Vaughn Charlton has more weapons than an F-15 fighter pilot.

By Mike Gibson
It’s got be good to be Temple quarterback Vaughn Charlton now.

He’s got more weapons than an F-15 fighter pilot and the plane hasn’t even gotten out of the hanger yet.

That’s what they’ve been working on all week in the command center of Temple football, otherwise known as the Edberg-Olson Practice Complex, shining that Stealth jet and moving it out of the hanger for the final eight games of the season.

At least that’s the drift I got when I checked Al Golden’s Twitter page earlier this week.

Matt Shepard on EMU radio/TV:

Shepard: “It’s going to be a pleasure watching this young man, Bernard Pierce, develop the next four years.”
Color guy Rob Rubick: “More like a pain.”
Rubick in the final moments of a 21-3 first quarter:
“You know, Eastern did score 17 against Michigan, so they can put points on the board.”
Shepard: “Then again, right now, it looks as if Temple can beat Michigan.”

“Today was a learning day for the team,” Golden tweeted. “We must get better at what we do.”
We’ve got too many guys who have the talent to put the ball in the end zone to be sputtering along like we are.
Our passing efficiency is not close to where it needs to be and Charlton would be the first to say that. The truth here is that Vaughn Charlton has had four games to show his stuff and, while he has shown flashes of greatness, flashes are not enough. Particularly troubling stats were these in the final three quarters: 0 for 9 on third downs, 2 for 3 passing, 3 yards. That comes off a game where he went 6 for 17 for 95 yards. You can’t keep throwing the same guy out there after nine straight failed third-down conversions and expect a different result.
Charlton has got a lot of rope so far. There are two lefty all-state quarterbacks, Mike Gerardi (New Jersey) and Chris Coyer (Virginia) waiting in the wings and chomping at the bit to to fly this jet. These guys were high-achievers in high school, guys who have moved the ball and put touchdowns, not field goals, on the scoreboard all of their lives.
Saturday would be a perfect opportunity for Charlton to break out, for both his sake and the Owls.
So far this season, the inescapable thought was that Temple has too much talent on offense to be sputtering like this. Let’s face it. Eastern Michigan is not Penn State, so zero for nine in third downs is unacceptable to me.
It should be unacceptable to Al Golden and Matt Rhule, too.
Temple has really too much talent to be shut down by Eastern Michigan after taking a 21-3 lead essentially after one quarter.
Temple has too much talent to go 6 for 17 for only 95 yards in the passing game against Buffalo.
The offensive scheme, to me, is all out of whack.

Long-term, I’d like to see a real fullback (think a bulked-up Blaze Copanegro) in there to not only get the fourth-and-ones but to help in pass protection and blitz pickup and someone for Bernard Pierce and others to follow through the hole. Think what Shelley Poole did for Paul Palmer, for instance.
Short-term, I’d like to see them axe the tight end in the backfield and put the tight end where he needs to be _ on the line of scrimmage. Two tight ends with Steve Manieri and Evan Rodriguez out there on running plays and two guys the defense needs to cover.
Here’s what can be done now to turn this offense from a 20-point-a-game producer to a 30-plus ppg machine:
BERNARD PIERCE _ Keep feeding the franchise the ball, but not on obvious running downs. Mix it up a little bit. Run him on second-and-longs sometimes, pass on first down other times.
JAMES NIXON _ The guy regularly gets behind defenses. Don’t throw him the play-action bomb once a game. Throw him the bomb AT LEAST five times a game. Nothing will loosen up the middle for Bernard Pierce runs more than the threat of throwing the play-action bomb to James Nixon.
EVAN RODRIGUEZ _ Why, in God’s name, doesn’t this guy get the ball 5-10 times a game 10-15 yards down the field where he can use his athletic ability for some impressive RAC (run after catch) yardage? How many tight ends in Division I ball today were terrific punt returners for his high school team? I know only of Evan Rodriguez. I love to see him with the ball in the open field and not these 5-yard out patterns they throw him.
JASON HARPER _ What a Warrior (with a capital W) this kid has been for our program. … use him. He was a running back good enough to get over 100 yards against bowl bound UConn two years ago and he would cause defenses major headaches in the short passing game, bubble screens and the like. Try those plays with him. Give him a head of steam. He’s still one of the fastest guys on the team. Harper can also go deep as he proved last year against Kent State and Eastern Michigan.
I’m sure Golden meant get better in all phases and so do I.
I’m sure Golden didn’t like one guy calling for a fair catch when the other guy had a lane to run last week on a punt return.
I’m sure Golden didn’t like one guy stepping in front of James Nixon on a kickoff return, one return after Nixon took one 93 to the house.
I’m sure Golden is not entralled with our pass rush or pass coverage, either.
We must get better in all those phases.
Offense, though, is one area where they know they have the athletes who should be turning scoreboards into adding machines soon.
Heck, they’ve got enough weapons to blow that scoreboard up if they use them the right way.
It’s not too late.

Temple’s crowd is going to have to be loud, proud and pink.
Photo by Ryan Porter

There’s a reason why football is the greatest game ever devised.
It’s simple.
After years of watching the game closely, I’ve narrowed the keys to winning down to this:
1) Put the other guy’s quarterback on his butt;
2) Keep your QB’s jersey clean.
There you have it.

The Owls can correct that Saturday by pressuring Whitney’s clone, Kelly Page, into turnovers. They can’t do anything about Whitney now, but they can commit to putting a defensive game plan together this week designed to put Page on his backside.
The formula by which to do that is simple: If you can’t get to him with five rushers, send six. If you can’t get to him with six, send seven. If you can’t get to him with seven, send eight.

Do both of those things and I guarantee a win every time.
Some might say win the turnover battle but, in my mind, doing Nos. 1 and 2 inevitably takes care of that more important statistic.
Do you hope for turnovers or do you go after them?
That’s what brings me to Saturday’s Mid-American Conference football game in Philadelphia (1 p.m.) between Ball State (0-5) and Temple (2-2).
Temple can learn a lot about Ball State quarterback Kelly Page by remembering Villanova quarterback Chris Whitney.
Like Whitney, who was a first-team all-state QB in Pennsylvania, Page was a highly-touted high school player.

Page was even more highly thought of than Whitney, a first-team all-state in Texas and ranked the No. 12 high school quarterback in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 25 in the nation by Rivals.com while playing quarterback for the storied Mesquite program.
What Temple did not do against Whitney was put him on his butt. If Chris Whitney is not on his backside every time he goes back to pass next year in the Mayor’s Cup game, someone (Al Golden or Mark D’Onofrio) is not doing his job. Temple did not blitz Whitney and lost, 27-24, when the ‘Cats QB dinked and dunked his way down the field against a prevent defense for the game-winning field goal.

It was a glaring error that cost the Owls a game they needed to have.
The Owls can correct that Saturday by pressuring Whitney’s clone, Kelly Page, into turnovers. They can’t do anything about Whitney now, but they can commit to putting a defensive game plan together this week designed to put Page on his backside.
The formula by which to do that is simple: If you can’t get to him with five rushers, send six. If you can’t get to him with six, send seven. If you can’t get to him with seven, send eight.
Leave free safety Dominique Harris back there with Kevin Kroboth and Anthony Ferla to prevent against the deep stuff.
Chances are, though, if you send eight, Page will be on his backside.
Or better yet, blindly puts up a pass that gets intercepted.
You can either bemoan turnovers or create them.
Against Villanova’s capable quarterback, the Owls bemoaned them.
Against Ball State’s capable quarterback, the Owls should do whatever it takes to create them.

A crowd about this size watched at EMU Saturday.

By Mike Gibson
I entered this season not knowing if I’m more of a perfectionist or a bottom-line guy.
After Villanova, I decided I was a bottom-line guy.
I didn’t care how we got it done, just get it done.
Get ‘er done.
Win.
The perfectionist in me didn’t like today’s 24-12 win over Eastern Michigan.
When we had a first down on the other guy’s 3 with a 24-6 lead, and you have a back who gained 180 yards and you abandon the run for a silly pass, that’s just bad decision-making.
You run your horse behind your big offensive line a couple of times.
Chances are the guy’s going to score.
Clint Eastwood the m-fers.
Step on the freaking guy’s throat and say, “I’ve got four chances to blow your brains out with Bernard Pierce. Do you feel lucky? Well, do you?”
I’m about thisclose to pulling the red shirt off of Chris Coyer.
Thisclose.
We are getting no plays out of the quarterback position or at least not enough to win the amount of games we need to win.
I see true freshmen making plays all over the place at quarterback every Saturday. If we’ve got a playmaker on the bench, use him. We need more out of Vaughn. I’m going to chalk Saturday up to that 20 mph wind. At least I hope that’s what the problem was, but we were 6 for 17 out of that position a week ago, too, with no wind.
Now get out of here, perfectionist.
WE WON!!!!!!
Since I blamed Al Golden for the Villanova loss (and I still do), I will be fair here.
AL GOLDEN WON, TOO!!!!
Good job, Al.
I’ll take it.
The hardest thing to do is win in big-time college football.
I don’t care if you are playing in The Big House in front of 106,000 people against Michigan or in front of 3,364 in The Little House in Ypsilanti.
That’s right. Three-thousand, three hundred and sixty four.
That’s the announced crowd.

Eastern Michigan couldn’t fake it because the NCAA would be able to review the film and count them in about 10 minutes.
I never want to hear anything about Temple’s attendance again.
Compared to Eastern Michigan and Kent State and some of these MAC teams, Temple is like the Red Sox in attracting fans.
Temple is in the upper echelon of attendance and will remain so if the system (i.e., consistent winning) remains in place.
I’d like to see all of our Prodigal Son fans return for the Ball State game this Saturday and the Army game in two weeks.
I know it won’t happen, though, because the loss to Nova ruined our season from an attendance perspective. I don’t agree with the fans who were so disgusted they told me they won’t be back the rest of this year, but I can see that they didn’t appreciate that Golden left them open for some needless ball-busting from total assholes for 12 months so I understand their position.
Still, this team deserves your and my support and it will need a significant home field advantage to beat Ball State and Army.
Ticket sales for the Army game among TEMPLE fans are brisk and Temple should draw at least 25,000 for that game.
Let’s make it a fun house for us and a house of horrors for them.
That’s the bottom line right there and since I’ve now become a fully committed bottom-line guy, that’s really all that matters.

Wear Pink to the Next Home Game:

By Mike Gibson
Every week I participate in the MAC bloggers’ roundtable.
I always get the questions on Monday and submit my responses five minutes after opening my email, not because I’m all that anxious to answer the questions but because I know I’ll forget otherwise.
This week, it was my honor (err, honor and duty) to ask the questions and I wanted to get the pulse of my fellow MAC members about the Temple Question which will come up before the MAC presidents, maybe by the end of the season.
I didn’t answer any questions because it should be a violation for anyone to answer his own questions, but I did participate in the poll (I had Temple fourth, behind CMU, NIU and UT) and I won’t divulge anyone else’s votes but one member had Temple ranked two spots ahead of me.

My reasoning for not putting Temple higher is simple and reasonable: Give me a Temple win as impressive as NIU’s over Purdue, CMu’s over Michigan State and Toledo’s over Colorado. Until the Owls can close the deal on Penn State or even Villanova, they don’t deserve to be ranked among the elite.
At least not now.

So wthout further adieu, or even Freddy Adu, here are the questions and responses (more copying and pasting than should be asked of any human being, by the way):

1) What was the biggest surprise in your mind from Week 4? Was it Hofstra hanging at WMU or Boise State’s domination of BGSU or Temple’s win over Buffalo?

Let’s Go Rockets: Hofstra keeping it competitive at WMU was a bigger surprise in week 4. It was a foregone conclusion that Boise would bring it to BGSU, and while at the beginning of the season we thought Buffalo would be strong, it’s obvious in the first few weeks that they’re just missing something (Sparks) so Temple’s win isn’t that surprising. The biggest surprise will be if Temple can keep the momentum throughout the remainder of the season.

Fire Up Chips: I was surprised how poised Ohio was in it’s game against Tennessee. I don’t know what was giving Frank such a steady hand in his playcalling as 90, 000 fans were bearing down on the Bobcats, but I think it’s called experience….THAT, or the 40 of Mickey’s he slammed in the bathroom at halftime. Hofstra was coming at WMU like they owed them money or something. It was like that scene in Pulp Fiction were Butch (Bruce Willis) stop at a red light and sees Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) walking across the street carrying a box of donuts.We’ll Marcellus Wallace (Hofstra) went right after Butch (WMU). I don’t know what WMU did to make Hofstra so mad…but Hofstra should have won that game. I am not sure how my Fightin’ Dan LeFevour’s were able to put the hurt so bad on Akron. Does’t Akron have 4 ex-head coaches, including the ghost of Bear Bryant on their staff? I guess he wanted to coach in the greatest stadium ever constructed by human hands too.

Red and Black Attack (NIU): Ball State was a nice surprise scoring points against a tough Auburn team. My Huskies went ahead and laid an egg against the Idaho Vandals at home. I’m happy that it wasn’t conference yet and Idaho looks to be one of those underrated teams this year. Or so I’m hoping.
Over The Pylon: The last game in that list, the Buffalo-Temple game wasn’t surprising at all. Temple has a good football team which simply had a bad game against Villanova. Everyone acts like Buffalo is some world beater up there… newsflash… since Willy left they were a one trick pony in Starks who went down with an injury. Too bad for the Bulls fans… guess you’ll have to cling dearly to the MAC Championship you were handed on a silver platter with a side of Cardinal fumblitis.

Falcon Blog: I guess Hofstra and WMU, but if hanging around is a surprise, I guess I was just as surprised that OU hung around Tennessee. Both games, obviously, concluded the way they were supposed to.
Rasor on the Zips: Two games stood out. I was surprised to see Ball State put up 30 at Auburn. I was also stunned to see Temple shellack Buffalo.
Red and Black Attack: Ball State was a nice surprise scoring points against a tough Auburn team. My Huskies went ahead and laid an egg against the Idaho Vandals at home. I’m happy that it wasn’t conference yet and Idaho looks to be one of those underrated teams this year. Or so I’m hoping.

2) Temple’s contract with the MAC runs out in 2011? How do you see it shaking out? Will Temple be dropped to get to 12 or will another team come in to get to 14?

Let’s Go Rockets: Can’t imagine Temple would get dropped since Philadelphia is a huge market for the MAC. We think it would be more likely that another team would be added to the MAC, rather than give up the potential revenue/talent in the Philadelphia market.
Fire Up Chips: They are a legacy and their name brings a whole another level of distinction to our conference. The other team we should invite…Hofstra. They are just so pumped up. Let em’ play.
Over the Pylon: I doubt it will be dropped. I sort of hope that the MAC does get to 12, but I don’t want to see Temple bounced. I would like to see Buffalo shown the door… not because I despise them, simply because they’re too far away from any one else in the conference to make it an economical trip for us, and certainly not for all their road games. There’s not a geographical rivalry like the rest of the MAC, and in listening to most of their fans they act like the MAC is far too small time for them. So I say let ’em go. You want to join the Big East? Great. Have fun in that wasteland.If they, much like the freshmen who never know when exactly to leave a keg party, refuse to leave, then let’s scoop Army up. At least that’s someone that can make Buffalo not seem so out of left field. But… I would much rather be at 12.
Falcon Blog: That’s a really good question, one I had not thought of at all. My opinion is that Temple will stay in the MAC as long as they want to…which, I assume, they won’t if they end up winning consistently. As for having an odd number of teams, it does qualify as one of the most asinine things I have ever heard of, and having an odd number of teams makes scheduling difficult to ridiculous. (Note that teams in the East do not play a complete round-robin schedule. And hey…do cross-over games count this year or not? I keep forgetting). But, having said that, we are existing and functioning with 13 teams (even if it is stupid) and I don’t see us dropping Temple to get to an even number.
Rasor on the Zips: Temple has proven it’s worthy of playing in the conference. I think the MAC loves the Philly market too much just to drop the Owls.

Red and Black Attack: I’m no MAC commish, but I’m more about addition than subtraction. How’s Villanova looking this year?

3) For entertainment purposes only, some interesting early lines: Central Michigan favored by 9 at Buffalo, Temple favored by 4 1/2 at EMU, Toledo favored by 7 at Ball State, Cincy by 26 1/2 at Miami, Bowling Green by 2 1/2 over visiting Ohio, NIU by 6 1/2 over visiting WMU … WHICH LINE JUMPED OUT AT YOU AS OUT OF WHACK AND WHY?

Let’s Go Rockets: CMU favored by 9 at Buffalo jumped out to us first because CMU will win more convincingly than 9 points. If Toledo plays the kind of football we’re capable of, it shouldn’t be a problem to cover the 7 point spread. Ball State has had success against the Rockets in Muncie in the last few years, but that will change starting this Saturday. With Miami being so bad this year, Cincinnati by 26 1/2 is both expected and a pathetic MAC showing.

Fire Up Chips: Temple should destroy EMU. I talked to an EMU player who told me their O-line is decimated by injury. Rght now EMU has a manquin playing O-line. They just wheel him out, hit the parking break, and let the other team run around him in order to have 11 men on the field. The funny thing is, they are giving up less sacks per game with “Egbert E. Eagle” their newest paper machet recruit on the field, than last year, when they were asking a 210 pound true freshman to protect the QB.

Over The Pylon: Out of whack? CMU only getting 9. I would lay 19 were I betting. Everything else seems a bit ok, though the BG line and the Cincy line could be a whole hell of a lot higher and I’d still feel comfortable with them. Disclaimer: For anyone actually thinking of betting on MAC football… don’t. Mail me 50% of what you were going to be and I will come punch you in the nose. It will hurt less, be less frustrating, and only cost you 50% of what your sure to lose bet would have. You’re welcome.
Falcon Blog: Well, three jump out at me. I think 7 points is a lot to give Ball State at home. I know they are having a rough year, but they will win eventually, and Muncie has traditionally been a chamber of horrors for the Rockets, so that one might be a little out of whack. And, while I think NIU will beat WMU, it seems like 6.5 points is a little high. I know kicking the shit out of WMU has been the favorite pastime, but I would suggest their season has been a little better than people think, they are still dangerous–or at least as dangerous as Idaho, right? Finally, I like CMU by 19 or Buffalo. Or 29.

Rasor on the Zips: Toledo is laying 7 points on the road to the defending division champs. That is an awful lot.

Red and Black Attack: Toledo and Bowling Green both being favored on the road is very, very strange. I’ll take the home dog in either of these situations. Especially the OU game.

4) Who is doing the best head coaching job in the league so far and why?

Let’s Go Rockets: There’s plenty of evidence to support the notion that Tim Beckman, at Toledo, is doing the best coaching job in the MAC so far this season. He has turned the program in a new direction and resurrected the entire offense – taking one that relied on bubble screens (constantly) with little success, and turning it into one that is #9 in the nation, mixes it up, and really guns it down field when neccesary. More than just that, he’s instilled confidence back into the Rockets, on both sides of the ball and that leads to more dynamic plays and more efficiency on the field, in all facets of play. It’s impossible to say where the rest of the season will go, but Beckman has helped changed the way the University and the way the fans view the football team and that is directly beneficial to the success of the team for the long term.
Fire Up Chips: Butch Jones is pretty serious about our football program and he has our kids firing on all cylinders right now. Our program is probably one of the hardest to survive mentally and physically in the country. Players leave all the time because they don’t like how Coach Jones challenges them to be the best. But those who stay win a lot of games.
I of course will change my opinion when we lose a conference game and call on Jones to resign (kidding).
Over The Pylon: I think Tim Beckman, if only for the way they’ve played and how drastic that’s been compared to years past. Toledo Tom was no genious, but with this sort of talent on the roster that he misused and didn’t capitalize on, maybe he should have been fired way before when he was. A close second is Jerry Kill… if only because I am looking forward to the fun and festivities we’re going to have at his expense when BSU and NIU get it on like donkey kong till the break of dawn.

Falcon Blog: I’m going to go with Jerry Kill, for two reasons. First, that team is bouncing right back and is playing very solid football. Second, I can’t bring myself to say Tim Beckman.

Rasor on the Zips: While you can always point to Butch Jones, Tim Beckman has turned Toledo around for the time being.
Red and Black Attack: Butch Jones, and it’s not even close. Every other coach in this league has already had their ups and downs or looked extremely shaky. BJ has been consistent and upset Michigan State. Would have thought about Coach Kill here had it not been for this past weekend’s blunder.

5) Rate the MAC (1-13, poll results)
1) CMU … all seven first-place votes;
2) NIU
3) UT
4) BGSU
5) TU
6) WMU
7) OU
8) UB
9) KSU
10) UA
11) Ball State
12) EMU
13) Miami

No words necessary. Let’s just go get this title.

Terrific photo of Steve Manieri and Temple’s great fans.

Photos by Ryan Porter

By Mike Gibson
Message boards are a beautiful thing sometimes.
You can catch the pulse of a sports fan, or a sports community, by sitting down with a cup of coffee and paging down a list of threads.
Occasionally, something will catch your eye so you will click on it.
So it was with me on the day after Temple’s biggest football victory in years, a 37-13 win over defending MAC champion Buffalo.
The thread said something about Temple’s game at Eastern Michigan this Saturday being a “trap game.”
The coffee spit out of my lips and all over the screen.
After I got the Windex out to clean everything off, I had to laugh.
“Trap game?” I thought, with all of the incredulity Jim Mora Sr. once said when someone asked him about playoffs.
It’s still a classic response that lives on in a Coors Light commercial.
“Playoffs? Playoffs? Playoffs?” Mora said in three different tones of voice. “We’d be lucky to win a game.”
“Trap game?” I thought.
Trap game? This is Temple a team dying for every shred of respect it can get. Every time Temple steps onto the field, it should treat it like a crusade, not a game.
I still think that.
I always thought the great thing about college football, at least on the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level was that there were only 12 games, 13 if you are lucky.
Call it the lucky 13th in this case.
Trap games and letdowns should be for some other sport.
Here we are in college football where you work 365 days a year, lift weights, run, practice, to play in 12 regular-season games a year.

You practice and game plan for six days a week just to play that game the seventh.
Letdowns and trap games should not be part of the lexicon. Playing like a mad dog frothing at the mouth should be the norm not the exception, no matter who is lining up on the other side of the ball.
Especially if you are Temple, a school that the day before it faced Buffalo was ranked in ESPN’s Bottom 10. That’s what the world thinks of you as a Temple football player. It’s definitely not reality, but it is the perception.
It took awhile to acquire that perception so it won’t change after one game, but it will after a body of work called a season and the reality of this season is that the Owls are running out of games to make the statement they need to make.
The players should be fed up and play the rest of the season with a huge chip on their shoulder.
I know the fans have had enough of that “Temple sucks” mantra.
Those Bottom 10 days were supposed to be over.
Eastern Michigan is the next game and that’s why it is the most important one the Owls will ever play.
That’s why it bodes the Owls well if they pretend they are not headed to the Little House to play Eastern Michigan but instead headed to the Big House down the road to play the real Michigan.
It’s that important to Temple and its fan base to keep that momentum going this week and beat an opponent it is favored to beat. There’s a great photo accompanying this story of Temple’s fans watching Steve Manieri catch a pass in traffic against Buffalo, courtesy of Ryan Porter.
It reminds folks how hard it is to make plays to win in big-time college football and how hard it is to sustain the winning. That’s why the focus should be on Eastern Michigan now.
The Buffalo win was just one game, one of many the Owls have to win from here on out to accomplish their goals.
If they have to pretend they are playing the Wolverines, so be it. A long winning streak starts by focusing on each task at hand, not looking ahead to the next one after that.
Eastern Michigan is the task at hand. THEN comes Ball State.
That’s how this thing works.
Trap game?
Don’t make me laugh.

Temple 37, Buffalo 13. It is now OK to look, Ethel.

By Mike Gibson
I had to do a double take at the tailgate prior to the game.
Somebody was wearing a blue University of Buffalo T-shirt that said: “Buffalo Football: A Can of Whoop Ass.”
For a second, I didn’t know if he was referring to the Pitt game or the University of Central Florida game, both whoop-ass jobs.
Then I thought, oh, he meant Buffalo was going to whoop ass.
Never mind.
Sometimes you get the can and sometimes the can gets you.
Maybe the Owls will get to whoop ass, like Buffalo did last year, after Saturday’s 37-13 Temple win.
One piece of advice to my fellow Temple fans: When we get good, and we will reach the Promised Land soon, never wear a shirt like that.
It’s just bad Karma.
I thought the same thing when I read the pre-game prediction board on UBfan.com.
No one over there predicted the Owls would win. No one predicted a Buffalo win of less than 14 points.
Bad omen to get too cocky, especially against a Temple team many, including CBS Sportsline’s Dennis Dodd and the New York Times, picked to detrone Buffalo in the MAC East.
You would have thought last year’s Hail Mary pass would have taught them at least a little bit of respect for the Temple football program.
Whatever bad Karma pre-game, there was plenty of good Karma to go around at the post-game tailgate, thanks to what the Owls did the three hours it mattered on Saturday afternoon.
Some game balls:
The defense: When it came time to make a play, they made a play. They grew up big-time against Buffalo. From Peanut Joseph staying on his feet when he could have easily went down, to Andre Neblett staying with the ball or to Dominique Harris finally holding onto the ball, they are finding out that winners make plays. Let’s hope the lesson carries to the final nine games of the season. Make that 10. Only two teams gained over 500 yards of total offense against this year’s Pitt team. One was North Carolina State. The other was Buffalo. The Owls defense held one of those teams to 13 points.
Bernard Pierce: For all of Bernard Pierce’s great runs, the greatest was this: A spinning run near the goal line for about seven yards. As Pierce came out of his spin, he wrapped the ball up and held onto it like it was gold. With both hands. That shows maturity beyond his teenage years. The Owls might have found the stud running back they were looking for since Todd McNair/Paul Palmer days.

James Nixon: This guy routinely … and I mean routinely … gets behind the defense. Nobody can cover him. That’s what 4.3 speed will do for you and he doesn’t labor at the speed. He does it in one easy motion with great vision. He’s a weapon we should use more often.

Vaughn Charlton: This young man is finally realizing that he doesn’t have to be Peyton Manning for the Owls to win eight, nine or 10 games. He just has to be Vaughn Charlton. Play within himself. Hit the short- and intermediate routes, keep those sticks moving and occasionally take a deep shot when you have the defense off-balance. Manage the game. Great clutch pass to Evan Rodriguez.
Yeah, he said it: “I have to hide in the city. I have to hide in the state. But at least I’m 1-0 in the MAC.’’ – Temple coach Al Golden.

Factoid of note: Cap Poklemba has made Lincoln Financial Field a house of horrors for MAC foes. Whipping the crowd into a frenzy over the last three years has paid off for both the former Owl kicker and the Owls. Temple is 7-2 against the MAC at LFF since 2007. Fifteen thousand active and involved fans is better than 50,000 fans who sit on their hands. There is still plenty of time to join the party, Owl fans _ unless you plan to sit on your hands. Only the party people on the dance floor, as they say.

By Mike Gibson
They might have stumbled out of their dorm rooms at 10 a.m., taken the 10-minute subway ride to the game in Philadelphia but the estimated 6,000 Temple students will be from Missouri for Saturday’s game against Buffalo.
You can say the same for 5,000 or so Temple alums and maybe 4,000 “Joe Philly” types who have adopted Temple as their hometown college team. About 15,000 hardcore Temple fans will be there, about 15,000 softcore Temple fans have already said “why bother?” after the Sept. 3 debacle against Villanova.
This is about the hardcore fans, though.
Huh?
While they all may physically be in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, they definitely are in a Missouri state of mind.
You know, the “Show Me” state.
Almost 30,000 Temple fans, including about 12,000 students, left it all on the field against Villanova, screaming themselves hoarse, standing the entire game and generally providing by all accounts was a substantial home-field advantage against a school, Villanova, from the same town.
When they left the stadium, you could hear a lot of students _ Temple students who could have gone anywhere _ say, “same old Temple” after a 27-24 loss to Villanova.
Same old fumble up 10-0, going in for a 17-0 lead right after halftime.
Same old three interceptions.
Same old 24-14 fourth-quarter lead, followed by the same-old defeat on the last play of the game.
Temple coach Al Golden must have sensed the mood of the university community this week when he wrote this letter to the students:

Letter to the students
Thank you for your excitement and passion you displayed at our home opener versus Villanova.
The sea of Cherry and White on the Temple sideline and in the end zone was truly incredible and it marked the largest student attendance we’ve had since I’ve been head coach of the Owls. Your enthusiasm at our games truly does give us the best home-field advantage in the MAC.
I strongly encourage you to attend our first MAC game of the year this Saturday (9/26) at Noon versus Buffalo. Please see below for bus transportation and student ticket information. We need you in the seats this Saturday! Be loud & proud of your Football team and help us win a MAC Championship this season! Go Owls!
Al Golden, head football coach

Thank you for your excitement and passion you displayed at our home opener versus Villanova. The sea of Cherry and White on the Temple sideline and in the end zone was truly incredible and it marked the largest student attendance we’ve had since I’ve been head coach of the Owls. Your enthusiasm at our games truly does give us the best home-field advantage in the MAC. I strongly encourage you to attend our first MAC game of the year this Saturday (9/26) at Noon versus Buffalo. Please see below for bus transportation and student ticket information. We need you in the seats this Saturday! Be loud & proud of your Football team and help us win a MAC Championship this season! Go Owls!

– Al Golden, Head Football Coach
That indicates to me that the incredible disappointment in the overall Temple community over Villanova must have impacted Al to write the letter.
Students, alumni and fans can only take so much of same old Temple.
So those of us who can muster ourselves out of bed on Saturday morning, will get on the subway or head down I-95 and, while hoping things will be different in the noon showdown against MAC champion Buffalo, will be in a show-me mode.
Anybody who sits near me knows that I’m usually the first one off my feet (well, second to this guy), exhorting the crowd to get whipped up into a frenzy.
Not this week.
I’m going to sit there quietly and hope this team and most importantly coaching staff shows me enough to get excited about.
Show me some touchdowns.
Show me some big defensive stops.
THEN I might get off my feet.
I’ll be there, but my mind will be 1,000 miles away.
Hopefully, a few long Temple touchdowns will snap me out of a Villanova-induced stupor.