Temple is Cupcake #3 of the season. 

Under Al Golden’s leadership, Temple won five games including their last two games in 2008.  This is Temple’s best effort since 1990 and Temple has momentum coming into the 2009 season.  Temple will remember their successes and near successes as they return 17 starters, including 9 on defense this year. 

Temple's 2008 Season in Review

Temple’s 2008 season was filled with close games. A three point loss to UConn in OT. A two point loss to Buffalo.  A four point loss to Western Michigan.  You get the idea, the games were close.  But things started turn around at the end of the season.  Temple had a 3 point win in a shootout against Eastern Michigan, and the following week they ran up the score with three unanswered TDs against Akron.

In head-to-head competition, Penn State crushed Temple 45-3.   Penn State held Temple to total of 10 first downs and 138 total yards.  Redshirt Freshman QB Chester Stewart started against Penn State and went 16-30 with 3 INTs for a total of 116 yards.  Stewart is the likely starting quarterback for Temple in 2009.  True Freshman QB Vaughn Charlton is fighting Stewart for the starting quarterback roll.  Charlton and Stewart are currently on the Temple 2009 depth chart with “OR” between their names.

Temple Offense vs. PSU Defense
National Rankings Category	TU Actual	TU Rank		PSU Rank	PSU Actual	National Rankings Category
Scoring Offense	23.42	82		8	14.38	Scoring Defense
Total Offense	298.08	107		8	280.08	Total Defense
Passing Offense	202.92	70		27	186.85	Pass Defense
Passing Efficiency	129.28	48		19	107.79	Pass Efficiency Defense
Rushing Offense	95.17	109		8	93.23	Rushing Defense
Red Zone Offense Pct	.76	92		97	.88	Red Zone Defense
1st Down Offense/Game	14.92	113		9	15.58	1st Down Defense
3rd Down Conversion Pct	39.1	62		15	32.2	3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense
4th Down Conversion Pct	23.1	117		87	54.2	4th Down Conversion Pct Defense
Sacks Allowed/Game	2.42	98		24	2.54	Sacks/Game
Tackles For Loss Allowed	7.08	107		44	46.23	Tackles For Loss/Game

Penn State’s defense clearly dominated Temple in 2008.   Penn State had 7 sacks for 44 yards, and 3 interceptions for 72 yards.  Temple averaged 0.6 yards per carry rushing for a total of 16 yards.  Lamar McPherson, formerly of Syracuse University and Bishop McDevitt high school, is the likely candidate for running back.  In 2008, McPherson played in 11 games as a fullback and on the kickoff unit.  He moved to running back during spring practice 2009. He had two carries in ’08 for zero yards.  Also in competition for RB is Kee-ayre Griffin, who played in all 12 games in ’08, leading the team in rushing with 394 yards.

Expect Temple’s offense to be improved, but not so improved that they will score at will against Penn State.  Temple returns 8 starters on offense.  Another year of playing together in Al Golden’s system will lead to a substantially better record in MAC play and it is highly likely that Temple will win the MAC east.  

Temple has over two weeks to prepare for Penn State.  Temple has a scrimmage, err. a game, against Villanova on Sept 3.  Afterwards Al Golden and company can concentrate on Penn State without distractions.  Penn State will have the normal one week prep time for Temple.  Now, if I were Al Golden, which I am not, I would use that time to find several fundamental weaknesses of Penn State and design plays to take advantage of those weaknesses.  Temple has nothing to lose.

However, Temple’s problem with Penn State will remain. That is simply, a 12-foot sidewalk of a campus doesn’t aid in recruiting.  Temple is unable to recruit 4- and 5-star talent, not because of a lack of good football coaches, but rather Temple is in Philadelphia and Temple is in the MAC.  So the real difference in play is based in the lack of talent and depth of Temple’s players.

Temple Defense vs. PSU Offense
National Rankings Category	TU Actual	TU Rank		PSU Rank	PSU Actual	National Rankings Category
Scoring Defense	23.08	47		11	38.92	Scoring Offense
Total Offense	388.00	81		14	448.92	Total Offense
Pass Defense	221.67	80		37	243.08	Pass Offense
Passing Efficiency Defense	120.60	50		19	145.35	Pass Efficiency
Rushing Defense	166.33	87		17	205.85	Rushing Offense
Red Zone Defense	.78	32		6	.92	Red Zone Offense
1st Down Defense	21.42	92		18	23.08	1st Down Offense/Game
3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense	36.3	36		6	52.0	3rd Down Conversion Pct
4th Down Conversion Pct Defense	53.9	83		88	38.5	4th Down Conversion Pct
SacksGame	1.5	89		4	21.00	Sacks Allowed
Tackles For Loss/Game	5.17	83		4	3.85	Tackles For Loss Allowed

Penn State crushed Temple’s defense in 2008, with 546 total offensive yards.  Temple was unable to stop Penn State’s rushing game, with tailbacks Stephfon Green and Evan Royster each carrying the ball 9 times.  Green averaged 14.7 yards per carry and Royster averaged 8.1 yards per carry.  Brandon Beachum and Brent Carter also saw action in the game with 40 and 32 yards respectively.

QB Daryll Clark split action with Pat Devlin and went 13 of 20 passing for 191 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT.  Clark was only sacked once during the game.  This was typical of the Penn State offensive line last year.  Clark averaged one sack per game.  This will be the third game that PSU’s new offensive line has played together.  Expect PSU’s line to have come together by this point in the season – they need to, since Big Ten play will only be a week away.

Temple doesn’t have the defensive weapons to shut down Penn State.  Nine starters return, so while they are experienced and improved from last year, the talent level will not be there.

Turnovers - Time of Possession - Penalties
National Rankings Category	TU Actual	TU Rank		PSU Rank	PSU Actual	National Rankings Category
Turnover Margin	.00	62		25	.54	Turnover Margin
Turnover Gained	25	42		14	16	Turnovers Lost
Turnovers Lost	25	69		58	23	Turnovers Gained
Fumbles Recovered	14	15		49	10	Fumbles Lost
Fumbles Lost	25	69		97	7	Fumbles Recovered
Passes Intercepted	11	67		4	6	Passes had Intercepted
Passed had Intercepted	13	68		26	16	Passes Intercepted
Fewest Penalties/Game	6.75	88		3	3.77	Fewest Penalties/Game
Fewest Yards Penalized/Game	55.33	79		3	31.38	Fewest Yards Penalized/Game
Time of Possession	27:25	111		16	31:44	Time of Possession

Special Teams
National Rankings Category	TU Actual	TU Rank		PSU Rank	PSU Actual	National Rankings Category
Punt Returns	10.87	34		15	5.33	Punt Return Defense
Punt Return Defense	11.15	92		39	10.36	Punt Returns
Net Punting	33.48	88		11	37.86	Net Punting
Kickoff Returns	26.60	1		65	21.26	Kickoff Return Defense
Kickoff Return Defense	18.81	20		10	24.54	Kickoff Returns

The one bright spot on Temple’s special teams is that they led the nation in kickoff returns in 2008.  The negative way of looking that stat is Temple had lots of practice returning kickoffs due to other teams scoring on them.  However, Temple’s leading return man, Sheldon Travis will not be returning in 2009. 

Penn State wins.  The score is not close, but Temple does a better job than last year.

Special Temple Season Prediction

Temple is capable of sweeping its MAC schedule, even Ball State.  I think BSU is a one hit wonder, and Temple will be juiced to win.  In the non-con schedule, Nova is a win; Army is a win; Navy is a probable loss and Penn State is a loss.  That would make Temple 10-2.  Geez, that is too good to be true.  Let’s call it 9-3 and a Bowl game for Temple this year.

Comments

Mike Gibson

0

 

 

Adam DiMichele started against Penn State last year, not Chester Stewart. He actually moved the Owls about 75 yards on their opening series before being sacked for a 20-yard loss and knocked out with a separated shoulder.
Vaughn Charlton, who started against Penn State two years ago and lost a neck-and-neck battle with ADM to start that season, is the likely starter on Sept. 19.
Unless Al Golden gets crazy (or crazed as in genius-crazed) and changes the offense to a triple-option with Stewart after showing pro-set with Charlton against Nova.

Tuesday 28 July 2009, 08:42

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