November 11, 2007
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Through the first nine games of the season, wide receiver Travis Shelton was a forgotten man in Temple's offense.
Against Penn State Saturday, the Owls used Shelton more. The junior caught five passes for 50 yards in Saturday's 31-0 defeat at the hands of Penn State.
Coming into the game, Shelton had just 12 receptions for 66 yards.
"It felt great today being part of the offense," Shelton said. "I felt good. I felt like we were clicking. We just need to finish it up in the red zone."
The Owls were able to move the ball on Penn State, getting inside the Nittany Lions' 20-yard line on two of their first three possessions. But once they got there, they couldn't convert. They were 0-for-4 on red zone attempts.
Temple amassed 242 total yards of offense, with 194 of that coming in the first half when the game was still within reach.
"We lost our focus a little bit when we got into the red zone," Shelton said. "(Temple) Coach (Al Golden) is always telling us to finish and not everybody was finishing, which is why our success was low."
Temple was facing a Penn State defense ranked No. 12 overall in the nation, and the Lions were averaging four sacks a game. To combat that, the Owls focused heavily on quick passes, and Shelton was a beneficiary of those quick hits.
"I think he played alright, one of his better games of the year," Golden said of Shelton. "Hopefully he'll keep building and finish the season strong."
Shelton was told to be ready.
"The coaches early in the week said they were going to try to get me the ball," Shelton said. "They wanted me to start making plays."
Temple quarterback Vaughn Charlton knew he wouldn't have much time to spend in the pocket, so the dump-offs to Shelton were perfect for him.
"Our game plan going into the game was to get rid of the ball fast," Charlton said. "Travis Shelton is a heck of an athlete. Any time you get him the ball, he makes something happen."
Another point of emphasis for Shelton has been special teams. The cousin of Chicago Bears Pro Bowl return man Devin Hester, Shelton was a standout in the return game last season, averaging 28.8 yards per return with one touchdown in just six games.
But coming into the Penn State game, Shelton was averaging just 21.4 yards per kickoff. He returned four kickoffs Saturday for 76 yards, including a 27-yarder that got the offense to midfield.
"They tried to sky kick it," Shelton said. "My team set up the wedge pretty nicely, so I was able to get a good return."
A 31-0 loss, of course, is not what Shelton and the rest of his teammates hoped for, but Temple's performance was a vast improvement from last season's 47-0 drubbing up at State College. The Owls mustered just two first downs and didn't cross midfield that rainy afternoon.
Leaving the Linc Saturday, Shelton was left with a different feeling.
"Last year it felt like a whole different ball game," Shelton said. "This year it felt like we were supposed to win that game. It didn't feel like a 31-0 game."
OwlScoop.com staff writer Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Brooks builds his reputation on defense
November 6, 2007
Brooks builds his reputation on defense
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Every successful basketball team needs a "glue guy," a player who can come in and play solid defense, hustle and shake things up.
Based upon what he did as a freshman, Ryan Brooks looks like he could be that guy who holds things together for Temple.
Brooks, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, came off the bench in each of the 24 games he played for the Owls last season, averaging just over three points and one rebound per game.
His presence was mainly felt on the defense.
"He's a good basketball player," Temple head coach Fran Dunphy said of Brooks. "He's our best perimeter defender right now."
For an Owls team that needs to improve significantly at that end of the floor, Brooks is happy to oblige.
"I think defense is very important," said Brooks, who became Dunphy's first recruit on North Broad Street when he signed a scholarship letter with Temple out of Lower Merion High School last summer. "I've always said since high school that if I could stop the best player on the other team, then our team is going to win."
Brooks experienced plenty of that at Lower Merion, leading the Aces to the 2006 PIAA Class AAAA state championship in an upset win over Pittsburgh's Schenley High School. It was Lower Merion's first state championship since the Kobe Bryant era, and Brooks garnered MVP honors by scoring a game-high 22 points, two of which came on a pair of clutch free throws with a minute left.
Because he signed late with the Owls and never received much recruiting attention from high major programs, Brooks arrived at Temple with little fanfare. However, he quickly established himself as a gritty catalyst who seemed to get better each week.
And while he earned a reputation as a sound defender, Brooks began to find confidence on offense. He averaged 6.0 points in the last 10 games of the season, saving his best effort for the season finale when he scored a career-high 15 points in a loss to St. Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
"I just got in the rhythm early," Brooks said of that game. "Coach relied on me to go in and give him some good minutes. I hit my first shot and felt good from there. I kept playing well."
When Brooks asked Dunphy and his staff what he needed to work on during the summer, they told him they wanted him to become a better ball handler and shooter.
Improved ball-handling skills will allow Brooks to adjust to a new role within the offense as he plays more minutes alongside Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas, the top two returning scorers in the A-10.
"In transition, they would like me to push the break more," Brooks said. "Get the rebound and go. They trust me enough to make good decisions in the open court and just go out there and contribute any way I can."
Brooks is really going to have to be comfortable in his role in transition when Temple opens its season Friday at No. 7 Tennessee, the preseason favorite to win the SEC.
The Volunteers are a veteran, guard-laden squad. Tennessee averaged nearly nine 3-pointers a game last season, and preseason all-American guard Chris Lofton will lead the charge there. He shot 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, draining 106 shots from long range.
This, of course, will make Brooks' role as a perimeter defender extremely important.
"We know who Tennessee is as a program, and we know their personnel," Brooks said. "I think we are going to approach the game the same as any other team, knowing it's going to be a tough game."
Depending on what Dunphy wants to do in terms of having a bigger or smaller lineup, Brooks could wind up starting this season. And if he doesn't, Brooks said he was comfortable coming off the bench again.
"I'll be ready to go," Brooks said.
Brooks builds his reputation on defense
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Every successful basketball team needs a "glue guy," a player who can come in and play solid defense, hustle and shake things up.
Based upon what he did as a freshman, Ryan Brooks looks like he could be that guy who holds things together for Temple.
Brooks, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, came off the bench in each of the 24 games he played for the Owls last season, averaging just over three points and one rebound per game.
His presence was mainly felt on the defense.
"He's a good basketball player," Temple head coach Fran Dunphy said of Brooks. "He's our best perimeter defender right now."
For an Owls team that needs to improve significantly at that end of the floor, Brooks is happy to oblige.
"I think defense is very important," said Brooks, who became Dunphy's first recruit on North Broad Street when he signed a scholarship letter with Temple out of Lower Merion High School last summer. "I've always said since high school that if I could stop the best player on the other team, then our team is going to win."
Brooks experienced plenty of that at Lower Merion, leading the Aces to the 2006 PIAA Class AAAA state championship in an upset win over Pittsburgh's Schenley High School. It was Lower Merion's first state championship since the Kobe Bryant era, and Brooks garnered MVP honors by scoring a game-high 22 points, two of which came on a pair of clutch free throws with a minute left.
Because he signed late with the Owls and never received much recruiting attention from high major programs, Brooks arrived at Temple with little fanfare. However, he quickly established himself as a gritty catalyst who seemed to get better each week.
And while he earned a reputation as a sound defender, Brooks began to find confidence on offense. He averaged 6.0 points in the last 10 games of the season, saving his best effort for the season finale when he scored a career-high 15 points in a loss to St. Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
"I just got in the rhythm early," Brooks said of that game. "Coach relied on me to go in and give him some good minutes. I hit my first shot and felt good from there. I kept playing well."
When Brooks asked Dunphy and his staff what he needed to work on during the summer, they told him they wanted him to become a better ball handler and shooter.
Improved ball-handling skills will allow Brooks to adjust to a new role within the offense as he plays more minutes alongside Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas, the top two returning scorers in the A-10.
"In transition, they would like me to push the break more," Brooks said. "Get the rebound and go. They trust me enough to make good decisions in the open court and just go out there and contribute any way I can."
Brooks is really going to have to be comfortable in his role in transition when Temple opens its season Friday at No. 7 Tennessee, the preseason favorite to win the SEC.
The Volunteers are a veteran, guard-laden squad. Tennessee averaged nearly nine 3-pointers a game last season, and preseason all-American guard Chris Lofton will lead the charge there. He shot 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, draining 106 shots from long range.
This, of course, will make Brooks' role as a perimeter defender extremely important.
"We know who Tennessee is as a program, and we know their personnel," Brooks said. "I think we are going to approach the game the same as any other team, knowing it's going to be a tough game."
Depending on what Dunphy wants to do in terms of having a bigger or smaller lineup, Brooks could wind up starting this season. And if he doesn't, Brooks said he was comfortable coming off the bench again.
"I'll be ready to go," Brooks said.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Owls' defense among best in the MAC
October 25, 2007
Owls' defense among best in the MAC
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff
Talk about it in the Message Boards
A defense can often be measured by how it performs in big spots.
If that's the case, then Temple might be onto something good.
Miami(OH) moved the ball on the Owls last Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field to the tune of 370 yards of total offense, but Temple clamped down in the second half for some crucial stops en route to a 24-17 victory.
The numbers don't lie. Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio's unit is ranked second in the MAC in several categories, including total defense, rushing defense and red-zone defense.
"The defense is playing much better," Owls head coach Al Golden said. "We've got to finish the job a little bit better. Right now they are starting to become tough. It's obvious they have unity. You can see that the off-season program is starting to pay off because we are in good shape. When they get down to the red zone, they get tougher, so that part of it has been good."
The Owls, now 3-5 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference, had two red-zone stops in the fourth quarter, including a fourth-and-2 from the 4-yard line. With Temple ahead 21-7, Miami had marched down the field and was in position to cut the deficit to seven with a fourth-down conversion. But Miami running back Cory Jones took the handoff to the left side and was immediately planted into the ground by defensive end Leyon Azubuike.
"That's a result of our coach.," junior defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. "In practice, he pushes us and pushes us every day to be tough and to finish every play."
One of the key players on the defensive side of the ball last Saturday was defensive end Junior Galette. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound sophomore came up with three sacks and a forced fumbled from Miami's 20-yard line, which led Temple to its first points of the game.
Throughout the game, Miami slid protection away from Galette on several occasions in order to focus on Knighton and fellow defensive tackle Andre Neblett.
"We just knew how big of a game this was," Galette said. "Coach told me that if you can't beat a running back, then you're not going to beat a tackle. I just tried to beat him with speed rush every time."
Golden liked what he saw from Galette.
"I thought there was a good duel there," the head coach said. "[Jones] was tough. There has to be a day where Junior absolutely has a day when that happens. He fought well, but he has to be dominant when that happens in the future."
Miami was able to move the ball well, especially through the air, but the damage was minimal.
Why?
The RedHawks were a paltry 3-for-19 on third down. Temple held Miami to just 56 yards rushing, sacked RedHawks quarterback Dan Raudabaugh four times, and forced two fumbles. Linebacker John Haley intercepted Raudabaugh with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, and safety Dominique Harris picked off Raudabaugh's Hail Mary attempt with four seconds remaining.
OwlScoop.com staff writer Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
Owls' defense among best in the MAC
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff
Talk about it in the Message Boards
A defense can often be measured by how it performs in big spots.
If that's the case, then Temple might be onto something good.
Miami(OH) moved the ball on the Owls last Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field to the tune of 370 yards of total offense, but Temple clamped down in the second half for some crucial stops en route to a 24-17 victory.
The numbers don't lie. Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio's unit is ranked second in the MAC in several categories, including total defense, rushing defense and red-zone defense.
"The defense is playing much better," Owls head coach Al Golden said. "We've got to finish the job a little bit better. Right now they are starting to become tough. It's obvious they have unity. You can see that the off-season program is starting to pay off because we are in good shape. When they get down to the red zone, they get tougher, so that part of it has been good."
The Owls, now 3-5 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference, had two red-zone stops in the fourth quarter, including a fourth-and-2 from the 4-yard line. With Temple ahead 21-7, Miami had marched down the field and was in position to cut the deficit to seven with a fourth-down conversion. But Miami running back Cory Jones took the handoff to the left side and was immediately planted into the ground by defensive end Leyon Azubuike.
"That's a result of our coach.," junior defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. "In practice, he pushes us and pushes us every day to be tough and to finish every play."
One of the key players on the defensive side of the ball last Saturday was defensive end Junior Galette. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound sophomore came up with three sacks and a forced fumbled from Miami's 20-yard line, which led Temple to its first points of the game.
Throughout the game, Miami slid protection away from Galette on several occasions in order to focus on Knighton and fellow defensive tackle Andre Neblett.
"We just knew how big of a game this was," Galette said. "Coach told me that if you can't beat a running back, then you're not going to beat a tackle. I just tried to beat him with speed rush every time."
Golden liked what he saw from Galette.
"I thought there was a good duel there," the head coach said. "[Jones] was tough. There has to be a day where Junior absolutely has a day when that happens. He fought well, but he has to be dominant when that happens in the future."
Miami was able to move the ball well, especially through the air, but the damage was minimal.
Why?
The RedHawks were a paltry 3-for-19 on third down. Temple held Miami to just 56 yards rushing, sacked RedHawks quarterback Dan Raudabaugh four times, and forced two fumbles. Linebacker John Haley intercepted Raudabaugh with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, and safety Dominique Harris picked off Raudabaugh's Hail Mary attempt with four seconds remaining.
OwlScoop.com staff writer Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
Roughed up at St. Joe's
Roughed up at St. Joe’s
Posted on 16 October 2007 by Kenny Walter
Whether it was the physical play of Saint Joseph’s or a litany of questionable calls by the refereeing crew, the men’s soccer team could not muster a victory.
The Hawks defeated the Owls, 1-0, at Finnesey Field Saturday night, spoiling the Owls’ Atlantic Ten Conference opener and dropping them to 4-5-1 overall.
Hawks senior forward Patrick Duddy scored the game’s only goal at the 81:22 mark, when he capitalized on an errant Temple pass, swept by two defenders and slid a goal into the net past the outstretched arms of Temple goalie Tony Pratico.
“It was a square ball - they know they aren’t supposed to pass square balls in the back,” coach David MacWilliams said of the Owls’ defense. “Then we do that and we get punished for it. Huge mistake.”
Duddy made the biggest play in a game marked by its physical play. The teams combined for 41 fouls, 23 of those committed by the Owls. Two yellow cards were given out, but that did not satisfy MacWilliams.
“I think there was a lot that wasn’t called today and it really disrupted the whole tempo of the game for us,” MacWilliams said. “We weren’t able to get the ball in our zone all game and we have to do a better job at that.”
From the start, it was clear the game would be a defensive battle. Neither team made any major scoring threat in the first half. Temple’s first real scoring opportunity came when sophomore midfielder Francois Sagna freed himself for a shot, but the shot soared wide right and well over the goal.
“We knew before the game that the game was going to be physical and coach wanted us to react to the physical play,” Sagna said. “We didn’t really respond and that is why they out-battled us today.”
A few other opportunities arose during the rest of the first half, but the period featured more slide tackles and elbow shots than shots on goal.
The second half was a similar story. With just under 20 minutes left, Duddy scored on a pass through traffic by Hawks forward Colin Baker. The goal was called back because of an offside penalty. Minutes later, Duddy took advantage of careless Temple passing and finally put a score on the board.
Temple’s last scoring chance came with just under five minutes remaining, when a header by Mackenson Altidor fell into Hawks goalie Bryan Benedict’s chest. Temple never had another chance.
“Soccer is a very physical game,” freshman midfielder Kenechukwu Nwanah said. “We have to win our individual battles and get more physical. We lost a lot of our individual battles and that’s why we lost the game.”
“I didn’t like anything we did today,” MacWilliams said. “I am very disappointed.”
The Owls look to rebound against Richmond Friday at Ambler Field.
Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
Posted on 16 October 2007 by Kenny Walter
Whether it was the physical play of Saint Joseph’s or a litany of questionable calls by the refereeing crew, the men’s soccer team could not muster a victory.
The Hawks defeated the Owls, 1-0, at Finnesey Field Saturday night, spoiling the Owls’ Atlantic Ten Conference opener and dropping them to 4-5-1 overall.
Hawks senior forward Patrick Duddy scored the game’s only goal at the 81:22 mark, when he capitalized on an errant Temple pass, swept by two defenders and slid a goal into the net past the outstretched arms of Temple goalie Tony Pratico.
“It was a square ball - they know they aren’t supposed to pass square balls in the back,” coach David MacWilliams said of the Owls’ defense. “Then we do that and we get punished for it. Huge mistake.”
Duddy made the biggest play in a game marked by its physical play. The teams combined for 41 fouls, 23 of those committed by the Owls. Two yellow cards were given out, but that did not satisfy MacWilliams.
“I think there was a lot that wasn’t called today and it really disrupted the whole tempo of the game for us,” MacWilliams said. “We weren’t able to get the ball in our zone all game and we have to do a better job at that.”
From the start, it was clear the game would be a defensive battle. Neither team made any major scoring threat in the first half. Temple’s first real scoring opportunity came when sophomore midfielder Francois Sagna freed himself for a shot, but the shot soared wide right and well over the goal.
“We knew before the game that the game was going to be physical and coach wanted us to react to the physical play,” Sagna said. “We didn’t really respond and that is why they out-battled us today.”
A few other opportunities arose during the rest of the first half, but the period featured more slide tackles and elbow shots than shots on goal.
The second half was a similar story. With just under 20 minutes left, Duddy scored on a pass through traffic by Hawks forward Colin Baker. The goal was called back because of an offside penalty. Minutes later, Duddy took advantage of careless Temple passing and finally put a score on the board.
Temple’s last scoring chance came with just under five minutes remaining, when a header by Mackenson Altidor fell into Hawks goalie Bryan Benedict’s chest. Temple never had another chance.
“Soccer is a very physical game,” freshman midfielder Kenechukwu Nwanah said. “We have to win our individual battles and get more physical. We lost a lot of our individual battles and that’s why we lost the game.”
“I didn’t like anything we did today,” MacWilliams said. “I am very disappointed.”
The Owls look to rebound against Richmond Friday at Ambler Field.
Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Tyler turns the tables, stops English
October 9, 2007
Tyler turns the tables, stops English
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Oct. 21, 2006 was a day Temple left tackle Devin Tyler and the rest of the offensive line spent the whole offseason trying to forget.
Playing at Northern Illinois, the Owls watched as Huskies defensive end Larry English terrorized Tyler and Temple to the tune of a career-high 4.5 sacks. Northern Illinois' defense held Temple to minus-6 rushing yards en route to a 43-21 victory.
Saturday, Tyler was able to flip the script and get the better of English. This time, English was held to just four tackles and no sacks. The job Tyler and backup left tackle Jabari Ferguson did on English was one of the reasons Temple was able to edge out a 16-15 win on Homecoming weekend at Lincoln Financial Field.
"I have to tell you that Devin Tyler really got beat up bad in this game a year ago," Temple head coach Al Golden admitted after Saturday's win. "And to have the courage to face your demons the way he did today … maybe, and I say maybe, because he's go to do it every day, maybe this will be the kind of the impetus to propel him in his career, because he really battled 51 (English) real well today. I thought this was the first time Devin really responded and looked it in the eye and stared it down and didn't look for any trap doors or any excuses."
Tyler said this was a game he was thinking about as soon as the schedule was released.
"I remember playing him last year and he did a good job," Tyler said. "We just had to focus more and trust our techniques our coaches are teaching us."
Ferguson kept things simple when it came to explaining his technique in dealing with English.
"We kept hitting him and hitting him and hitting him," Ferguson said. "We just tried to slow him down."
English came into the game with seven sacks, good for second in the MAC. He had 12 last season.
Saturday's game was an encouraging one for both Tyler and Ferguson, as both have had their fair share of struggles this season. Golden has been waiting for one of them to step up and claim the starting job, and Tyler may be on the verge of doing so. Although they still split time, Tyler received the majority of Saturday's snaps.
In addition to Tyler and Ferguson at left tackle, the entire offensive line clamped, especially in the second half. The Owls amassed 114 rushing yards in the second half after netting just 36 in the first half. Daryl Robinson led the balanced attack with 71 rushing yards, all of which came in the second half.
OwlScoop.com staff writer Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
Tyler turns the tables, stops English
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Oct. 21, 2006 was a day Temple left tackle Devin Tyler and the rest of the offensive line spent the whole offseason trying to forget.
Playing at Northern Illinois, the Owls watched as Huskies defensive end Larry English terrorized Tyler and Temple to the tune of a career-high 4.5 sacks. Northern Illinois' defense held Temple to minus-6 rushing yards en route to a 43-21 victory.
Saturday, Tyler was able to flip the script and get the better of English. This time, English was held to just four tackles and no sacks. The job Tyler and backup left tackle Jabari Ferguson did on English was one of the reasons Temple was able to edge out a 16-15 win on Homecoming weekend at Lincoln Financial Field.
"I have to tell you that Devin Tyler really got beat up bad in this game a year ago," Temple head coach Al Golden admitted after Saturday's win. "And to have the courage to face your demons the way he did today … maybe, and I say maybe, because he's go to do it every day, maybe this will be the kind of the impetus to propel him in his career, because he really battled 51 (English) real well today. I thought this was the first time Devin really responded and looked it in the eye and stared it down and didn't look for any trap doors or any excuses."
Tyler said this was a game he was thinking about as soon as the schedule was released.
"I remember playing him last year and he did a good job," Tyler said. "We just had to focus more and trust our techniques our coaches are teaching us."
Ferguson kept things simple when it came to explaining his technique in dealing with English.
"We kept hitting him and hitting him and hitting him," Ferguson said. "We just tried to slow him down."
English came into the game with seven sacks, good for second in the MAC. He had 12 last season.
Saturday's game was an encouraging one for both Tyler and Ferguson, as both have had their fair share of struggles this season. Golden has been waiting for one of them to step up and claim the starting job, and Tyler may be on the verge of doing so. Although they still split time, Tyler received the majority of Saturday's snaps.
In addition to Tyler and Ferguson at left tackle, the entire offensive line clamped, especially in the second half. The Owls amassed 114 rushing yards in the second half after netting just 36 in the first half. Daryl Robinson led the balanced attack with 71 rushing yards, all of which came in the second half.
OwlScoop.com staff writer Kenny Walter can be reached at kenneth.walter@temple.edu.
O-line woes continue
September 9, 2007
O-line woes continue
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Temple's offensive line looked like it had made some progress in last week's season opener against Navy.
But Saturday's 42-7 loss to Buffalo showed the unit still has plenty of work to do.
The Bulls' defense was in the Owls' backfield all game, holding Temple to minus-36 yards rushing and collecting five sacks in the rout. Owls quarterback Adam DiMichele felt pressure bearing down on him all game and suffered through an afternoon that saw him go 13 for 23 for 160 yards and two interceptions.
"We've got to get some continuity in our offensive line," Temple head coach Al Golden said in his postgame press conference. "Honestly, we've got to settle on an offensive line that's going to be around here for a while. We've got to start training some guys who are going to be around and do it the right way and are tough. I don't know who that is, but I'm going to evaluate that (Saturday night)."
Perhaps the lone bright spot of the afternoon was a 10-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jason Harper that saw him break a tackle after cutting back to create some running room. The second quarter score brought Temple to within two touchdowns at 21-7.
The Owls had an opportunity to cut into that deficit right before the half, but the offensive line woes doomed Temple again. DiMichele completed four straight passes, the last of which was a 27-yard strike to freshman wide receiver Marquise Liverpool, to bring the Owls from their own 14-yard line to the Buffalo 23. But after an incompletion on first down, the pocket closed in on DiMichele again, forcing him to scramble and toss an errant pass to the sideline. The play resulted in a 17-yard intentional grounding penalty and pushed the Owls out of field goal range after they failed to convert on a difficult third-and-27 from the Bulls' 40-yard line.
The second half was not much better. Buffalo added three more sacks to its total, and Temple's line was flagged for two holding penalties early in the fourth quarter.
The frequent blitzes and stunts got the better of the Owls all afternoon. Buffalo was bringing pressure from the edges, forcing DiMichele to either take the hit or scramble.
He did a lot of both on Saturday.
"They did nothing today that we didn't see on film," junior center Alex Derenthal said. "They just worked harder then we did."
Buffalo's edge rushers prevented Temple from establishing any offensive flow, forcing the Owls to use some two tight end sets on an afternoon when they were already without Matt Balasavage. Golden said the freshman tight end, who caught his first career touchdown last week against Navy, wasn't able to make the trip to the game but didn't elaborate on any injury.
Buffalo outside linebacker Larry Hutchinson was someone the Owls simply could not stop. He collected eight tackles and three sacks and forced two fumbles. Defensive end Trevor Scott added two sacks and six tackles of his own.
The minus-54 yards from DiMichele's sack totals made Temple's rushing yardage an ugly statistic in the books, and Harper led four Owls' ball carriers with just 25 yards on six carries.
"We never got any run game going," a visibly disappointed Golden said. "That's the understatement of the year, maybe the decade."
Life my not necessarily get easier for the Owls when they travel next week to East Hartford to play Connecticut. The Huskies haven't exactly had the toughest of schedules so far, rolling to easy wins over Duke and Maine, but they've done what they're supposed to do. In a 45-10 drumming of Duke, UConn allowed just 23 rushing yards, and it held Maine to 64 yards on the ground in a 38-0 rout Saturday.
Golden hasn't been afraid to shake things up and try different combinations on the offensive line. Aside from Derenthal, no one's starting job on the line would be considered safe. Neither Devin Tyler nor Jabari Ferguson has done enough to stake a firm claim at left tackle, and freshman Lloyd Codada is still learning at left guard. Brison Manor and Andre Douglas were listed as Saturday's starters at right guard and right tackle, respectively, but perhaps Dwavon Battle and freshman Derek Dennis could see some time there in the future.
A team as young as Temple is bound to go through some growing pains, but Saturday's rout at the hands of Buffalo was a step backward for the Owls, literally and figuratively.
O-line woes continue
Kenny Walter
OwlScoop.com Staff Writer
Talk about it in the Message Boards
Temple's offensive line looked like it had made some progress in last week's season opener against Navy.
But Saturday's 42-7 loss to Buffalo showed the unit still has plenty of work to do.
The Bulls' defense was in the Owls' backfield all game, holding Temple to minus-36 yards rushing and collecting five sacks in the rout. Owls quarterback Adam DiMichele felt pressure bearing down on him all game and suffered through an afternoon that saw him go 13 for 23 for 160 yards and two interceptions.
"We've got to get some continuity in our offensive line," Temple head coach Al Golden said in his postgame press conference. "Honestly, we've got to settle on an offensive line that's going to be around here for a while. We've got to start training some guys who are going to be around and do it the right way and are tough. I don't know who that is, but I'm going to evaluate that (Saturday night)."
Perhaps the lone bright spot of the afternoon was a 10-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jason Harper that saw him break a tackle after cutting back to create some running room. The second quarter score brought Temple to within two touchdowns at 21-7.
The Owls had an opportunity to cut into that deficit right before the half, but the offensive line woes doomed Temple again. DiMichele completed four straight passes, the last of which was a 27-yard strike to freshman wide receiver Marquise Liverpool, to bring the Owls from their own 14-yard line to the Buffalo 23. But after an incompletion on first down, the pocket closed in on DiMichele again, forcing him to scramble and toss an errant pass to the sideline. The play resulted in a 17-yard intentional grounding penalty and pushed the Owls out of field goal range after they failed to convert on a difficult third-and-27 from the Bulls' 40-yard line.
The second half was not much better. Buffalo added three more sacks to its total, and Temple's line was flagged for two holding penalties early in the fourth quarter.
The frequent blitzes and stunts got the better of the Owls all afternoon. Buffalo was bringing pressure from the edges, forcing DiMichele to either take the hit or scramble.
He did a lot of both on Saturday.
"They did nothing today that we didn't see on film," junior center Alex Derenthal said. "They just worked harder then we did."
Buffalo's edge rushers prevented Temple from establishing any offensive flow, forcing the Owls to use some two tight end sets on an afternoon when they were already without Matt Balasavage. Golden said the freshman tight end, who caught his first career touchdown last week against Navy, wasn't able to make the trip to the game but didn't elaborate on any injury.
Buffalo outside linebacker Larry Hutchinson was someone the Owls simply could not stop. He collected eight tackles and three sacks and forced two fumbles. Defensive end Trevor Scott added two sacks and six tackles of his own.
The minus-54 yards from DiMichele's sack totals made Temple's rushing yardage an ugly statistic in the books, and Harper led four Owls' ball carriers with just 25 yards on six carries.
"We never got any run game going," a visibly disappointed Golden said. "That's the understatement of the year, maybe the decade."
Life my not necessarily get easier for the Owls when they travel next week to East Hartford to play Connecticut. The Huskies haven't exactly had the toughest of schedules so far, rolling to easy wins over Duke and Maine, but they've done what they're supposed to do. In a 45-10 drumming of Duke, UConn allowed just 23 rushing yards, and it held Maine to 64 yards on the ground in a 38-0 rout Saturday.
Golden hasn't been afraid to shake things up and try different combinations on the offensive line. Aside from Derenthal, no one's starting job on the line would be considered safe. Neither Devin Tyler nor Jabari Ferguson has done enough to stake a firm claim at left tackle, and freshman Lloyd Codada is still learning at left guard. Brison Manor and Andre Douglas were listed as Saturday's starters at right guard and right tackle, respectively, but perhaps Dwavon Battle and freshman Derek Dennis could see some time there in the future.
A team as young as Temple is bound to go through some growing pains, but Saturday's rout at the hands of Buffalo was a step backward for the Owls, literally and figuratively.
Recruiting Spotlight: Ryan Murray
August 28, 2007
Recruiting spotlight: Ryan Murray
Temple football coach Al Golden literally made a big splash on the recruiting scene when he landed a verbal commitment from 6-foot-6, 333-pound offensive tackle Ryan Murray, a local product from Philadelphia's Edward Bok Technical School.But for as imposing as Murray is on the football field, he wants to make just as much of an impact in the classroom.
In other words, he gives equal weight to both parts of his role as a student-athlete.
"I know I've got to stay on top of things," Murray said. "I'm a student before I'm a football player, and that's really important to me."
When Murray visited Temple, the university's academics impressed him, and so did the people involved with a football program that is perceived to be on the rise.
"Temple has a lot to offer me," Murray said. "I really liked the facilities, the coaching staff, and the future that awaits me here. Being close to my family and being able to have them at all of my games was a big factor for me."
Per NCAA rules, Murray cannot sign an official national letter of intent until February. He said he received recruiting interest from Maryland and Pittsburgh, but he chose to conclude his recruitment early and stay close to home.
Murray said he's become a solid trap blocker, but he knows he has one more season of high school football to refine his game before he gets to North Broad Street.
"I'm going to take this season to work on my speed," Murray said. "The next level is a much faster game at a faster pace."
Murray, who said he is leaning toward majoring in engineering or business, should be prepared for the rigors of athletic and academic life in college, at least when it comes to getting up early to start his day. In order to get from his home in Northeast Philadelphia to Bok's campus in South Philadelphia, he has to take four SEPTA buses to make it to school on time.
"I think waking up early and taking the bus to school gives me an advantage for the early morning routines of a college athlete," Murray said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)