We caught up with Owlscoop.com publisher John DiCarlo and asked him some questions about the upcoming game.
1) What has Coach Matt Rhule done to make a quick turnaround for the Temple program to be on the brink of bowl eligibility?
JD- Honestly, as cliché and coachspeak-ish as it sounds, Rhule and his staff have simply stuck with the process. Players who were freshmen last year are a year older and better. And Temple has recruited well and it's starting to pay off.
Last season, when the Owls lost heartbreaking games against teams like Rutgers and UCF, fans wanted defensive coordinator Phil Snow's head on a platter and wanted him to change his scheme. But it's the same scheme this year and players like junior defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, junior defensive end Praise Martin-Oguike and junior cornerback Tavon Young have really started to turn the corner.
And along the recruiting front, Rhule beat out programs like Penn State, Pitt and Rutgers to get players like freshman cornerbacks Sean Chandler and Anthony Davis. Chandler has started seven of the Owls' eight games and got a sack on a corner blitz and forced a fumble that led to a Martin-Oguike fumble return touchdown up at UConn, and Davis has played in every game this season and recorded seven tackles and a pair of pass break-ups as a regular contributor in the team's nickel and dime packages.
2) You see a lot of times teams lose right after a big win, do you see a letdown against Memphis after Temple's huge win over ECU?
JD- It's hard to say, but I don't think so. Rhule has been talking all week about how good Memphis is, and I think the players only need to turn on the tape to see that. They know how good Brandon Hayes is and they know this is the top scoring and rushing offense in the American. And the players who were around last season know it was a big deal to go on the road and beat the Tigers and an emerging defense on the road.
If Temple loses this game, it will be because it got beat by a better team and not because of a letdown.
3) Temple has some injuries on both sides of the line, will that be a factor for the game?
JD- It definitely will.
If right guard Brendan McGowan can't play, Rhule and offensive line coach Chris Wiesehan will have to start Brian Carter, who started along the defensive line just two weeks ago, at right guard. The job Wiesehan has done with a patchwork offensive line this season has been a remarkable one.
And if outside linebacker Sharif Finch (knee) can't play, Temple loses one of its best edge rushers and playmakers. He has two defensive touchdowns this season.
4) Who are 2 players on both sides of the ball that Memphis must worry about and why?
JD- On defense, it would be Martin-Oguike. He's fifth in the conference with 4.5 sacks and has really started to become a disruptive force for Snow's group. If he's not getting sacks, he's at least hitting the quarterback, and that will of course be important for Temple if it can get to Paxton Lynch early and give him something to think about in the pocket.
On offense, it's wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, who's eligible now after the NCAA granted him a hardship waiver following his transfer from Hawaii. He already scored a touchdown this season in just his second game (at Houston), and he could be the deep threat that P.J. Walker has sorely missed this season. If he can get behind the secondary for a big play, it will be a huge shot of confidence for him - and most importantly for Walker, who's had an inconsistent sophomore season after he played well last season and extremely well at Memphis in the season finale.
5) How do you see the game playing out, any predictions?
JD- Temple still has to prove it can avoid being an up-and-down group. Yes, the Owls just beat East Carolina, but this is a very good Memphis team they're playing on a short week.
Although Temple's defense is drastically improved from a year ago, it's still a middle-of-the-pack group in terms of defending the run (sixth in the league), and it's now facing the league's top rushing offense and it's not even close.
Now, if the Owls can force an early turnover or two, which they did last week to beat East Carolina and have done on other occasions this season, they'll have every opportunity to win and get bowl eligible. You're looking at two teams in Temple and Memphis that are second and third, respectively, in the American in turnover margin, so that will be what decides the game Friday night.
But again, until Temple can prove itself to be a bit more consistent, I'm taking Memphis, 23-20.
1) What has Coach Matt Rhule done to make a quick turnaround for the Temple program to be on the brink of bowl eligibility?
JD- Honestly, as cliché and coachspeak-ish as it sounds, Rhule and his staff have simply stuck with the process. Players who were freshmen last year are a year older and better. And Temple has recruited well and it's starting to pay off.
Last season, when the Owls lost heartbreaking games against teams like Rutgers and UCF, fans wanted defensive coordinator Phil Snow's head on a platter and wanted him to change his scheme. But it's the same scheme this year and players like junior defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, junior defensive end Praise Martin-Oguike and junior cornerback Tavon Young have really started to turn the corner.
And along the recruiting front, Rhule beat out programs like Penn State, Pitt and Rutgers to get players like freshman cornerbacks Sean Chandler and Anthony Davis. Chandler has started seven of the Owls' eight games and got a sack on a corner blitz and forced a fumble that led to a Martin-Oguike fumble return touchdown up at UConn, and Davis has played in every game this season and recorded seven tackles and a pair of pass break-ups as a regular contributor in the team's nickel and dime packages.
2) You see a lot of times teams lose right after a big win, do you see a letdown against Memphis after Temple's huge win over ECU?
JD- It's hard to say, but I don't think so. Rhule has been talking all week about how good Memphis is, and I think the players only need to turn on the tape to see that. They know how good Brandon Hayes is and they know this is the top scoring and rushing offense in the American. And the players who were around last season know it was a big deal to go on the road and beat the Tigers and an emerging defense on the road.
If Temple loses this game, it will be because it got beat by a better team and not because of a letdown.
3) Temple has some injuries on both sides of the line, will that be a factor for the game?
JD- It definitely will.
If right guard Brendan McGowan can't play, Rhule and offensive line coach Chris Wiesehan will have to start Brian Carter, who started along the defensive line just two weeks ago, at right guard. The job Wiesehan has done with a patchwork offensive line this season has been a remarkable one.
And if outside linebacker Sharif Finch (knee) can't play, Temple loses one of its best edge rushers and playmakers. He has two defensive touchdowns this season.
4) Who are 2 players on both sides of the ball that Memphis must worry about and why?
JD- On defense, it would be Martin-Oguike. He's fifth in the conference with 4.5 sacks and has really started to become a disruptive force for Snow's group. If he's not getting sacks, he's at least hitting the quarterback, and that will of course be important for Temple if it can get to Paxton Lynch early and give him something to think about in the pocket.
On offense, it's wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, who's eligible now after the NCAA granted him a hardship waiver following his transfer from Hawaii. He already scored a touchdown this season in just his second game (at Houston), and he could be the deep threat that P.J. Walker has sorely missed this season. If he can get behind the secondary for a big play, it will be a huge shot of confidence for him - and most importantly for Walker, who's had an inconsistent sophomore season after he played well last season and extremely well at Memphis in the season finale.
5) How do you see the game playing out, any predictions?
JD- Temple still has to prove it can avoid being an up-and-down group. Yes, the Owls just beat East Carolina, but this is a very good Memphis team they're playing on a short week.
Although Temple's defense is drastically improved from a year ago, it's still a middle-of-the-pack group in terms of defending the run (sixth in the league), and it's now facing the league's top rushing offense and it's not even close.
Now, if the Owls can force an early turnover or two, which they did last week to beat East Carolina and have done on other occasions this season, they'll have every opportunity to win and get bowl eligible. You're looking at two teams in Temple and Memphis that are second and third, respectively, in the American in turnover margin, so that will be what decides the game Friday night.
But again, until Temple can prove itself to be a bit more consistent, I'm taking Memphis, 23-20.
