Unfortunately, we only see this much Cherry in the stands on Homecoming or Penn State games like this one in 2011.

Every so often, people in Philadelphia get a glimpse of what Temple football could be like to the sports culture of the city.

For the past four years, that every so often has come on Homecoming. Really, I wish every Temple football day was Homecoming for two reasons: Big crowd and a big win. Here’s what has happened the past four Homecomings:

Last 4 Homecoming Games for Temple:

Those of us who go to the games and participate in the tailgate scene know the drill well. Most of the good spots are given to the folks who come to the games just once a year, with the various schools getting tents of their own at prime locations.

To me, that’s OK, too. I’m all for welcoming the 25,000 Prodigal Sons and Daughters who return once a year in the hopes that what they see will convince themselves to become one of us—the 15-20,000 who do not miss a home game.

That hasn’t happened over the past couple of years because even though the wins have come on Homecoming, the sustainability has not. It’s pretty hard to draw good crowds after 4-7 and 2-10 seasons.

Winning at Homecoming is vitally important, but what happens there has to be followed by sustained success. With the Owls right now at 3-1 and owning both conference wins and an SEC win, there’s a big chance for both ahead. They should grab that chance and run with it.