Posts Tagged ‘temple’

We have learned that Temple has tabbed Matt Rhule as its next head coach. Rhule replaces Steve Adazzio who left for a similar position at Boston College.

Rhule returns to Temple after spending one season as the New York Giants' assistant offensive line coach. He spent the previous six years as an Owls assistant, occupying various spots on the staff - defensive line (2006), quarterbacks (2007-10), tight ends (2011). Rhule was elevated to Temple's offensive coordinator in 2008. 

It is believed Rhule will split time between Temple and his duties with the Giants through the end of the team's season. Given that we are entering a recruiting dead period, seems like the right thing to do.

Rhule played linebacker at Penn State from 1994-97 and, apart from this year with the Giants, has spent his entire coaching career in the college ranks. He started his career as the linebackers coach at Albright (Pa.) before working as a graduate assistant at Buffalo and UCLA. Rhule then spent four years on the staff at Western Carolina, coaching special teams, linebackers and the offensive line. 

Though the Owls went just 4-7 in 2012, Rhule returns to a program on the upswing after spending decades in the doldrums of college football. In 2009, he aided the Owls to a 9-4 record, a MAC East title and the program's first bowl game since 1979. Temple then posted an 8-4 mark in 2010 and a 9-4 record in 2011, capped by the second bowl victory in program history.

After coming off a 9-4 finish in 2011, Steve Addazio and his young Temple team have struggled to a 3-6 start this season. Despite the disappointing start, and likely missing the bowl eligibility mark with their loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, Addazio is confident that his guys are on the right path.

"The feedback that I get back from people that we play against is 'You got a really tough football team, and we see a really great team in the making.' And I believe that too, and that's why I have the attitude that I have."

"You probably say 'What's up with this guy?'" Addazio told reporters after the 34-10 loss to Cincinnati. "That's what I really believe, and I'm not a good liar, I'm not a good faker, I'm not a good hider, I'm not a good manipulator. I'm not good at that, but I know what I feel and I'm expressing that to you. And that's the beautiful thing is that you can see that...agree with that...not, it's your decision, but that's what's going on and that's where we are."

"It's exciting, it's frustrating...it's very frustrating, but it's exciting," Addazio said. "How fast can we get this done? We're in a footrace to do it right now, we are absolutely in a footrace. We need a little bit of that taste of victory. We need to get some of that again, because that's important. When you work as hard as we work you need to feel that victory."

Addazio also touched on the promise that his players are showing by continuing to show up and work their tails off everyday, enjoying the entire process, even after tough losses. In the eyes of him and his staff, that's one of the most promising aspects of their team. The losses have them frustrated, but there's plenty of promise being shown, you can hear the conviction in Addazio's voice.

After practice yesterday, Steve Addazio said something that caught our attention and is something that should show plenty of promise for the Temple program moving forward.

The Owls are 3-5 heading into this weekends match up at Cincinnati, and the players and staff haven't had the type of season that they had hoped for. But late in the season head coach Steve Addazio says that his guys are still really enjoying practice, and "can't get enough."

Addazio explains that, even after losing the past three straight games, his guys are still focused and getting after one another in some very spirited practices.

"I've been coaching a long time, and at this time in the season you usually have teams that just don't want to be out there like these kids want to be out there, and that's a very key point."

That's a solid point and a great barometer for any program.

If you can bring in the type of kids that are still enjoying practices late into the season, (especially after getting off to a less than ideal start) you've got to feel really good about the direction of your program...and Addazio definitely does.

With another full slate of games ahead of us tomorrow, here's what we'll be keeping an extra close eye on throughout the day.

LSU at Texas A&M (12 p.m. ET, ESPN): This is an opportunity for a statement game for Texas A&M. Kevin Sumlin and Kliff Kingsbury's explosive offense (tied for sixth nationally in total offense, 7.09 yards per play) faces John Chavis' second-ranked LSU defense. If Texas A&M pulls out the win, it will be because quarterback Johnny Manziel (24 touchdowns through six games) found a way to solve an LSU defense that has surrendered just 13 scores this season. These programs have met 50 times previously, although Saturday will be the first meeting in College Station since 1995. Texas A&M wants to re-kindle this rivalry, but the only way to to do that is with a win. 

Rutgers at Temple (12 p.m. ET, Big East Network): Raise your hand if you knew this was a battle for the top spot in the Big East standings. Steve Addazio has led Temple to a 2-0 start in the Owls' return to the Big East despite ranking last in the league in total offense and total defense. Addazio's team relies heavily on the run (2.1:1 rush-pass ratio), while Rutgers ranks second nationally in rush defense at 60.8 yards per game and 2.25 yards per carry allowed. Both of these teams' success lies in forcing turnovers (Rutgers leads in the nation in turnover margin, Temple is No. 12), so whoever can carve out an advantage in that area will likely win the game.

Iowa State at Oklahoma State (12 p.m. ET, FX): A year removed from winning the Big 12 championship, Mike Gundy's team is still trying to sort out exactly what it is. The Cowboys lead the country in total offense by a wide margin, nearly 34 yards per game over No. 2 Baylor. But their most impressive win to date is over Louisiana - Lafayette, and they come into Saturday off a 20-14 win over 1-5 Kansas in which the Jayhawks outgained OSU 398-371. Paul Rhoads' team will try to make this game close and low-scoring. Iowa State is 19-1 in Rhoads' tenure when holding teams under 24 points, and 3-21 when giving up 24 points or more. Iowa State is also 10-6 under Rhoads in games decided by a touchdown or less.

South Carolina at Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Mark Richt and co. will be rooting hard for the Gators, as a Florida win essentially sets up a winner-take-all matchup for the control of the SEC East at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party next week. Meanwhile, a South Carolina win means Steve Spurrier's team will just have to get by Tennessee and Arkansas to clinch a trip to Atlanta for the second time in three years. The Gamecocks have won two straight in this series while limiting the Gators to just 26 combined points.

BYU at Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC): This game will likely play out like seemingly every Notre Dame game this season - gritty, close and low scoring. Both of these squads rank among the nation's top seven nationally in scoring defense, allowing just over 22 points per game combined. Bronco Mendenhall has an opportunity to put a peacock-sized feather in his team's cap as a win would put the Cougars in a great position to finish 2012 at 9-3 and a top 25 ranking. On the other sideline, all that's on the line for Notre Dame is keeping intact its first 7-0 start since 2002 with a primetime showdown at Oklahoma on the immediate horizon.

Nebraska at Northwestern (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2): Bo Pelini's struggling defense faces perhaps the most diverse attack in the Big Ten. Any hopes either team has of playing for the Big Ten title likely dies with a loss on Saturday. Expect Nebraska and its Big Ten-leading scoring offense to try to outscore Northwestern, while the Wildcats will attempt to exploit the Cornhuskers' penchant for turning over the football (No. 104 nationally in turnover margin. Oh, and there's this: 

The last time Nebraska played Northwestern in Evanston, Al Capone was there for the game ... bit.ly/VjnCjI

— Rittenberg/Bennett (@ESPN_BigTen) October 19, 2012

Kansas State at West Virginia (7 p.m. ET, FOX): Bill Snyder's tough-as-nails bunch travels to face West Virginia in the friendly confines of Milan Puskar Stadium. The last time Dana Holgorsen's team played at home it lit up Baylor for 10 touchdowns. A Kansas State victory puts the Wildcats firmly ahead of the pack in the Big 12, while a loss for West Virginia ends the conference and national title aspirations that seemed so promising just one week ago. West Virginia's highly publicized offense is more productive of the two but Kansas State's is actually more efficienct, churning out 0.65 points per play to WVU's 0.58 points per play.

Florida State at Miami (8 p.m. ET, ABC): Consider this a referendum for two young coaching tenures. Both teams need wins to stay in the hunt for the ACC Championship but, most importantly, both teams need a win over each other. Al Golden is looking for his first victory over FSU, while a loss by the Seminoles means nothing short toppling Florida can make this season a success. Jimbo Fisher's team dominates the ACC statistically, leading the conference in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, scoring defense, pass efficiency, pass efficiency defense and rushing defense. They also place second in the ACC in rushing offense behind Georgia Tech, but possess the conference's best yards per carry average (6.28).

Baylor at Texas (8 p.m. ET, ABC): Texas returns home reeling after consecutive losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma. Mack Brown's teams traditionally play their best football following Oklahoma, going 13-1 immediately after the Red River Rivalry. Baylor carries in a two-game losing streak of its own, surrendering a total of 17 touchdowns in losses to West Virginia and TCU. Baylor leads the nation in passing offense with nearly 400 yards per game faces a Texas defense that has allowed Big 12 quarterbacks to go 65-of-101 for 903 yards with eight touchdowns against two interceptions. The numbers aren't much better for Texas' rush defense as opposing Big 12 offenses have carried 133 times for 810 yards (6.1 ypc) for 10 scores. Solace for Texas comes in the fact that Baylor brings in a defense ranked among the bottom four nationally in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and pass efficiency defense. Expect an old-fashion Big 12 shootout that lasts deep into the night. 

Washington at Arizona (10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Networks): After a 3-0 start Rich Rodriguez is still searching for his first Pac-12 win. Washington is also looking for its first victory since the upset of Stanford on Sept. 27. Scott from our staff will be on hand in Tucson. Follow him on Twitter @FootballScoop for his observations of the game.