Category Archives: Football

Guest policy change allows for recruits

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Temple has amended its guest policy to allow for athletic recruits to stay overnight when on campus for an official visit, among other changes.

The guest policy change, announced Jan. 14, was the second time the policy had been amended this scholastic year.

The university’s guest policy was changed at the beginning of the fall semester to prohibit non-student minors from staying overnight at residence halls, among other tweaks.  The changes were spurred by a recommendation during the summer from Temple’s Task Force on Institutional Integrity, which was created to analyze Judge Louis Freeh’s report on Penn State’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal and how the university could better itself from the findings.

In the fall, Temple policies and procedures prevented student-athlete recruits from staying overnight on when on campus for official visits. The Temple News reported in the fall that the policy had caused recruits to stay overnight in area hotels. 

The new guest policy states that Temple athletic teams must email or fax consent forms to a prospective recruit’s parent or guardian which must be filled out before hosting the recruit for an overnight visit.

The change to the guest policy was first recommended in the fall because the university had no policy regarding non-matriculated minors staying overnight. The task force recommended the university review its overnight guest policy, and University Housing responded with an immediate moratorium on overnight visits by non-Temple minors.

-Joey Cranney

Bradshaw talks Big East meeting, remains optimistic for future

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Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw shed some light on the meeting of Big East Conference presidents and athletic directors from Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, San Diego State, USF, SMU, Temple and Tulane that took place in Dallas on Jan. 11.

Bradshaw said the issue of schools leaving, future expansion plans and the upcoming media rights deal were the main topics of the meeting, which he said had a larger variety of subjects.

Bradshaw said he expects the media rights deal to be a hybrid negotiation combining basketball and football media rights, which he said should be announced within the next month.

In discussing the importance of aligning itself with like institutions in the Big East, Bradshaw remained optimistic about Temple’s future.

“It’s about where we were versus where we are now,” Bradshaw said.

On where Temple stands:
“There’s no question that where we were, in terms of having sports in two different conferences, and where we are now is a much better place in every respect. The level of competition that we’re playing in a league with like institutions, with similar enrollments and commitment to athletics, missions of the university, all of those things in the league we’re in now are similar. It’s definitely a step up in revenue from where we’ve been, in competition, in access to bowls, all in an upward way.”

Why 2013 football will be positive:
“We were traveling to Ypsilanti, Mich., Athens, Ohio and DeKalb, Ill., and now we’re playing in Orlando, St. Petersburg, Houston, Dallas, Cincinnati, Connecticut. Clearly in football, the schedule that we have is a much better one. The access to bowls is clearly a more favorable postseason. And our access in the BCS has improved dramatically. Before Louisville and Rutgers left, the league was the sixth best Division I conference, and it still is sixth, even with Boise out and San Diego State out.”

On schools leaving:
“Louisville is coming to the Linc instead of Boise. The attendance for Louisville will be better than the attendance for Boise. There will be more people that come to see a guy that might be favored to win the Heisman award, their quarterback, who had a spectacular game in the Orange Bowl.”

If schools leaving are a concern for Temple:
“It’s about where we were versus where we are now. We shouldn’t make it any more complicated than that. It’s not more complicated. Where were we, in the league that we were in. What was our access to the BCS? What was our access to bowls? Two years ago we won eight games and didn’t go to a bowl because the league we were in didn’t have as many bowl opportunities. All knowledgable fans would say that, this isn’t just me the athletic director of Temple saying it.

We’re clearly in a better place if you look at any standard. You can’t judge by a standard that was two years ago or five years ago, we weren’t in the Big East then. The people who have had dramatic losses are Villanova, those people. They lost a tremendous amount of schools that they were playing regularly for years in basketball. Any measure that you want to mention, where we were versus where we are now is a much better place. Clearly. In every respect.”

On Catholic 7 leaving Big East basketball:
“They should’ve left. They should have probably left a while ago. I always thought the Big East was built on a fault, a fault that was going to have an earthquake sometime. Those schools should’ve gotten out much sooner. There’s really only one school in there that we’ll miss playing, and that’s Georgetown. I’m not sure Depaul, Providence, St. John’s or Seton Hall would bring anymore people than Xavier or Dayton did in our league. That’s really not a significant loss for us. The league has much more common denominators for the institutions now.”

On whether Big East basketball profile has suffered:
“It suffers for them more. If you’re Villanova you lost in the last seven years, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Cincinnati…it would have been Temple, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia. We never played in that league. We didn’t lose anything. We were playing in a league with St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, Fordham, Rhode Island, Charlotte. That’s the league we were in. The league we’re going in is much better in basketball.”

On Jan. 11 meeting:
“It was a very encouraging meeting. Very terrific commitment of the schools to be better. We’re in the middle of media rights negotiations right now, and that’s all going very well. We’ll be signing some kind of multi-year agreement for media rights. It might be a combination of bids that people have made for the rights for basketball and football. I think it will put us in position for revenue that we haven’t been before.

The way it’ll end up, I believe it will be a hybrid kind of result. There’s going to be a challenge of when schools are coming in, and those kinds of issues have yet to be determined. There will be some revenues attached to who are actually in the conference. I would say in the next 3-4 weeks we’ll have something, it might be even sooner than that.

When ADs and presidents get together, there’s a wide range of issues that are talked about. But obviously the ones that are in front of us are media rights, potential expansion, discussions about what the league is going to look like when schools are leaving and schools are coming in.”

On Catholic 7 getting its own TV deal:
“The nature of money is in football. In most leagues 70 percent of media rights go to football and 30 percent goes to basketball, and those are leagues that have very good basketball. If you look at a league that has the kinds of schools that we have, if you look at the RPIs, there are more Atlantic 10 teams in the Top 50 than there are of the Catholic 7. If you look at Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple, they’re rated higher than most of the [Catholic 7] basketball schools. It’s going to be a very good basketball league.”

On remaining optimistic:
“We’ve been resilient. You have to look at it objectively, not emotionally or subjectively. You can take opinion and line it up against the facts. The facts say that where we are in football and basketball is a very good place, better than we’ve been. Do you anybody who would disagree with that? That’s important to know. We’re in a place with schools with facilities, with a history of major bowl participation, with attendance at football and basketball that’s at a better place than it’s ever been. We’ve never had all of our sports under one roof competing like we have now.

It’s about more than optimism. It’s about more than whistling about all of the movement that’s taking place. We’ve been resilient. We were very good in basketball in the Atlantic 10 for 30 years, a league that maybe a lot of people thought was beneath us. We were resilient to the changes that took place in those places, when Virginia Tech left, when Rutgers left. Pittsburgh was in the Atlantic 10. Villanova was in the Atlantic 10. There’s a lot of schools in the Atlantic 10 who left. Temple’s been resilient because of who we are and our commitment to non-conference games, to the kind of facilities we have, to the kind of coaches we bring in. It’s more than optimism, it’s based on our history.

Now we’re stepping up, taking all of our sports programs and stepping up. That’s just a fact, that’s not based on any kind of optimism or trying to spin something in a certain way. We’re clearly entering into an exciting era with like institutions that have similar commitments to athletics. If you look at the Atlantic 10 there’s a wide range of commitments, financially and in budgets. The Mid-American Conference was the same thing. I believe we’ll always be attractive. We’ll always be a player at the table for football and basketball.”

On the importance of aligning with like institutions:
“When we were in the Atlantic 10, our commitment to athletics was on the high end. When we were in the Mid-American Conference, our commitment was on the high end. Our market, our commitment, our facilities, our budget was at the top. Same thing in the Atlantic 10.

Now we’re going into a conference with schools whose commitments are similar to ours. We’re going to be playing in a league with those facilities commitments, commitments to coaches, playing big time non-conference schedules. We’re going to be playing in more nationally televised games than we ever have before, and that’s all positive. You can measure those things.”

-Joey Cranney

Hooter the Owl featured on ESPN commercial

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They say any exposure is good exposure, but Temple’s mascot makes a fool of him(her?)self in the most recent “This is SportsCenter” commercial.

Our beloved Hooter is seen walking into a clear glass window while three SportsCenter personalities discuss facilities management in a conference room. “Seriously, we’ve got to get this glass frosted,” quips Stuart Scott after the Boston College Eagle mascot follows suit.

It’s been said that the commercial was produced prior to former football coach Steve Addazio’s departure for Boston College. If that’s true, then the commercial is an uncanny example of foreshadowing of Temple’s lack of foresight into Addazio’s impending departure.

You can watch the video here.

-Joey Cranney

Addazio accepts position at Boston College

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Steve Addazio has accepted the head coaching position at Boston College, a Temple source confirmed.

Addazio went 13-11 in two seasons at Temple. He went 9-4 in his first season in 2011, including the program’s first bowl win since 1979 in a 37-15 victory at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.

“Steve Addazio has done a tremendous job with Temple Football in his two years at the University, and we wish him nothing but the best,” Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw said in a press release. “Temple Football has never been stronger, and I am confident we will be able to attract a high-level pool of candidates for the position and the program will continue its upward momentum.”

Addazio will fill the hole at Boston College left by former coach Frank Spaziani, who was fired after the Eagles’ 2-10 finish this year, his fourth season with the team. Spaziani went 21-29 at Boston College.

Addazio informed the team of his departure personally at a team meeting at approximately 5 p.m. Players were seen walking from the meeting on their phones or huddled in groups talking.

Freshmen linebackers Tyler Matakevich and Rob Dvoracek Tweeted “wow” at 5:18 p.m. and 5:35 p.m., respectively. Junior defensive back Abdul Smith Tweeted “At the end of the day these coaches only look out 4 themselves. They sell you on a lie that only benefits them.”

Redshirt-junior quarterback Chris Coyer Tweeted “Well. Here we go again. 3 coaches in 5 years. Whatever just grinding that much harder to get where we wanna go next year”

A national search for Addazio’s replacement will begin immediately, the press release indicated.

Bradshaw talks conference re-alignment

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Temple Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw confirmed the notion that money is what’s driving the recent surge of conference re-alignment in an interview with Harry Donahue of 1210 AM WPHT during halftime of the men’s basketball game Wednesday night.

Bradshaw, speaking to any Temple fans worried about the school’s future prospects in a fractured Big East Conference, said the revenue the Big East draws negates any problems the conference may have with schools leaving.

“If anyone’s confused and frustrated, just know one thing: It’s the color green,” Bradshaw said. “Think of the color green, and that answers all of your questions.”

The Big East admitted Tulane for all sports and East Carolina for football, effective the 2014-15 season, on Tuesday. The moves have come the same week as announcements made by Rutgers and Louisville indicating their intent to leave the Big East before the 2014 season.

While Bradshaw said the recent shifting of teams has been frustrating, he maintains Temple is in a good place in the Big East.

“As soon as you get comfortable, it seems like something pops up,” Bradshaw said. “And as soon as someone makes a statement saying they’re never going to leave the league, look out, something’s coming. We don’t know when it’s going to end, what’s more important is how we react to it.”

Bradshaw said Temple should still feel optimistic about the Big East due to the conference’s access to BCS bowls, the prestige and exposure of Big East basketball and the media rights deal being negotiated for Big East football and basketball.

“I think it’s going to be very lucrative, particularly with the markets being brought into the Big East, such as San Diego, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Orlando, and certainly Philadelphia,” Bradshaw said. “All those markets are going to mean more eyeballs, more exposure and hopefully more revenue.”

Though Bradshaw remained hopeful for Temple, he couldn’t say the same about the state of conference alignment in college football.

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, there’s another big shark sighting out there,” Bradshaw said. “The question is: What does it all mean? It’s going to be very important as we move ahead.”

Addazio opens up at season’s end

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Steve Addazio was in rare form in his last weekly press conference of the year at Edberg Olson Hall Tuesday afternoon.

A candid Addazio said he isn’t surprised by his team’s 4-7 finish, and that he expected to win four to six games. He spoke of the team’s youth and lack of depth as ongoing issues that the Owls couldn’t overcome during the strain of the Big East Conference season.

“Basically through the year, there was a theme where we’d have those moments where we’d come unglued a little bit and we didn’t have the ability to overcome that,” Addazio said. “I think what you saw was a young, inexperienced team making a transition this year.”

Though he noted the Big East move as a reason for the team’s struggle, Addazio maintained that it was still the best move for Temple.

“The best thing that happened was that we went right into this league,” Addazio said. “There was going to be an adjustment period. I’d rather have the youth and the adjustment period in one shot. I think we’re better for it.”

Addazio said he feels motivated by the offseason do the team’s losing season, the first he’s experience since he was offensive coordinator at Indiana in 2004.

“I’m disappointed that we’re not playing in a bowl game right now,” Addazio said. “I’m disappointed that we’re not practicing right now. I’m not used to this. But I can’t look you in the eye and say we aren’t where I thought we’d be.”

But his concern with the past season was met with his optimism for next season, which he said will begin with the most competitive offseason program Temple’s ever had, starting Tuesday.

“I don’t want to put forward this thing like Rome’s built in a day and next year we’ll be good to go. It’s a process,” Addazio said. “I just like where we’re headed. We’re going to get better and continue to grow.”

“I’ve had a chance to talk to a lot of guys in our league that I know and they’ve all said the same thing, ‘Boy, you’ve got a good young football team,'” Addazio added. “Your kids play really hard.’ It’s a resounding theme, it’s not bs. Our kids do play hard. They do compete.”

Addazio gave a nine-minute opening statement before fielding questions about what went wrong this season, his team’s offseason preparation and his take on conference re-alignment.

When asked about the recent addition of Tulane into the conference, Addazio wouldn’t comment on the matter, because it was the first he had heard of it.

Football to compete in Big East West in 2013

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The football team and other new additions to the Big East Conference will compete in the newly established West Division of the conference next season, Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco announced Tuesday.

The 12 teams set to compete in the Big East next season will be split into two, six-team divisions, where the winner of the divisions will meet in the Big East Championship game. Temple will be in the West Division along with other conference newcomers: Boise State, Houston, Memphis, San Diego State and Southern Methodist University.

“I’m not involved with all these meetings here, but for the beginning part of this thing, we will be on the Western side,” coach Steve Addazio said in a press release. “I’m excited to do that. I think that’ll be good. We’ll still have some of our regional games in here, and I think it’s a great new beginning and I’m excited for it.”

Each Big East team will play eight conference games per season, five within its division. That means Temple will have to head out west for at least two games against Western opponents next season. Home/away breakdowns will be announced after the Big East athletic directors meeting on Dec. 3.

Addazio said playing in western markets opens up new doors for recruiting.

“It’s exciting. You’re talking about some great trips and some great programs,” Addazio said. “You’re playing nationally. It’s a national perspective, and I think the kids will enjoy that. When I was at Notre Dame, we played a national schedule. I know that’s a bit of a difference scenario, but it was a cool deal – going to places you’ve never been. It can be very, very exciting. The future is really exciting. I’m thrilled that we’re a part of I,t and I’m looking forward to bringing this young team into that whole new beginning. I think it’s going to be nothing but growth.”

The conference alignment is likely to be revisited after the 2014 season when Navy will be added to the Big East, among other schools, the press release indicated.

Keys to the game

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Five keys to the Temple-Pittsburgh game are Matt Brown’s struggles, the dichotomy of the team’s offenses, Chris Coyer’s play, the play of the defense and the battle for supremacy in the Big East.

Kick-off is set for noon, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Visit The Temple News at www.temple-news.com for a full in-depth summary of the keys to the game.

-Ibrahim Jacobs

McManus earns second Big East Specialist honors

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Senior placekicker Brandon McManus was named Big East Specialist of the Week for his performance in Temple’s 24-13 loss to Penn State this weekend.

McManus kicked field goals of 33 and 42 yards against the Nittany Lions and punted six times for an average of 48.5 yards. He is Temple’s all-time leader in field goals and punt average.

McManus was also named Big East Specialist of the Week on Sept. 3 for his performance in the season opener against Villanova.

McManus is one of eight specialists in the country who handles all kicking duties for his team.

Training Camp Day 6: Filling in the holes

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Coach Steve Addazio and defensive players, junior linebacker Blaze Caponegro, senior defensive back Justin Gildea and junior defensive back Zamel Johnson, spoke about the team’s ongoing concerns with depth at football training camp day 6, the first day of two-a-day practices.

When asked about his biggest concern with his team, Addazio didn’t hesitate to talk about the importance of keeping the offensive line healthy, which returns one starter in senior right tackle Martin Wallace.

“A couple of guys get dinged up, a couple of starters are out, and all of a sudden you’re like, ‘Oh man,'” Addazio said. “Depth up front is a huge concern with me.”

Addazio said junior left guard Jeff Whittingham and sophomore right guard Jaimen Newman, both projected starters, are out with minor injuries, adding more injury into the mix with an offensive line that struggled to stay healthy throughout last season.

“Nothing serious, but just enough to throw you some curveballs,” Addazio said. “But that’s camp. That’s going to happen. It’s nothing serious, that’s good, but it takes your execution out.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the concern isn’t so much with injury as it is with replacing six starters from last year who are no longer with the team.

Caponegro is the lone returning starter to the linebacking corps that loses the team’s leading tackler, Stephen Johnson, and defensive captain Tahir Whitehead, who was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

“I don’t think there’s enough you can say about [Whitehead],” Caponegro said. “He was a leader on and off the field. He always had energy and was giving it to everybody else.”

Caponegro said he and fellow linebackers, redshirt freshman Nate D. Smith, junior Olaniyi Adewole and senior Ahkeem Smith, are “working together as a group to get better everyday.”

“We have a lot of young guys out here proving themselves, which is really key heading into the fall and the Big East with some tough competition,” he said.

The Owls also lose two out of their four starters in the secondary from last season in cornerback Kee-ayre Griffin and free safety Kevin Kroboth, who started a combined 25 games last year.

Johnson, who started nine games at cornerback last year, said that Addazio hasn’t given him the job of outright starter this year, and he likes it that way.

“Your spot is never set in stone, so you’re always battling, you’re always fighting and there’s always competition,” Johnson said. “Your job is just to keep getting better everyday.”

Addazio said that senior defensive back Vaughn Carraway is projected at free safety opposite Gildea, who started every game last year alongside Kroboth.

“[Carraway] looks really good,” Gildea said. “He fits really well into the position. He’s a tall guy and he’s very rangy so he can get across the field really well. If [Kroboth] wasn’t there, I could see him starting for us for a couple of years.”

“[Carraway] is looking really good out there,” Johnson said. “He’s making all kinds of plays. I’m definitely looking forward to playing with him.”

Sophomore Anthony Robey and senior Maurice Jones are also competing for spots in the secondary alongside Johnson at corner. Nate D. Smith and Adewole are projected starters at linebacker per Temple’s depth chart, last updated July 27.