace.

11.19.11
by

Temple beats another Big East target

Bernard Pierce would be a wise Owl to stay and get the Heisman he just jumped
over about five people to get in a top two spot next year. The pros will always be there.
The Heisman is his for the taking next year. The ball girl is pretty cute.

On the way down to Lincoln Financial Field today, I turned on the radio to hear the latest sports news.
KYW-AM (1060) reported it this way:
“In new developments in the Penn State story, the NCAA has announced it is investigating Penn State and, it was learned, Joe Paterno has a treatable form of lung cancer.”
Thanks, KYW.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
Army 0 0 7 7 14
TEMPLE 14 14 0 14 42
SCORING SUMMARY ARMY -TEMPLE
1st 12:06 TEMPLE BROWN, Matt 22 yd run (McMANUS, B. kick)
6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:54 0 – 7
00:26 TEMPLE PIERCE, Bernard 11 yd run (McMANUS, B. kick)
15 plays, 88 yards, TOP 7:40 0 – 14
2nd 04:30 TEMPLE PIERCE, Bernard 1 yd run (McMANUS, B. kick)
6 plays, 37 yards, TOP 3:47 0 – 21
01:07 TEMPLE JONES, Joe 36 yd pass from COYER, Chris (McMANUS, B. kick)
2 plays, 50 yards, TOP 0:18 0 – 28
3rd 02:59 ARMY Jenkins, Max 1 yd run (Carlton, Alex kick)
17 plays, 80 yards, TOP 8:08 7 – 28
4th 10:37 TEMPLE BROWN, Matt 52 yd run (McMANUS, B. kick)
1 play, 52 yards, TOP 0:09 7 – 35
07:30 ARMY Dixon, Larry 15 yd run (Carlton, Alex kick)
8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:07 14 – 35
05:11 TEMPLE PIERCE, Bernard 49 yd run (McMANUS, B. kick)
4 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:13 14 – 42

I heard about the NCAA investigation on Tuesday and about Paterno’s lung cancer on Thursday.
By Monday, we should be hearing this:
“In college sports, Temple has just beaten Army, 42-14.”
Nothing like the latest news.
This just in, though.
Temple’s 42-14 win over Army represents the SECOND TIME this year that the Owls have scored 42 points against a school that was mentioned for Big East membership OVER Temple.
Hmm.
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Fortunately, Villanova couldn’t get its stadium act together and cooler heads prevailed at West Point before the Big East found itself with those two programs.
Meanwhile, in the heart of Big East country, in the nation’s fourth-largest TV market, Temple has put itself in a terrific spot to finish off another eight-plus win season for the third-straight year and it will finish averaging more than 30,000 fans per home game. TV ratings-wise, no big-city school does any better and that includes both USC and UCLA. The Owls have some marquee players, like Bernard Pierce (three touchdowns, 158 yards) and Matty Brown (two touchdowns, 133 yards). Pierce has set himself up quite nicely for a real Heisman Trophy run next year.

Wouldn’t that be great, seeing Bernard Pierce in a three-piece suit at the Downtown Athletic Club, in 2012?
Paul Palmer, who was there as Heisman runnerup in 1986, also was in attendance at the Temple game today.
That’s the kind of experience Bernard will remember for the rest of his life.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, though.
When you think that Army and Rutgers drew only 30,000 to Yankee Stadium (in the middle of both those fan bases’ footprint) last week and Temple drew 25,515 today, that makes it all the more impressive.
Temple football has a lot to offer, whether that be the Big East or a bowl game. Temple led Army, 28-0, at the half. Rutgers moved into first place in the Big East with a 20-3 win over Cincinnati today. Rutgers and Army were tied, 6-6, at the half exactly one week ago.
The key thing for Temple now is finishing strong, getting that bowl bid and winning the game.
That would be a first for the program in over 30 years and news worth reporting in real time, maybe even by KYW.

11.17.11
by

MAC Blogger Roundtable Week 11

This week’s host is Mike Trumbell of The Chip Report, a Central Michigan blog.
His questions are followed by my answers:
1) CMU’s head coach, Dan Enos, complained about his team’s schedule
and playing 3 conference games in 12 days. Give your opinions on why
lopsided MAC scheduling continues to happen.

TFF: Luck of the draw. I’ve talked to some of the guys on the team about the two nine-day layoffs for the Owls and they all want to play every week, spaced out equally, but would do not object to games breaking up the boredom of late-season practices. I’m sure the league is going to try to spread out this kind of scheduling so that every team takes a turn.

2) Do these basketball scores Toledo and NIU have been putting up
reflect positively or negatively on the MAC?
TFF: I think positively. It was the water-cooler talk the next day in work and I’m sure just not at my place. So much for defense wins championships.

3) What are your thoughts on the weekday, ESPN MAC schedule? Does TV
exposure outweigh attendance?
TFF: I think the TV exposure has been great for the MAC, since most of the games have been highly competitive.

4) What play has made the biggest difference (positive or negative) in
your respective team’s season?
TFF: Brazil’s bobbled catch at Ohio that was ruled a completion. Replays showed he never had control AND was out of bounds, but mysteriously replay official refused to overturn the call. That was a negative play. Positive play was Temple quarterback Chester Stewart calling a confused timeout after two failed series in Ohio, earning him a permanent seat on the bench and perhaps sparing Temple a four-game losing streak to close out the season.

Rank em:
1) Northern Illinois
2) Toledo
3) Ohio
4) Temple
5) Western Michigan
6) Ball State
7) Eastern Michigan
8) Bowling Green
9) Central Michigan
10) Miami
11) Kent State
12) Buffalo
13) Akron