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College Football  |  5 takeaways from Temple’s 27-3 win vs. Connecticut

11/30/2015

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Owls senior LB Tyler Matakevich finishes off a sack during Saturday night's American Athletic East game at the Linc.
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Owls coach Matt Rhule is unable to hold back the positive vibes he has about his team.
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1. Play like a champion
Considering the season they had, the Owls found themselves in an unlikely, if not difficult, position Saturday night. Win and accomplish one of their goals, which was to represent the American Athletic East Division in the inaugural conference championship game. Lose and see that goal, and possibly others, just disappear into thin air, almost erasing everything else they had achieved in this breakout season. Oh, they put themselves in that position, having been embarrassed and exposed two weeks prior in Tampa, where South Florida blitzed them by 21 points. But, the Owls responded with their best performance of the season last week in beating then-No. 21 Memphis, and this time out, they played like champions, getting it done however possible, which meant grinding the overmatched and injury-riddled Huskies into submission. Very few in hometown Philly may realize it, as only 28,000 showed up at the Linc to watch the proceedings, but the city has a true winner in town, and it’s covered in Cherry & White.

2. Defense does it ... again
No shutout, but, wow, it may as well have been. Led by, who else, LB Tyler Matakevich, the Owls totally shut down UConn’s offense, to the point where it only had 65 total yards through three quarters. Frankly, it seemed kinda silly that the Huskies would opt for a FG in the fourth quarter after driving to the Temple 28. Even on fourth-and-16, not sure what the point was with kicking there, except, obviously, to get on the board. But, so what? Though they didn’t have double-digit sacks as they did in the opener against Penn State, the Owls did rack up 12 tackles for loss in this one in arguably their best defensive effort of the season. T-Mat had 11 tackles and half a sack while CB Sean Chandler made his fourth INT of the season. This latest effort puts Temple back where it belongs, ranked among the top 20 nationally in total defense at No. 19. It’s even better in scoring, rating 16th at 18.8 ppg, sandwiched in between unbeaten Iowa and Clemson.

3. Even in victory, offense still a concern
The final numbers are mediocre, and, possibly, deceiving. For instance, we got RB Jahad Thomas with 20 carries for 119 yards, but without that 60-yard scoring jaunt to cap the Owls’ scoring in the final frame, the junior was looking at a 19-carry, 59-yard effort – not so hot. QB P.J. Walker completed 19 of 29 passes, but only for 160 yards. Amazingly, he did connect with nine different receivers and managed to get vastly underutilized TE talent Colin Thompson somewhat involved for the second week in a row. Posting three TDs, three PATs and two FGs against a team ranked 19th nationally in points allowed (19.8) isn’t awful, either. But the Owls still had to punt five times and they really have too much ability across the board to be posting just 321 yards of total offense. Or, put it this way, that output ain’t going to cut it against Houston in the upcoming conference title tilt, nor likely in a bowl game after that, if the Owls have any intention of winning out to truly complete the best season in Temple football history.

4. Let the Matt Rhule rumors commence
It’s hardly a surprise. You win, especially at a perennial loser like Temple, and you’re going to become a hot commodity in the annual college football coaching carousel. Teams want Rhule for what he’s done here, and how he’s done it. Not for nothing, but this guy oozes an understated confidence. He is old school in his beliefs and work ethic, and new school in how he relates to people. Truth be told, it’s not Xs and Os where this guy shines, it is how he motivates, how he communicates, how he gets people to believe in him by believing in themselves. For anyone who thinks Al Golden, or even Steve Addazio after him, could have taken this program to the level it is now, you are sadly mistaken. That being said, Golden and Addazio both set the stage for a charismatic character such as Rhule to take the Owls to another level, the former salvaging the program from the scrap heap and pumping it with some life and the latter showing that, you know what, you can recruit at the most diverse university on the planet by selling everything it has to offer, football and beyond, realistically and potentially. Rhule was a limited-talent bit player for Joe Paterno at Penn State, but he soaked up every ounce of genius the old man still had to share, and he has imparted that wisdom in his own way while showing an emotion and passion that is refreshing. He loves his players and his program. That shows. He should be the “best” name on the market today, bar none. No one has done more. So, let the suitors come. If he’s meant to stay, and wants to stay, he will. If not, he won’t. That’s life, either way.

5. Maybe not trendy, but tough
Not sure what Temple and Under Armour had in mind when they reinvented the wheel, so to speak, with, essentially, the best uniform in the game prior to this season – but, you know, whatever. The Owls still look good, even with the goofy diamonds on their helmet stripes, pant legs and jersey sleeves (already replete with a completely unnecessary Temple '][' and contrasting school color to the rest of the jersey), they just don’t look “totally awesome” anymore … in the getup department. That being said, the toughness and tenaciousness they show on the field offsets any real negative vibes toward their style. Besides, their play, mostly, is bad-ass, big time, and they’re an especially exciting team to watch when the defense is on the field, with multiple Cherry & White individuals flying around to the ball … so how “ugly” could they ever look anyway? For those keeping track, the Owls wore the classic cherry helmet, cherry jersey and white pants combo against UConn, marking the third time they did so this season at home – Penn State and Notre Dame being the others. All impressive performances.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

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College Football  |  5 takeaways from Illini’s 24-14 loss to Northwestern

11/30/2015

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Illinois senior LB Mason Monheim dives into the end zone to complete a 58-yard 'pick six' Saturday at Soldier Field.
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Even Bill Cubit seemed at a loss for words as to why he received an extension from Illinois.
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1. Interim tags comes off
A couple hours before Saturday’s kickoff at Soldier Field in Chicago, word came out that the University of Illinois administration had extended Bill Cubit, a three-month, emergency fill-in for Tim Beckman once the latter was dismissed a week before the season, another two seasons, thus eliminating any “interim” shroud of mystery concerning who is, and will be, the Illini’s head coach. For many, the move marks a commitment to stability, to keeping some sense of what has been going on intact. However, what exactly has been going on? Prior to the game, the Illini had lost five of their previous six games, with their offense averaging a barely pedestrian 17.8 points per game under the guidance of someone whose strength is reputed to be offensive Xs and Os. Of course, they couldn’t even match that output against Northwestern, and, in fact, needed a touchdown courtesy of the defense to even reach double figures. Unless the administration changes, or changes its mind, Orange & Blue fans can expect much of the same through 2017 as a byproduct of a never-ending series of three-and-outs capped by 1- to 3-yard passes to the sideline with the first-down marker exponentially further away.

2. Nothing like wasting Wes Lunt​'s arm
He can’t run, and he can’t adapt. Frankly, there are many limitations to what the Illini QB can do on the football field. One thing he can do, though, is throw. Long. Short. Accurate. With zip. With touch. You name it, he can throw it – and even make it look pretty while doing so. Without reading. Without reacting. OK, so then why in the HELL would you ever you limit an already limited QB by taking away just about all he does well, and instead force him to do dump-off passes or quick-strike outs that require him to read and react? That’s exactly what Cubit and right-hand man/son Ryan Cubit do with Lunt running the offense. You know who works well in that offense? Reilly O’​Toole. Unfortunately, last year’s season-ending savior already has used up his eligibility and is currently an assistant coach. So, either scrap that offense and go with the pro-set one Lunt was born to play, or switch QBs, because the player and the system do NOT mesh. At all. Never have, never will, and with Lunt expected back next fall this is a critical decision to make – for both the program and the individual, who may opt to put his name in the NFL draft if he’s not going to start next season.

3. Mason Monheim makes a play
He never became the player he seemed destined to become after a breakout freshman season, which seems a very odd thing to say for a guy who amassed almost 400 career tackles (385), including 98 in 2015, and started for four seasons. Even looked the part. Stout, scruffy, muscled up, you kinda figured M2 would be a rock in the middle who would just mash opponents with the ball in their hands. But it never really happened. He wasn’t exactly an impact player, or a physical one – a role, oddly, filled more by FS Clayton Fejedelem, a former walk-on who was brilliant yet again with 16 tackles to complete a senior campaign with a team-leading 140, an average of 11.7 per game that placed him fifth in the country. If anything, Monheim was the king of “second on the scene,” always good for an assisted tackle, not necessarily a solo one, or the initial hitter on one. That being said, gotta say, it was kinda nice to see him intercept a Clayton Thorson pass late in the third quarter and return it 58 yards for a score (his second pick-six in the last 12 months against the Wildcats), pumping a little life into the Illini and maybe a push to get the forever-in-quicksand offense going. Alas, the latter of those two never materialized.

4. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a keeper
It seemed to take until senior RB Josh Ferguson’s annual injury bug kicked in before Cubit realized the weapon he had in the freshman, who had been THE FIND of the latest recruiting class. Once that happened, Vaughn proved to be as reliable as he was potent. In his final six games of the regular season, the 5-10, 205-pounder averaged 13 carries for 66 yards and two catches for 16 yards per outing. He also scored four TDs in that stretch. Earth-shattering, no. But in an offense totally imbalanced in favor of the pass, he was a shining light for what could be in the future … if Cubit, or his ultimate replacement, opts to utilize Vaughn and his Big Ten-level talent. In this one he played a supporting role to the electric Ferguson, who led the Illini with 14 carries (40 yards) and everyone with seven catches for 100 yards, but he still was productive, averaging better than five yards per carry (12-62).

5. Bad result, but they looked good
So, soooo many things wrong with this season in general and this game in particular, which included a 19-yard TD reception by Northwestern’s Dan Vitale in which the Wildcats’ ultra-back CLEARLY stepped out of bounds at the 4 – right in front of an official – before diving into the end zone, but one thing ya gotta give the Illini … they dress sharp. For all the mixed reviews and half-hearted compliments given when Nike and Illinois revealed the school’s rebrand 20 months ago, the reality is they combined to make a pretty sweet look. The Illini, as the home team, went with something new for this one, going with an orange helmet, blue jersey and blue pants ensemble that, frankly, embarrassed Northwestern’s all-white, Storm Trooper silliness. Now, if they could just get their performance to match their appearance.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

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College Football  |  OWLS GAMEDAY

11/26/2015

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UConn LB Luke Carrezola had 2 sacks last week.
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Owls QB P.J. Walker threw for 261 yards last week.

Temple’s What 2 Watch: Connecticut
OWLS (9-2, 6-1 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE) vs. HUSKIES (6-5, 4-3 AAC)  |  PHILADELPHIA
​LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD, SATURDAY, 7 P.M., ESPNU, 97.5 FM THE FANATIC

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1. Guess what ... now THIS is biggest game of the season
In this football season for the ages at Temple, big, meaningful games have not been lacking. Penn State, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Memphis were all crucial to putting the Owls’ program on the national map, even though many in hometown Philly still have a hard time finding it. But this game, with a berth in the inaugural American Athletic Conference on the line, not to mention a double-digit win regular season for the first time in school history and better bowl position, now jumps to the front of the pack. The two have played the last three years with Temple winning twice, including in a 36-10 cakewalk 14 months ago in East Hartford, Conn. Owls QB P.J. Walker was quite sharp in that one, completing 20 of 29 passes for 231 yards and a TD, but it was DB Tavon Young’s 93-yard “pick-6” that provided the real spark in a game dominated by defense (don’t be fooled by the Temple point total; it only gained 272 yards) and turnovers (a battle won by the Owls, 3-1). Truth is, both teams are dramatically improved since then, with Temple already having improved its win total of a year ago by three games this season and UConn by four. Sophomore QB Bryant Shirreffs (1,992 yards passing and 428 yards rushing) has been a major reason for the Huskies’ emergence.

2. Better be prepared for two different offenses

A shorter, more stocky, albeit slightly less skilled version of Memphis star QB Paxton Lynch, Shirreffs could present a lot of problems for the Owls – except for two things: They just shut down Lynch last week with little or no fuss, and Shirreffs may not play due to suffering a head injury during the Huskies’ 20-17 upset of previously unbeaten Houston last week. When healthy, he is a dangerous player for UConn, capable of carrying them past lesser opponents and keeping them in games against better ones. Thing is, he may not play at all against Temple, having had limited participation in practice this week while backup Tim Boyle ran the first-team offense. A more conventional pocket passer, the 6-3, 225-pound junior would seem ideal fodder for the Owls’ defense, unable to escape their rush and either get sacked or turn the ball over. His career TD-to-INT ratio is not the greatest: 1-12 (yes, you read that right). Regardless, Temple would be wise to be prepared for either, or both, to play – and be ready to adjust accordingly, recognizing that WR Noel Thomas and RB Arkeel Newsome will be key outlets to either.

3. Numbers say 'defensive battle'

For all the positive publicity the Owls have received for their play on D this season, the reality is, statistically speaking, they’ll have the second-best one at the Linc on Saturday night. UConn ranks higher in every major category (total yards allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game and points allowed per game) except one: rushing yards allowed per game. The Huskies are not so much an attacking bunch as they are a read-and-react tackling one. Three of their defenders have 70 or more stops this season, headed by senior DB Andrew Adams (81, including 17 in one game against Navy). They do have a pass-rushing talent in Luke Carrezola, a 6-3, 255-pound sophomore OLB who somehow escaped the recruiting clutch of Temple coach Matt Rhule while playing high school ball in suburban Philly. The Neshaminy product has six sacks this season, including five in the last five games – two, in fact, last week against then-No. 19 Houston. Against Memphis, the Owls were, in a word, awesome. They held one of the nation’s best offenses more than 300 yards and 30 points below its season averages. Everyone knows the deal here – they attack, they swarm and they take their lead from senior LB Tyler Matakevich, who should be bringing home some serious individual hardware after the season.

4. Continue to spread the wealth

Last week was a revelation as the Owls showed wonderful balance in their attack and actually delved deep into their backfield rotation in racking up 200 yards on the ground. With star RB Jahad Thomas slowed by injury and fatigue, and his backup Ryquell Armstead out due to injury, Temple ran freshman David Hood and Jager Gardner a combined 26 times for 104 yards … and Walker another seven for 49. Thomas still got 12 totes for 34 yards, as the coaching staff seemed too preoccupied with trying to utilize him, especially at crucial junctures such as fourth-and-1s that failed miserably with Thomas plunging right into the middle of a pile and getting stopped in his tracks. But, by and large, it was good to see others being used, as it paved the way to a brilliant 14-yard TD run by Hood and opened up the passing game. Walker went 14-for-26 for 261 yards and two TDs, connecting on long ones with WRs Brandon Shippen (49 yards), Robby Anderson (32), Ventell Bryant (31) and TE Colin Thompson (34). It would be wise to continue in that vein, this week and beyond.

5. Leave no doubt
As great as this season has been for Temple football and its long-suffering fans, the Owls haven’t exactly been going all Mike Tyson on opponents, knocking them out early and then standing defiantly over them, just daring them to get up, ready to deliver even more lethal blows. Until Memphis. In their most well-rounded effort of the season, the Owls gave a glimpse of what they can be when all cylinders are running. The defense was dominant and the offense pretty darn efficient, so much so that losing the turnover battle (minus-2) didn’t even factor. The same kind of balanced and well-prepared performance a week earlier likely would have saved them the embarrassment of getting blown out by surging South Florida. That being said, if a 44-23 whooping was needed to really turn on that “Leave No Doubt” switch the rest of the season, perhaps that visit to Tampa, Fla., was the best thing for Rhule’s third edition of Owls, who now stand on the precipice of the best season of Temple football ever. This is no time to let up. This is the time to really to press on and finish up strong, leaving absolutely no doubt.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

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Philly Phile  |  Eagles fans continue to ride the Crazy Train

11/25/2015

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Like most games it seems anymore, Chip Kelly didn't have any answers for the Buccaneers.
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The roller-coaster ride is insane.

Eagles win, the fan base in Philly goes berserk, making crazy proclamations about playoffs and Super Bowls and what have you. Eagles lose, the fan base in Philly goes berserk, making crazy proclamations about discarding the head coach and dismantling the team.

If this weren’t so blatantly basic and true it might be hilarious to think about the absurdity of it all, about how such hyperbole only needed a drum roll and punchline to accompany it.

But really, truly, this is what 55 years without an NFL championship has wrought in this town.

Sanity … what the hell is that?

Patience … you’re kidding, right?

It’s a knee-jerk overreaction to the slightest positive or negative anymore, things being blown way out of proportion, to the utmost extreme with no room for shades of gray … you know, until the next week, when they all jump into the car and start riding the roller coaster again.

Down-down. Up-down. Up-up. Down-up. Down-down.

So it has gone thus far in 2015, with a 4-6 start largely erasing the misguided hopes and dreams that had fairytale storylines that included 12, 13 or even 14 wins for this third edition of Chip Kelly’s Eagles.

The reality is, no one in their right mind should have been imagining such grandiose things for this squad. Wishing for them, sure. But believing that they’d happen, and actually stating they would, almost as a mean’s of convincing one’s self … sorry, just silly and, frankly, unhealthy.

Gotta imagine there has been a serious surge in blood-pressure and depression meds in the region lately, not to mention alcohol consumption.

Failing to face the facts, or injury reports, is never a wise thing to do. It’s disregarding the evidence available to draw an informed conclusion as to what you can, if not should, expect.

In short, with banged-up entities taking the reins at such key spots as quarterback, running back and inside linebacker, an overpaid fourth wheel being the secondary addition, and a still relatively “newbie” NFL coach increasing his workload to ruler of the Eagles’ universe, umm, what the hell were any of you nutjobs thinking?

A big part of the problem was going all-in on the Kelly investment in the first place. As far as hyped-up individuals go, he had few peers in the coaching ranks. Call it the Joe Paterno Factor. Once the saintly one arrived in State College, he built a program from scratch and erected a stadium in his spare time – or so the fantasy goes. The reality is, Penn State football was a regional power already, not to mention a regular in the national power – courtesy of Rip Engle, Paterno’s former coach at Brown.

But you’d never know that with the narrative that was forever spewed out there as fans and media types alike wanted, needed a hero to ever embellish their belief in the program. Whatever, it wasn’t true. Paterno took a very good program and made it a great one.

Kelly’s tale goes something along the same lines. That Oregon didn’t even exist until younger Chipper made his way out West. Suddenly, the Ducks were playing for championships and sporting funky new uniforms. Sorry to shed some truth to the situation, but Oregon was burning the national-program and trendy-attire trails well before Kelly got there. The guy who brought him in, Mike Bellotti, had a runner-up finish in the polls, too – just six years prior. Heck, even the guy who followed him, Mark Helfrich, did the same thing – two years after Kelly’s departure.

Thing is, Kelly was never the godsend he was made out to be. It was foolish to place that much faith in him, or anyone.

Then again, it’s just as foolish to go on an extreme roller-coaster ride every damn week going off what his Eagles do right now.

It’s a transitional year, people. The guy came into the season with a 20-12 mark in the NFL through two seasons. Even after a godawful-looking first three months this season, that mark only has slipped to 24-18. Get a grip.

If you ask me, fans are jumping the gun on his firing too fast. Then again, if you asked me, hiring his overrated, arrogant, egomaniacal behind was a mistake in the first place.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

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College Football  |  Temple respected nationally ... but locally?

11/24/2015

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SEASON 4 THE AGES

​TEMPLE 27, PENN STATE 10
September 5  |  Philadelphia, Pa.
Owls finally knock the 400-pound gorilla from their collective back, beating the Nittany Lions for the first time in 74 years. Temple completely shut down Penn State’s offense after falling behind 10-0 early on. All told, the visiting Lions only mustered 180 yards of offense. Meanwhile, RB Jahad Thomas emerged as an electric, juking and jiving star for the Owls with 135 yards and two TDs rushing.

TEMPLE 34, CINCINNATI 26
September 12  |  Cincinnati, Ohio
Owls top the AAC’s preseason favorite before a record, white-out crowd in Cincy, as Thomas goes off for 193 yards rushing and returns a kickoff 100 yards for a score to offset an absolute bludgeoning Temple endured in the total yardage (557-296) battle. Temple LB Tyler Matakevich recorded his third INT of the evening in the end zone to thwart the Bearcats’ last-ditch efforts to rally.

TEMPLE 25, MASSACHUSETTS 23
September 19  |  Foxboro, Mass.
The Great Escape. Owls QB P.J. Walker threw for a career-high 393 yards, and was integral on the GW drive that netted 50 yards and a straight-as-an-arrow FG by Austin Jones, all of which was set up by Temple blocking a PAT and Will Hayes returning it for two points to keep the Owls within 23-22 (instead of 24-20) with 1:04 remaining.
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TEMPLE 37, CHARLOTTE 3
October 2  |  Charlotte, N.C.
Win marks Owls’ first 4-0 start in 41 years. Temple only led 10-3 at half, but a 20-point explosion in the third quarter, capped by DB Nate L. Smith returning a blocked punt 16 yards for a score, paved the way to what turned out to be an easy victory.

TEMPLE 49, TULANE 10
October 10  |  Philadelphia, Pa.
In typical fashion, Owls start slow on offense as the Green Wave grabbed a 10-7 lead in the second quarter. Then Temple rattled off the next 42 points, largely on the pinpoint passing of QBs P.J. Walker and Frank Nutile, who combined to complete 14 of 18 passes for 223 yards and three TDs.

TEMPLE 30, CENTRAL FLORIDA 16
October 17  |  Philadelphia, Pa.
It took a Sean Chandler punt return to open the fourth quarter to awaken the Owls, who found themselves – shockingly – down 16-14 entering that final frame. Soon after the 66-yard spark from “Champ,” the Owls started grinding down their still-winless foe with Thomas ultimately racking up a career-high 199 yards on 31 carries.
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TEMPLE 24, EAST CAROLINA 14
October 22  |  Greenville, N.C.
The Great Escape II. Down 10, the Owls score two TDs in the final 3:31 to win on the road, overcoming another case of the dropsies by the receiving corps. Ironically enough, one of the main culprits there, Robby Anderson, was clutch when it mattered, reeling in the go-ahead, 23-yard TD from Walker.

NOTRE DAME 24, TEMPLE 20
October 31  |  Philadelphia, Pa.
Even in defeat, Owls came out looking like winners, gaining respect across the country … and even some in Philly. The Irish dominated in yardage, but Temple actually led 20-17 with four minutes to go and had the ball around midfield with a minute to go before a penalty and INT derailed any Hollywood-script ending.

TEMPLE 60, SMU 40
November 6  |  Dallas, Texas
Walker had his best passing game of the season, completing 18 of 25 attempts for 268 yards and 4 TDs, but the nifty thing in this one was freshman RB Jager Gardner ripping off the longest TD run in Owls’ history on the second play from scrimmage – a 94-yarder. The score is deceiving; Temple was up just 45-40 with less than two minutes remaining.

SOUTH FLORIDA 44, TEMPLE 23
November 14  |  Tampa, Fla.
This would constitute hitting rock bottom, albeit against a rapidly improving team with speed to burn. The Owls had no answers for Bulls RB Marlon Mack (230 yards, 2 TDs rushing) or QB Quenton Flowers (230 yards, 2 TDs passing). A team loss for sure, including the coaching staff.

TEMPLE 31, MEMPHIS 12
November 21  |  Philadelphia, Pa.
Owls respond to that 21-point loss at the hands of South Florida the week before, their defense dominating one of the top offenses in the country. Temple held the Tigers, who came in averaging 43.7 points and 541 yards per game, to just four FGs and 232 yards, making Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, a one-time Heisman candidate, a non-factor.
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Temple RB Jahad Thomas makes a cut against Memphis D on Saturday.
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It is fascinating.

It really, truly is.

The rest of the country gets it. Totally gets it. Sees the big picture, grasps everything that goes into it and gives a legit, honest appraisal.

At home, locally, around the southeastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey region … umm, not so much.

That is why Temple University’s football team finds itself back in the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches polls, receiving the respect it so richly deserves – everywhere except from the place it resides and, forever in futility, so desperately wants to represent.

Honestly, if it were up to me, the only salute being given to Philly, its mostly uninformed, blinders-wearing sports fans and the equally limited media that “enlightens” them by the Owls would be a nice, collective two-fingered one, courtesy of middle digits, with, depending upon my mood, a full-blown “mooning” to go with it.

Yeah, yeah. The school bases its entire existence on welcoming one and all, and, frankly, feels it needs the city/area support to reach the level it wants on the gridiron, especially in regard to a national scope.

Over the long haul, perhaps that is true. If an on-campus football stadium is going to be built AND become a legit, revenue-generating entity along North Broad, Temple certainly would need some loyal ticket-buyers beyond the minimal alumni and fans who have been with the program all along. It stands to reason that any sound, rational-thinking administrative type pushing the program would figure a major city with a metropolitan reach of better than 6 million had the means to provide such “assistance,” but, thus far, that hasn’t been the case.

Not now. Not ever.

Granted, Temple for much of its history hasn’t exactly enticed a following with generations of mostly sad seasons and overmatched play. But that has changed, and it hasn’t just been this season. Since Al Golden salvaged Temple from the dumpster fire a decade ago, the Owls have racked up three nine-win campaigns now, under three different coaches (Golden, Steve Addazio and Matt Rhule), two bowl bids and a bowl victory. Rhule's current squad has reached heights thought to be impossible – a 7-0 start, a win against Penn State, a national-TV game of the week against Notre Dame in prime time, at home in Lincoln Financial Field no less, a national ranking, for several weeks, mind you, and a re-entry into the polls just a week after dropping out of them. Should they win this Saturday night against Connecticut – which, hello, those clueless in the sports community, just knocked Houston from the unbeaten ranks – the Owls would clinch a spot in the American Athletic Conference title game, too. They’re already going bowling after what they’ve achieved so far.

Yet, this past Saturday’s crucial AAC contest against No. 21 Memphis wasn’t seen by Philly fans as attractive enough to merit their attention. The stadium wasn’t close to half full, even with the prepaid tickets dressed as empty seats. The well-padded announced crowd, in fact, didn’t crack 32,000 in a facility that holds 69,000. Maybe everyone had to stay home in preparation for another awesome effort by the Eagles the following afternoon.

Not sure whether to view that as sad, pathetic or both.

The reality is, Philly fans are so hard-wired to follow what they’ve always followed – from the pro sports teams in town to the people who tell them to follow the pro sports teams and then, hmmm, to show a wide swath of sports knowledge, to support the likes of Penn State or Notre Dame or some other established program because, you know, no school from the area could ever develop a big-time football program.

Newsflash, self-proclaimed “most knowledgeable sports fans in the country,” Temple already has. Perhaps too fast for Philly to recognize and accept, but not too fast for the rest of the country.

Unfortunately, until those in the city and surrounding area expand their horizons and seek sports-knowledge counsel outside the likes of Fanatic yakker Mike Missanelli, a Penn State grad so poisoned by an elitist bias toward his own school and its ilk that he’d rather rip it thank credit Temple for anything, for fear that, heaven forbid, the Owls actually might get something really going and it won’t be all Blue & White all the time around here any time discussions veer from the pros, Philly ain’t ever gonna catch up and get it.

- Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com​

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Where was everybody Saturday? Only a pair of 8-2 teams squaring off.
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