Owls set to face new-look Vanderbilt.

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In order to prepare for Vanderbilt’s new coach Derek Mason, a former Stanford defensive coordinator, coach Matt Rhule and his staff inadvertently learned more about Pac-12 than the Commodore’s conference itself.

“I’ve been studying Stanford a lot,” Rhule said. “I probably know more about the Pac-12 than any other conference watching Stanford.”

The Owls will be the first to match up against the new-look 3-4 defense that was so successful underneath the regime of Mason and now NFL head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Much like the 2013 Owls, the Commodores began training camp with an open competition for quarterback, eventually claimed by top 2013 contributor sophomore quarterback Patton Robinette.

Robinette, a dual-threat quarterback, will test the Owls defense, which allowed 473.6 yards per game in 2013.

Players to watch

Temple:

 Offense: P.J. Walker QB

Heading into the year as an incumbent starter, Walker has set the bar for himself higher as a passer. With the third highest passer efficiency rating (150.8) in the American, Walker has already shown the ability to deliver the ball.

Despite only throwing seven interceptions to twenty touchdowns in his six games, Walker appeared careless with the football, with seven fumbles on the year.

Walker will also have the advantage of starting the season against a Commodore’s defensive backfield that is returning none of its starters from last year and set to start three underclassmen at both corner spots as well as strong safety.

 Defense: Sean Chandler CB

                Coming off an impressive camp with numerous interceptions in scrimmage play, slot cornerback Sean Chandler could very well prove to be a playmaker.

                While being the slot corner behind senior Anthony Robey and junior Tavon Young,Chandler should see plenty of playing time facing up against the Commodore’s West Coast style offense.

Vanderbilt

Offense: Patton Robinette QB

                Robinette, who recorded  four touchdowns and five interceptions in limited time, will look to use his big 6-foot-4, 214-pound frame to exploit a relatively inexperienced Temple secondary.

Robinson, who spent his 2013 season mostly as a backup, will need a strong performance in order to retain the starting position he won during camp.

Defense: Caleb Azubike

Azubike, who is coming off a season where he posted 31 total tackles, is expected to flourish in Mason’s 3-4 scheme.

Expected to line up as a 6-foot-4, 260-pound outside linebacker with 4.65 40-yard speed, Azubike’s physical tools mixed with Mason’s unknown scheme for him will make for an interesting matchup against Azubike and offensive tackles Eric Lofton and Dion Dawkins.

O’Donnell newest addition to women’s rowing staff

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Alyssa O’Donnell will be the newest addition to the women’s rowing coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach, it was announced Monday.

O’Donnell arrives to the program with a wealth of experience. This past summer, O’Donnell was the coach of the Vesper Boat Club Junior Women’s summer program on the Schuylkill River.

Prior to that, O’Donnell spent last two seasons as the assistant coach of the Grand Valley State University rowing team, for which she earned much of her success. She helped to coach the varsity and junior varsity teams to bronze medals at the Dad Vail Regatta, while her team later swept the varsity events at the American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championship in May.

In the 2012-2013 season, O’Donnell highlighted her coaching career as she assisted her varsity eight team to a gold-medal performance and in turn winning the Women’s Point Trophy at the Dad Vail Regatta. That summer, O’Donnell had the opportunity in coach her team through to the final of the Women’s Henley Regatta in the England.

In addition to O’Donnell, last year’s coaches, Mariana Folco and Taylor Wasserleben, will also accompany Rebecca Grzybowski on the coaching staff.

Travel-heavy schedule awaits cross country

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After a tumultuous eight-month period highlighted by the men’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams’ inclusion in the July 1 athletic cuts and a summer head coaching change, the men’s and women’s cross country teams are set to unveil its season next week.

The Owls will start their season at the Appalachian State University-hosted Covered Bridge Open in Boone, North Carolina on Aug. 29. The teams’ next meet will be the Big 5 Invitational on familiar grounds in Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau.

The Owls will run in four meets before the American Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by Tulsa University on Oct. 31, followed by the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Penn State on Nov. 14, for any who qualify.

This year’s eight-man men’s team is compiled of five juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen.

The women’s team has more depth, featuring 12 runners including seniors Kiersten Brown, Jenna Dubrow and Andrea Mathis. The women’s team also features five true freshmen.

-Ed LeFurge

Forde hired as Temple track & field coach

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Athletic communications confirmed Wednesday evening that Elvis Forde has been hired as Temple’s head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country programs, as well as the women’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams.

Forde spent the last 12 seasons as the Director of Track and Field for Illinois State University. The school opted not to renew Forde’s contract after the 2013-2014 season.

“We would like to thank Elvis for his dedication to our cross country and track and field teams,” Illinois State Director of Athletics Larry Lyons told WJBC Radio in Illinois. “While we have had some special individual performances during Elvis’ term, overall team results were not where we expect or need them to be.”

Forde will replace former coach Eric Mobley (2008-14), who resigned effective June 30.

“I am very excited to be selected to lead the Temple Track and Field/Cross Country programs,” Forde said, via press release. “I want to thank [athletic director Kevin Clark] along with [senior associate athletic director Joe Guinta]. Temple University is a highly-regarded academic institution and it has the potential to be a tremendous track program.”

“It also is in its second year in the highly competitive American Athletic Conference,” Forde added. “That combination should help attract quality student-athletes that will make for a successful program.”

Mobley’s six-year tenure as head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs was highlighted by his leading the women’s track & field team to its first-ever Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track and Field Championship title. Mobley also won A-10 Coach of the Year that season.

-Ed LeFurge

Early tournaments help lessen travel burden for volleyball

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With the volleyball season roughly a month away, the team will get ready to embark upon a series of weekend tournaments before the conference schedule begins Sep. 24 in Storrs against Conneticut.

Temple will play four tournaments before their American Athletic Conference opener, the first of which is the Syracuse tournament Aug. 30 and 31.  The following weekend, the Owls will host the Temple tournament before playing the Long Island University-Brooklyn and Big 5 tournaments during next two weekends, respectively.

Coach Bakeer Ganes said one thing in particular stands out in regard to his team’s starting the season with four consecutive tournaments.

“Travel,” Ganes, entering his fourth year as Temple volleyball coach in 2014, said. “It’s much easier on the student-athletes.”

With several long trips on the horizon once American Athletic Conference play kicks off, the Owls’ early fixtures in the region allow Ganes’ team a chance to play without the usual dose of wear and tear.  However, the early weekends involve three matches in two days, which can take its toll.

“It would be more ideal to play one match a day,” Ganes said, discussing the schedule’s opening portion.

However, the consistent play early on gives Ganes a chance to get a feel for what he has on the roster and the best way to utilize his players before facing American foes.

“We have four weekends to get ready for conference play,” Ganes said.  “It’s 12 matches, so we want to take advantage of ever match and figure out the best lineup and just take care of the fine-tuning.”

The Owls’ early schedule is similar to that of other schools in The American, though Ganes noted Central Florida hosted two tournaments before conference play started last season.

One may think a volleyball team playing three matches in two weekend days would cause fatigue issues. Ganes downplayed that potential concern, noting a deep roster helps him figure things out early in the season and avoid players becoming fatigued early.

“We try to have a good-sized squad so we can rotate kids through,” Ganes said. “It also allows us to find the best starting six we need when we start conference play.”

Thames finds suitor in Finland club

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Natasha Thames is heading overseas, it was announced Monday.

The recent Temple graduate signed with Finland’s Kotka Peli-Karhut, a team that ranked second in the SM-sarja last year, for the 2014-15 season.

Thames, a forward, averaged 10.3 points-per-game and a team-best 7.2 rebounds-per-game as a redshirt senior during a rough 2013-14 season for the Owls. She also shot 51.5 percent from field-goal range and 69 percent from the free-throw line, averaging 31.5 minutes on the court.

Her career numbers average 6.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 24.3 minutes-per-game, with a 47.7 percent field-goal percentage and a 56.8 percent free-throw percentage.

Thames led the team in blocks last season with 23, and set the Owls’ record for most games played with the team with 134, after starting all 30 games in her final year.

Rowers take to the weight room for summer months

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Rebecca Grzybowski is in Tennessee right now, but she is not on summer vacation.

Entering her third year as Temple women’s rowing coach, Grzybowski is coaching a summer program which features an under-23 light-weight women’s team from Vesper’s boat club on boathouse row at the U.S Rowing Club Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

But she is not the only one rowing out of boathouse row this summer, as Grzybowski said there are a few members on the rowing team rowing for clubs in the summer months.

While NCAA rules prevent the team to collectively practice during the summer period, between 10 to 15 women are voluntarily calling the ergometer room home before training resumes in September. Grzybowski said some novices, juniors and seniors, who have stayed back in Philadelphia, are working out in the weight room.

“Moira Meekes said she’s been here for three summers and said this is definitely the best summer she can ever remember in terms of people working hard, staying in shape over the summer and using the erg room,” Grzybowski said.

Grzybowski hopes the athletes staying home during the summer break are working out, as well.

As the summer holiday drifts away, Grzybowski said the team will meet during the first week of classes but will get back to its typical in-season routine around mid-September.

Six new recruits set to join men’s crew

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With two departing seniors 2013-14, six new recruits will be joining men’s crew this season.

The recruits include a local coxswain and few from out of state like Rhode Island, Texas and New York, per assistant coach Brian Perkins.

After nearly two months of uncertainty with whether the program would continue, Perkins said much of the recruiting for the 2014-2015 season is still to be done.

“We are going to be doing a lot of our recruiting on campus when the semester starts,” Perkins said.

Although the team is yet to start their season, many rowers are spending their summer with rowing clubs on Boathouse Row.

Coach Gavin White said some of the rowers are logging time with Penn Athletic Club and Fairmount Rowing Association in preparation for the looming season.

White, himself, is also preparing for the upcoming season in a different way.

The longtime men’s crew coach, who underwent his second deep brain stimulator adjustment surgery in May, is now undergoing physical therapy. Although White said it is very demanding, he also said he has noticed some improvements.

“I am doing pretty well,” White said. “I am moving around a little better.”

White, 62, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2002.

His team will not officially meet until the first week of classes, prior to the start-up of training in mid-Sept

Highly touted recruit verbally commits to Owls

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Per his Twitter, four-star cornerback Kareem Ali Jr. verbally committed to Temple Saturday, marking what is perhaps Temple’s biggest verbal commit of the summer.

Per reports, the Sicklerville, N.J. native has plans to graduate Timber Creek high school in December and enroll at Temple in January. Ali is also slated to participate in spring ball next year.

The announcement of his orally committing dropped after Ali participated in coach Matt Rhule’s football camp Saturday. Ali decommitted from Maryland, with which he verbally committed last month, in favor of Temple’s program.

Rivals.com lists Ali as a four-star recruit and the No. 28 ranked cornerback in the nation. He is the No. 7 ranked CB in New Jersey and received an invitation to play in the 2015 U.S. Army All-American bowl.

Ali amassed 31 tackles, broke up five passes and registered one interception for Timber Creek high school in 2013. He is the second prospect to verbally commit to the Owls this week alongside Haddonfield wide receiver/cornerback Jake Robinson.

Coach hoping additions provide offensive spark

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It was a tale of two opposite seasons for women’s soccer last year.

After enjoying a non-conference schedule in which the Owls won their first four contests and finished 5-3-1, the Owls struggled through American Athletic Conference play, finishing 1-8 and bowing out of 2013 on a nine-game losing streak.

Coach Seamus O’Connor hopes his team will adjust to the competitiveness of one of what he feels is one of the nation’s strongest soccer conferences in The American.

“It was just such a transition from the [Atlantic 10 Conference], and being my first year coaching here,” O’Connor said.  “It’s a different kind of athlete [in this conference].”

The area that hurt the Owls the most last season was their offense. Scoring only 0.89 goals per game, Temple finished 259th in the nation in that category.

O’Connor said the recruiting for this fall was focused on fixing that exact problem.

“We added at least four starters that can come in on the attacking side,” O’Connor said.  “Our numbers were good defensively … but we just weren’t able to put some goals away.”

A large reason Temple enjoyed success on the defensive side of the ball was goalkeeper Shauni Kerkhoff.  The sophomore recorded seven shutouts and impressed with 15 saves in a 3-1 loss against Connecticut on Oct. 11.

“Shauni was, for me, easily the best goalie in the conference last year,” O’Connor said.  “I don’t know how she wasn’t selected, because her stats were phenomenal.”

Kerkhoff, along with the rest of the defense, will need to remain strong in a conference where, “every stinkin’ team is good”, O’Connor added.

In terms of where he would like his team to sit by the end of the season, O’Connor said improvement is the primary goal.

“We always want to get better,” O’Connor said.  “I don’t like putting a number on it, but it depends.  Like any other sport, how are we injury-wise?  How do we gel?

“Because each year is a new team … this year,” O’Connor added, “I feel there’s a lot more options and depth, so I do feel it’s going to be a better year for us.”