Tag Archives: aac media day

07.18.24
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5 Questions that need to be asked at Media Day (but won’t)

A little over a month until this happens … or not

For about six months, five questions about Temple football have been rattling about in my head.

I expected some to be asked after the Cherry and White Day game by the assembled Philadelphia media, but did not hear a single one.

Maybe next week as AAC Media Day is July 22-23 in Texas.

Stan Drayton will be there.

I suggest the biggest stress that came from two Stan Drayton 3-9 seasons was not on Stan but on the Temple fans who were expecting him to better Rod Carey’s last 3-9 season.

I don’t expect the Philadelphia media to ask him one of these questions (they’ve pretty much kissed his ass for three years) but since I won’t be there, I hope some of the AAC Media does.

The key to asking good questions is the phrase them in a way that cannot be answered with a yes or no so, with that in mind, here are my top five:

One, you seemed to have gotten what you needed in Clifton McDowell, a proven championship level FCS starting quarterback. After he left, why wasn’t there an attempt to grab a proven FCS or FBS starter–instead relying on backups to replace a Temple record-setter at the most important position on the team?

Everett Withers gave up 35.7 ppg last year. He was retained.

Two, at the end of last season, you said you’d re-evaluate everything in the program, including the coaching staff. How is it that a defensive coordinator who allowed a record 35.7 ppg be evaluated as having done the kind of job that suggested he be retained?

Three, in the transfer portal, you seemed to have gone heavy on JUCOs and light on proven FCS starters and P5 backups. What was the thought process behind that approach?

Four, in the three years you’ve been here, you’ve seen five single-digit Temple players leave for other schools. One solution might be to limit those single digit honors to players who are in their final year of eligibility at Temple? Why have you not implemented that rule?

Five, the NIL and the transfer portal have changed the game but other schools with similar or less resources than Temple have been able to attract a higher-level of player with the promise of playing time. Why haven’t the Owls leveraged that advantage?

Important questions that have not yet been asked but need to be answered. If not by the press, then at least by the new Temple administration. Surely there has got to be one press guy with the courage to ask these questions next week.

We’ll find out.

Monday: Setting The Table With Honest Answers

Friday: Analyzing The Real Answers

07.30.14
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Coach Rhule At AAC Media Day

A few things to take from this interview, one that means nothing, the others that mean everything.
First, the nothing part. Nothing ages a man like being either a President of the United States or a Temple head football coach.
I did not notice a single gray hair on the head of Mr. Obama or Mr. Rhule before they took either job. Now there are plenty of both. Al Golden addressed that problem with Grecian Formula.

Now onto the meaningful observations:
Coach Rhule is a very good guy and I would like nothing more than to see him succeed on the job, despite my documented and numerous reservations in the past. He’s a good representative of Temple University.
Rhule seems to have a handle on the team’s problems, the pass rush coming immediately to mind. Moving faster linebackers to ends, where they can use that speed to seek out and destroy enemy quarterbacks, is the key to the defense.
Kiser Terry is now a 285-pound tackle. He used to be a 240-pound end.
The offense will try to spread the ball all over the field and get the ball in numerous guy’s hands. That’s a good thing, if Khalif Herbin is used both as a halfback and a slot back.
Of all the “outside” interviewers, this guy Mark Rogers came into this short interview well-prepared. If only the Temple football beat writer for the Inquirer, John Mitchell, knew as much about Temple football as this guy.
Wonder what coach was looking at in the beginning of the interview? Must have been something distracting him.