Here's a look from around the MAC conference as to how each team faired after the 4th week of the season:
MAC West
Idaho 34, Northern Illinois 31 --- (BOX SCORE)
Toledo 41, Florida International 31 --- (BOX SCORE)
Western Michigan 24, Hofstra 10 --- (BOX SCORE)
Auburn 54, Ball State 30 --- (BOX SCORE)
Central Michigan 48, Akron 21 --- (BOX SCORE)
MAC East
Temple 37, Buffalo 13 --- (BOX SCORE)
#8 Boise State 49, Bowling Green 14 --- (BOX SCORE)
Kent State 29, Miami (OH) 19 --- (BOX SCORE)
Tennessee 34, Ohio 23 --- (BOX SCORE)
MAC Overall Standings
Here'a a breakdown of the MAC Conference as a whole through the 4th Week (*Note that several teams have not yet started playing in conference)
MAC West
Central Michigan (3-1)(1-0)
Western Michigan (2-2)(1-0)
Northern Illinois (2-2)(0-0)
Toledo (2-2)(0-0)
Eastern Michigan (0-3)(0-0)
Ball State (0-4)(0-0)
MAC East
Kent State (2-2)(1-0)
Temple (1-2)(1-0)
Ohio (0-2)(0-0)
Bowling Green (1-3)(0-0)
Akron (1-3)(0-1)
Buffalo (1-3)(0-1)
Miami (OH) (0-4)(0-2)
We're moving further into the MAC Conference schedule, but several more teams have yet to begin their play. As the season progresses, we'll have more of an idea as to who the strengths and weaknesses of the conference are. Stay tuned for updates within the MAC Conference.
Owls Begin Their Turnaround
Going into the Buffalo game, Temple fans did not expect to be 0-2 (losses to Villanova and Penn State).
Some say that this game would be the biggest game of Coach Al Golden's tenure-- that this would determine the progression of Temple Football over the past 4 years.
At :00 in the final quarter, Owls fans saw what they were looking for: a dominating 37-13 victory over Buffalo, and a great entrance into the MAC Conference part of the schedule.
We witnessed unbelievable performances from the Defensive and Special Teams' units, as well as glances of talent on the Offensive side.
Here's the breakdown of Temple's scoring:
1st Quarter
(K) Brandon McManus 35 yard Field Goal [3-0]
2nd Quarter
(WR) James Nixon 92 yard Kick Return [10-6]
(K) Brandon McManus 22 yard Field Goal [13-6]
(LB) Peanut Joseph 95 yard INT Return [20-6]
3rd Quarter
(TE) Evan Rodriguez 5 yard TD catch [27-6]
(K) Brandon McManus 33 yard Field Goal [30-6]
4th Quarter
(RB) Bernard Pierce 18 yard TD run [37-6]
The Owls saw breakout performances from several of their freshman play-makers, including runningback Bernard Pierce and kicker Brandon McManus.
McManus finished for the day at 3/5, with his two misses being at 44 and 50 yards deep. He was also at a perfect 4/4 on XP attempts. This is another positive to know the Owls now have a dependable kicker they can rely on, rather than being forced to punt.
Peanut Joseph's "Pick Six" was the absolute turning point of this game, generating a spark in both the defensive and special team's units. You can catch the highlight in "ESPN's Saturday's Ten Best" at the #9 spot.
James Nixon came up huge in this game as well, providing the team with a 48 yard reception, and his highlight: a 92 yard kick return for a touchdown. Nixon has repeatedly proven himself as a dangerous player in all three of the Owls games, and will continue to provide problems for opponents.
For the Buffalo Bulls, things did not go well offensively, as Sophomore QB Zach Maynard threw 4 interceptions in Saturday's game. As Temple fans know from the Villanova game, turnovers can play significant roles in the outcomes of football games.
The Bulls' main threat in this game was WR Naaman Roosevelt, who finished the game with 9 receptions for 120 yards.
Owls' Nest Game Ball
The Owl's Nest game ball is a new section of our post game wrap-up, which focuses on the team's best performers/performances.
Against Buffalo, we're giving the game ball to RB Bernard Pierce, as well as the entire defensive unit and special teams. Temple has now found their go to guy behind the quarterback, as the freshman back tallied over 100 yards on the ground with his first collegiate touchdown. This merely promises greater things to come during the season.
The defense came alive in this outing, giving up just one touchdown, but providing a score and a number of turnovers (4 interceptions [Peanut Joseph, Marquise Liverpool, Andre Neblett, Dominique Harris] and a fumble.
On special teams, the Owls were also able to provide scoring when James Nixon took a kick back to the house. Excellent blocking by players like TE Matt Balasavage paved the way for Temple's excellent ST play.
A great showing overall by the Temple Owls to open the MAC Conference Schedule.
Temple's record improves to (1-2)(1-0) overall, and they'll head out to take on Eastern Michigan.
Buffalo's record moves to (1-3)(0-1) overall, and they will move on to play Central Michigan.
The Season Starts The 26th
(Temple RB Kee-ayre Griffin pounding the ball forward -- photo by Darryl Rule.)Two games, two losses.
Not what Owls fans expected to start of the season, coming off what seemed to be another sure loss to Penn State. Not to say, though, the Owls could pull off an upset.
Let's look at this hypothetical situation: Temple beats Villanova for the Mayors Cup, going into the bye.
Surely, the attitude going into Happy Valley would be a lot different. Hype would be building, and glimmers of hope of beating the #5 team in the country would stand strong. During the bye, Coach Golden and the team might not have had to work on several mistakes made in the game:
- Ball security during the run game *
- Finishing and securing tackles *
- Penetration on the Defensive line
- Quarterback/Coaching decisions
Granted, many of these were fixed during the Penn State game, there should not be a need to deal with some of these problems. These are concepts that are addressed during the days of Pop Warner.
The point here is that the Temple-Penn State game could have gone much differently in the Owls' favor, if not for mistakes that costed them a 1-0 record to start off.
But that's now the past. It's time to move on to the true season. With the team's recent struggles, there has been a lot of doubt towards coach Golden. A win here signifies that this 2009 team is legitimate, meaning a true competitor in the MAC. If the team is able to win this game, there is still hope for many Temple fans who have been skeptical of coach.
The true way to a bowl game is by winning in the conference, that it begins on the 26th. From there, Temple will take on Eastern Michigan (10/3) and Ball State (10/10) before getting back to OOC. This will be determining factor as to what Temple Football team we are dealing with: have we stepped backward, or moved forward?
This Saturday, the Owls begin their MAC Conference against Buffalo, the 2008 MAC Champions. Last year, if you recall, the Bulls beat Temple on a hail mary pass with 5 seconds remaining. In just the 3rd game of the season, Temple suffered its second last minute loss of their 2008 campaign.
To many Temple fans on OwlScoop and OwlsDaily, this game determines the state of the program under Al Golden.
This year, the Owls will look to get their revenge and tack on the first win of the season against the Bulls in Philadelphia. We'll have a preview of both Temple and Buffalo later this week on YouTube, along with analysis here on The Owl's Nest!
Conference Update: Week 3
Here's a look from around the MAC conference as to how each team faired after the 3rd week of the season:
MAC West
#25 Michigan 45, Eastern Michigan 17 --- (BOX SCORE)
Northern Illinois 28, Purdue 21 --- (BOX SCORE)
Army 24, Ball State 17 --- (BOX SCORE)
Ohio State 38, Toledo 0 --- (BOX SCORE)
Central Michigan 48, Alcorn State 0 --- (BOX SCORE)
Western Michigan 48, Miami (OH) 26 --- (BOX SCORE)
MAC East
#5 Penn State 31, Temple 6 --- (BOX SCORE)
Indiana 38, Akron 21 --- (BOX SCORE)
Ohio 28, Cal Poly 10 --- (BOX SCORE)
Marshall 17, Bowling Green 10 --- (BOX SCORE)
Iowa State 34, Kent State 14 --- (BOX SCORE)
MAC Overall Standings
Here'a a breakdown of the MAC Conference as a whole through the 3rd Week (*Note that several teams have started playing in conference already)
MAC West
Western Michigan (1-2)(1-0)
Central Michigan (2-1)(0-0)
Northern Illinois (2-1)(0-0)
Toledo (1-2)(0-0)
Ball State (0-3)(0-0)
Eastern Michigan (0-3)(0-0)
MAC East
Ohio (2-1)(0-0)
Akron (1-2)(0-0)
Bowling Green (1-2)(0-0)
Buffalo (1-2)(0-0)
Kent State (1-2)(0-0)
Temple (0-2)(0-0)
Miami (OH) (0-3)(0-1)
It's very early in the season, and only 2 teams have competed within conference so far. Stay tuned for updates within the MAC Conference.
MAC West
#25 Michigan 45, Eastern Michigan 17 --- (BOX SCORE)
Northern Illinois 28, Purdue 21 --- (BOX SCORE)
Army 24, Ball State 17 --- (BOX SCORE)
Ohio State 38, Toledo 0 --- (BOX SCORE)
Central Michigan 48, Alcorn State 0 --- (BOX SCORE)
Western Michigan 48, Miami (OH) 26 --- (BOX SCORE)
MAC East
#5 Penn State 31, Temple 6 --- (BOX SCORE)
Indiana 38, Akron 21 --- (BOX SCORE)
Ohio 28, Cal Poly 10 --- (BOX SCORE)
Marshall 17, Bowling Green 10 --- (BOX SCORE)
Iowa State 34, Kent State 14 --- (BOX SCORE)
MAC Overall Standings
Here'a a breakdown of the MAC Conference as a whole through the 3rd Week (*Note that several teams have started playing in conference already)
MAC West
Western Michigan (1-2)(1-0)
Central Michigan (2-1)(0-0)
Northern Illinois (2-1)(0-0)
Toledo (1-2)(0-0)
Ball State (0-3)(0-0)
Eastern Michigan (0-3)(0-0)
MAC East
Ohio (2-1)(0-0)
Akron (1-2)(0-0)
Bowling Green (1-2)(0-0)
Buffalo (1-2)(0-0)
Kent State (1-2)(0-0)
Temple (0-2)(0-0)
Miami (OH) (0-3)(0-1)
It's very early in the season, and only 2 teams have competed within conference so far. Stay tuned for updates within the MAC Conference.
Final Thoughts: Temple vs. Penn State
As you might recall, the Owls dropped to 0-2, falling to #5 Penn State by a score of 31-6.
A lot of work has to be done when the team begins their MAC Conference Schedule against the 2008 Champs: Buffalo. Yes, the Buffalo team that beat TU last year on one play.
Although the Owls suffered their second loss of the season, there were a lot of positives that came out of this game. The Owl's Nest has come up with list of what Temple has improved, and what needs to be improved as they prepare for Buffalo next Saturday.
Pros from Penn State
- Temple has now found their go-to guys on offense:
WR's James Nixon, Michael Campbell, Jason Harper, and Joe Jones
RB's Kee-ayre Griffin and Bernard Pierce
TE's Steve Maneri and Evan Rodriguez
- If the Owls were to play with a fullback, I think that would work wonders for the running game. These two guys can find the holes, and another blocker could help.
- Temple now has found a great kicker in Brandon McManus. Even with the atmosphere at Happy Valley, McManus provided the Owls with their only scoring, hitting field goals from 35 and 25 yards.
- We've seen a little more aggression from the defense, as the line was able to penetrate and get to Daryll Clark several times.
- Coach Golden seemed to be more risk taking on the offensive side of the ball. We saw Temple attempt and recover an onside kick, as well as convert on 4th down at least once.
Cons from Penn State
- Unlike last week where the Owls were able to score 3 touchdowns, the team was unable to put the ball in the endzone against the Nittany Lions. Merely 3 points more than last year.
- The run defense was simply manhandled by the likes of Evan Royster. Several missed tackles led to breakout runs, eventually leading to scoring position.
- Although Temple was not hesitant to throw the ball, it did not seem as if there was much of deep balls being thrown. With deep threats in James Nixon and Michael Campbell (as shown in week 1 against Villanova) and Charlton's gun of an arm, you need to utilize your threats.
The Owls will have a lot of work to do before next week, when they return home to take on the 2008 MAC Champ Buffalo Bulls. The Owls' Nest will preview the upcoming game later on this week.
For now, it's back to the practice field in preparation.
A lot of work has to be done when the team begins their MAC Conference Schedule against the 2008 Champs: Buffalo. Yes, the Buffalo team that beat TU last year on one play.
Although the Owls suffered their second loss of the season, there were a lot of positives that came out of this game. The Owl's Nest has come up with list of what Temple has improved, and what needs to be improved as they prepare for Buffalo next Saturday.
Pros from Penn State
- Temple has now found their go-to guys on offense:
WR's James Nixon, Michael Campbell, Jason Harper, and Joe Jones
RB's Kee-ayre Griffin and Bernard Pierce
TE's Steve Maneri and Evan Rodriguez
- If the Owls were to play with a fullback, I think that would work wonders for the running game. These two guys can find the holes, and another blocker could help.
- Temple now has found a great kicker in Brandon McManus. Even with the atmosphere at Happy Valley, McManus provided the Owls with their only scoring, hitting field goals from 35 and 25 yards.
- We've seen a little more aggression from the defense, as the line was able to penetrate and get to Daryll Clark several times.
- Coach Golden seemed to be more risk taking on the offensive side of the ball. We saw Temple attempt and recover an onside kick, as well as convert on 4th down at least once.
Cons from Penn State
- Unlike last week where the Owls were able to score 3 touchdowns, the team was unable to put the ball in the endzone against the Nittany Lions. Merely 3 points more than last year.
- The run defense was simply manhandled by the likes of Evan Royster. Several missed tackles led to breakout runs, eventually leading to scoring position.
- Although Temple was not hesitant to throw the ball, it did not seem as if there was much of deep balls being thrown. With deep threats in James Nixon and Michael Campbell (as shown in week 1 against Villanova) and Charlton's gun of an arm, you need to utilize your threats.
The Owls will have a lot of work to do before next week, when they return home to take on the 2008 MAC Champ Buffalo Bulls. The Owls' Nest will preview the upcoming game later on this week.
For now, it's back to the practice field in preparation.
More Additions to the Site
The Owl's Nest now has a legitimate domain name!
You can access the site simply by going to www.owlified.com! This is the latest change to our blog, along with the new page banner at the top of the site.
Look out for more videos, photos, and blogs written on Temple Athletics!
You can access the site simply by going to www.owlified.com! This is the latest change to our blog, along with the new page banner at the top of the site.
Look out for more videos, photos, and blogs written on Temple Athletics!
New Page Banner
We've developed a new banner on our blog. Let us know what you think!
Look out for more upcoming news on both Temple Football and Basketball soon!
Look out for more upcoming news on both Temple Football and Basketball soon!
MAC Football Update
Here's a look at the scores for Temple Football (0-2).
Temple 24, Villanova 27 (BOX SCORE)
Temple 6, Penn State 31 (BOX SCORE)
Hope to see many of you at the Temple-Buffalo game September 26th, where the Owls will open up their MAC Conference Schedule at Lincoln Financial Field.
Look out for our MAC Update videos on YouTube, along with a preview of the Owls'-Bulls' later this week.
Go Owls!
Follow us on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/Owlified
Check us out on Flickr! http://www.flickr.com/photos/OwlsNestBlog
Temple 24, Villanova 27 (BOX SCORE)
Temple 6, Penn State 31 (BOX SCORE)
Hope to see many of you at the Temple-Buffalo game September 26th, where the Owls will open up their MAC Conference Schedule at Lincoln Financial Field.
Look out for our MAC Update videos on YouTube, along with a preview of the Owls'-Bulls' later this week.
Go Owls!
Follow us on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/Owlified
Check us out on Flickr! http://www.flickr.com/photos/OwlsNestBlog
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