Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE FOOTBALL 2004 SPRING OUTLOOK
3.3.04 | Football
Temple's spring roster lists 22 scholarship players that will be going through their first spring practice in Owl Country, including seven members of February's recruiting class. The Owls signed 30 student-athletes to national letters of intent on Feb. 4. The class was comprised of 16 junior college players and 14 high school or prep entries. Five of the Owls' junior college signees earned All-America accolades from JC Grid-Wire, a publication that selects its honorees from all of the nation's 142 junior colleges that sponsor football (70 National Junior College Athletic Association; 72 Community College League of California ). Three of those honorees hail from the City College of San Francisco, the 2003 California Community College Champion and JC Grid-Wire Co-Junior College National Champion. In total, Temple signed five players from CCSF, a school that has won seven national titles and four over the past five years. In 2003, Temple had 18 first-year, junior college transfers on its roster.
"I think we went through a transition bringing in so many junior college players last season," said Wallace. "These student-athletes are now acclimated and an adjustment has taken place. I feel that the chemistry of the team is much better now than it was at any point last season. I do not believe our team chemistry was very good last year. When a player arrives in August it is difficult to make an immediate impact. Junior college players benefit greatly by going through the off-season workouts, summer and spring practice seasons.
"As such, I expect to see great improvement in the players we added last year," added Wallace. "It is not as much about learning the system as it is becoming comfortable in your surroundings and understanding your coaches. Learning X's and O's is obviously important, but having a greater understanding of the people and program is primary in establishing a team's identity."
OFFENSE
Temple's spread offense set school records for passing first downs (135) and total plays (859) in 2003 under Offensive Coordinator Dave Brock. The Owls threw for 2,697 yards, second most in the program's annals. Much of the success can be attributed to the emergence of quarterback Walter Washington, who started the final four games after incumbent Mike McGann was sidelined by injury. Washington averaged 315 yards of total offense in the last three contests, all against nationally-ranked opponents. The Daytona Beach, Fla. native twice rushed for over 100 yards, becoming the first TU signal-caller to eclipse the rushing century mark, and set the Big East mark for total plays (69) in a game while also tying the school record for rushing touchdowns (4) in the season finale at West Virginia. Washington arrived in Owl Country last August with three seasons of eligibility remaining. In 12 games (five starts) he totaled 1,844 yards of total offense (1,265 passing) and led the Cherry & White with 579 rushing yards.
"Having a quarterback that runs as well as Walter provides us a great dimension, especially given his size and strength," said Wallace. "It is almost like having 12 players because many defensive schemes do not account for the quarterback, especially in man coverage."
McGann has 26 career starts under his belt and ranks third all-time in the Temple annals in career passing, totaling 4,333 yards on 778 attempts. Last season, the Havertown, Pa. native completed 123 of 235 passes for 1,405 yards and five touchdowns, starting seven of the eight games he played in.
Two areas the Owls will address in the spring are red zone productivity and third down efficiency. Temple scored on 31 of 45 (68.9 percent) of its possessions inside the 20-yard line last season, posting 23 touchdowns and eight field goals. Temple ranked last in the Big East in third down conversions, gaining first downs on 45 of 170 attempts (26.5 percent). The Owls' red-zone performance improved at season's end, however, as the team scored in its final 15 trips inside the 20, tallying nine touchdowns.
"Offensively, we have a chance to be very explosive," said Wallace. "The key is engineering our offense so that our play-makers fit together. We are going to develop our play-action and sprint passing games this spring. We will also look at throwing the ball more to the running backs. I thought we did a good job last season of improving our turnovers and penalties and we have to continue to work on those areas."
The backfield returns two players with starting experience that saw action in all 12 games, Umar Ferguson and Jamil Porter. Ferguson earned two starts, gaining 319 yards on 69 carries (4.6 avg.) for four touchdowns. Porter (one start) generated 172 yards on 45 attempts (3.8 avg.) for three scores. Porter made his mark on kickoff returns, ranking 24th nationally with a 25.45 avg. on 22 returns. It marked the third straight season Temple had a player ranked among the top 25 in the category, following Makonnen Fenton, who ranked ninth and 21st, respectively, in 2002 and 2001.
Also in the mix at running back are redshirt freshman Mike Neal and Tim Brown, a mid-year transfer from CCSF that was a JC Grid-Wire First Team All-American and the California Community College Offensive Player of the Year in 2003.
The receiving corps consists of two wide receivers, denoted as X and Z, and two slot receivers, called the A-back and Y, on the Owls' 12 position depth chart. The team must account for the loss of Zamir Cobb, Temple's all-time reception leader and a First Team All-Big East choice in 2003. Phil Goodman, a 6-3, 215-pound specimen who caught 47 passes for 678 yards and five touchdowns last year as a first-year junior, is poised to play the starring role. The Vallejo, Calif. native started all 12 games at the X position and caught eight aerials for 129 yards versus Cincinnati as three Owls (Cobb, Terrence Stubbs) surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark in the Queen City to record a conference first.
Buchie Ibeh, who played in 11 games and caught five passes for 73 yards as a first-year junior last year, is penciled-in as the starter at Y-receiver. Competition on the outside will come from second-year junior Andre Mixon-Toland and senior Scott Pristas. Temple signed seven receivers to NLI's in February, including four junior college prospects who are scheduled to arrive in August.
The interior receiver positions return three players with starting experience in senior Ikey Chuku, sophomore Jamel Harris and junior Sean Szarka. Chuku, who is expected to gain an additional year of eligibility in 2004 after missing two seasons because of two knee reconstructions, made an inspirational comeback in 2003, starting nine games at Y-receiver en route to 20 receptions for 224 yards and a score. Harris played in the final nine games, starting two at a-back, and made seven receptions for 100 yards. Szarka, who had an intriguing rookie season in 2002, was hampered by minor injuries last year and made seven grabs for 37 yards in seven games (one start).
Junior Mike Holley, who played in all 12 games at cornerback in 2003 and started the first seven, has been moved to slot receiver. He is one of two student-athletes who started on defense last year to move across the ball. Senior Christian Dunbar, who started 10 games at defensive end, will compete with returning senior starter Collin Hannigan at tight end. Hannigan, a former quarterback, caught four passes for 22 yards in 2003. Temple tight ends have provided solid blocking over the past two seasons, but have combined to catch only five passes for 45 yards.
The offensive line returns starters, C.J. Blomvall, Chris Harris and John Gross. The Owls must replace veterans Jose Portillo and Joe Laudano, who concluded his career by making 25 straight starts. Blomvall, a native of Sweden who served one year in the Swedish Marine Corps, is poised to take over for Laudano at center. Blomvall started all 12 games at guard as a first-year junior last year and averaged three pancake blocks per game while allowing just 4.5 sacks. Harris, who started the final 10 games at tackle as a first year junior, will move to guard to account for the loss of Portillo. Gross, one of Temple's 10 Big East All-Academic selections, returns at left tackle after starting all 12 games as a sophomore. One of the strongest players in the league, Gross recorded a 500-pound bench press in strength and conditioning testing. Also returning to the mix is sophomore Elliot Seifert. Seifert was poised to be the Owls' starting right tackle in 2003 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the season opener at Penn State.
What the rest of the offensive line prospects lack in experience, they make up for with size and potential. Second-year junior Stephen Bell (6-6, 310) is penciled in as the starter at left guard. He will be pressed by juniors Stan Primus (6-4, 315) and Yohance Perry (6-5, 330) and sophomore Leigh Denman (6-6, 300). Sophomores Tariq Sanders (6-6, 295) and Larry Bonczar (6-7, 290) will compete for time at tackle. Depth at the center position comes courtesy of senior Frank McAndrew (6-3, 300), a former walk-on who boasts a 500-pound bench press, and mid-year junior college transfer Elijah Darby (6-1, 310).
DEFENSE
After establishing a reputation as one of the nation's stingiest units, ranking in the top 20 in total defense in 2001 and 2002, Temple's 4-2-5 defense struggled in 2003 under Defensive Coordinator Raymond Monica. Due to graduation and injury, the Owls entered the 2003 campaign with only three returning starters. The resulting growing pains contributed to the Owls' dropping 77 positions in the rankings, to 95th place, allowing 429.75 total yards per game. The defense persevered, however, and saw marked improvement at season's end. The Owls led the Big East in opponent fourth down conversions (23.5 pct.) and placed third in turnover margin (+0.42).
"Defensively, we have to do a better job in the first quarter," said Wallace. "I believe we are very well coached on defense. Sometimes that can be a hindrance because opponents can gain insight into your schemes and habits. We have to look at doing some different things in the first quarter and we also have to tackle better. We were not a very aggressive defense last year. We were apprehensive. I think much of that can be attributed to inexperience. We have to be tougher against the run and be more aggressive tackling the ball this spring."
The strength of the Temple defense looks to be the linebackers, with returning starters Rian "Goo" Wallace and Troy Bennett working the will and strong positions, respectively. Wallace, a junior from Pottstown, Pa., solidified himself as one of the nation's premier linebackers, making 148 tackles (97 solo) and 19.5 tackles-for-losses to earn CollegeFootballNews.com Second Team All-America and Second Team All-Big East honors. Wallace ranked sixth nationally in total tackles and 11th in TFLs, posting double-digit tackle totals in 10 games. He will be the top returning tackler in the Big East Conference. Bennett hails from Paulsboro, N.J. and is expected to complete the necessary coursework to earn an additional season of eligibility in 2004. Bennett and Wallace have played in 35 and 24 consecutive games, respectively.
"Rian was all over the field for us last year," said Wallace. "It would be scary to think where we would have been defensively without him. He has things that cannot be coached - size, speed and instincts. He just needs to be a little more disciplined in man coverage. Rian plays with passion and is definitely a leader on this defense."
Competition at linebacker will be provided by sophomores Ryan Gore and Vince Yasenchak and senior Mark Miller, one of the Owls' top special team performers. Gore, a Philadelphia native and strong special team player himself, was moved to linebacker from safety at last season's midpoint. He was a named to the Big East All-Rookie Team as a defensive back by The Sporting News.
The defensive line returns two starters in junior DE Mike Mendenhall and senior nose tackle Antwon Burton, who has improved his conditioning and has surprising quickness for a player listed at 6-3, 310-pounds. Juniors Jason Johnson and Adam Fichter also revisit the defensive front after starting four contests at DE and DT, respectively in 2003. Johnson played in eight games before being sidelined by a shoulder injury. In total, seven players with starting experience return to the defensive line, including junior Rodney Wormley, who missed the entire 2003 campaign with a knee injury after starting nine games at DE as a redshirt freshman in 2002. Wormley (6-4, 240) has added 15-pounds of muscle training to rehabilitate the injury.
An intriguing defensive line prospect is senior Eric Carpenter, who switched to defensive tackle last season after making 12 career starts at tight end. Carpenter is joined by senior Ismael Seals, mid-year junior college transfer Neil Dickson and true freshman Dwavon Battle as players competing for playing time on the interior. At defensive end, seniors John Adams and Anthony DeGannes will vie for time with junior Manuel Tapia. Tapia has shown play-making ability but has primarily seen time on special teams due to a numbers game at linebacker.
Temple's outside safeties, consisting of the strong safety and owl safety positions, return starting seniors Lawrence Wade and Sadeke Konte. Wade, a former running back, started all 12 games in 2003, making 73 tackles (50 solo), six TFLs, two sacks and an interception. Konte started all 12 contests as a first-year junior and contributed 51 stops (35 solo), five TFLs, four sacks and two forced fumbles.
Justin Johnson, who played in three games before being sidelined after sustaining an ankle injury in practice, and Bobby Fulmore are two second-year juniors expected to press for starting roles at outside safety. Seniors Joel Gray and Alex McClean are also in the mix and will contribute on special teams.
The secondary consists of the cornerbacks and free safety. The Owls returns starting corners Pete McBride and Ray Lamb but need to find a replacement for Yazid Jackson, who completed his career by making 25 straight starts. Temple surrendered 227.0 yards per game through the air last year to rank fifth in the Big East. As did many of the team's units, the secondary experienced a boost in performance late in the year as the junior college players became better acclimated. The Owls made six interceptions in the final five games, including aerial thefts by McBride in each of the final four contests. McBride and Lamb started the final five and six games, respectively.
Sophomore Durrel Davis, who saw action in nine games as a true freshman, is penciled-in at free safety. Strong competition in the defensive backfield will be provided by a quartet of juniors. Fourth-year junior Delonne Wilbourn, third-year junior Jonathan McPhee, second-year junior Matt Douglas and mid-year transfer Jermaine Hargraves all possess the ability to assume starting roles. Andrew Smith is also in the mix.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams was a tale of two applications in 2003 as the kicking game struggled while return teams and coverage units flourished. The Owls led the conference in kickoff coverage, allowing just 13.1 yards per return, five yards better than the league's second ranked team in the category. Temple's return units also fared well, averaging 21.5 yards on kickoff returns and 10.8 yards on punt returns. The team ranked last in the league, however, in both field goals (10-23, .435) and PAT kicking (25-29, .862). In the Owls' three overtime losses, the team missed four field goals and an extra point.
Porter (22 KORs) and Wade (five KORs) return after averaging 25.5 and 24.8 yards per return, respectively last year. The Owls must find a replacement for Cobb, who returned all of the team's 21 punt returns, with a 10.8 avg., in 2003. Holley and Goodman are initial candidates.
In the kicking department, the Owls have two mid-year junior college transfers that earned All-America mention from JC Grid-Wire, kicker Ryan Lux and punter Jake Hendy. Lux, a First Team All-American made 21 of 29 FGAs with a long of 52 yards at Palomar College. He will compete with junior Roger Price, who attempted one field goal (0-1) and two extra points (1-2) last season. Junior Mike McLaughlin, who also serves as the teams' holder, returns after averaging 39.9 yards on 51 punts with a long of 61 yards. He also dropped 12 punts inside the 20 and had seven touchbacks with five fair catches.
The Owls must account for the loss of Joey Lippo at long snapper. Carpenter will perform the duty in the spring with junior college signee Jacob Simon scheduled to arrive in the fall.
