Temple University Athletics
Temple Closes 2007 Season at Western Michigan on Saturday
11.19.07 | Football
Nov. 19, 2007
Complete Gamenotes in PDF Format 
THIS WEEK
Under the direction of second-year head coach Al Golden, Temple closes out the 2007 season at Western Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 24. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Waldo Stadium.
The Owls' radio broadcast will air on The Big Talker, WPHT 1210 AM, with Harry Donahue calling the play-by-play and Steve Joachim providing color analysis. Live gametracker stats and live audio and video streaming will be available on the Temple Athletics website at www.owlsports.com.
Western Michigan, under the guidance of third-year head coach Bill Cubit, stands 4-7 overall and 2-4 in MAC play following a 28-19 non-conference win at Iowa. The win snapped a three-game losing streak. Last season, WMU finished second in the MAC West Division en route to an appearance in the International Bowl.
The Broncos are led by sophomore RB Brandon West who has 806 yards on 174 carries and four touchdowns. He stands second in receiving with 353 yards on 43 catches for two touchdowns. Junior WR Jamarko Simmons leads the receiving corps with 83 receptions for 977 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore QB Tim Hiller is 243-of-382 for 2,745 yards and 19 touchdowns to rank fourth in the MAC for passing yardage. Hiller and West earned MAC Player of the Week honors this week.
Both Temple and Western Michigan employ a multiple offense and a 4-3 defense.
The Owls are coming off a 24-14 win over Kent State at Lincoln Financial Field. The win is the Owls' fourth this fall and fourth in MAC play. The last time Temple won four conference games was 1967 when the Cherry and White played in the old MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference).
During this week of giving thanks, the Temple Owls are giving back to the city of Philadelphia. The Owl players, coaches, and staff have been collecting canned food items the last two weeks to aid families through the Bethesda Project. Additionally, the Temple football players, managers, and trainers have donated their per diem, totaling $1300, towards Thanksgiving dinners to be delivered to St. John's Hospice.
On Tuesday, Nov. 20, head coach Al Golden, his wife Kelly, and several players will make several deliveries. The first stop will be St. John's Hospice (1221 Race Street). They will donate 26 full turkey dinners that serve 6-8 people each, including a 10-12 lb. turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, gravy, and pumpkin pie.
With 35 freshmen (including 14 redshirt freshmen) on its roster, WMU returns 39 lettermen from last season, including 15 starters. Twelve freshmen are listed on the depth chart with one in a starting role.
For the second straight year, Temple has the nation's youngest team. The Owls have played 25 freshmen this season, including the nation's most true freshmen (20) and the nation's most freshman starters (11). In its last five games, TU has started at least five freshmen.
Temple has no players on its roster from the state of Michigan. Western Michigan has just player from Pennsylvania-- K Caleb Morris (Coudersport, Pa.).
TEMPLE-WESTERN MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS
Temple defensive backs coach Paul Williams worked as the safeties coach at Western Michigan during the 2005 season.
WMU head coach Bill Cubit, a Sharon Hill, Pa., native and Sharon Hill HS graduate, is a familiar foe for the Owls. In addition to coaching the Broncos, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rutgers in 2001 and 2002. The Bobby Wallace-led Owls defeated the Scarlet Knights in both of those seasons (30-5 in 2001; 20-17 in 2002). Cubit has worked at several Delaware Valley locations, serving as head coach at Academy Park and Sharon Hill high schools in Delaware County, as running backs/receivers coach at Swarthmore (Pa.) College (1976-76) and as head coach at Widener University (1992-96) in Chester, Pa.
A 1975 graduate of the University of Delaware, Cubit played QB and WR for the Blue Hens from 1971-74. The Wayne Hardin-led Owls were 3-1 against Delaware during Cubit's playing days, winning in 1971 (32-27), 1973 (31-8), and 1974 (21-17) and losing in 1972 (28-9).
WMU offensive live coach/assistant head coach of offense Bob Stanley coached at Temple from 1996-97. He served under Ron Dickerson, coaching the offensive live.
TEMPLE-WESTERN MICHIGAN-- THE SERIES
Saturday's game marks the sixth meeting between the Owls and the Broncos and the first in MAC play.
Last season in Kalamazoo, Western Michigan improved its record to a perfect 5-0 over Temple with a 41-7 win at Waldo Stadium before 15,739 fans.
SERIES INFORMATION
Temple all-time vs. Western Michigan: 0-5 Temple in games at Temple: 0-1 Temple in games at Western Michigan: 0-4 Temple in games at a neutral site: 0-0 First meeting in series: 1986 at Waldo Stadium, *W, 49-17 Last meeting in series: 2006 at Waldo Stadium, L, 7-41* Temple forfeited due to the use of an ineligible player.Year Site Result Temple Coach WMU Coach 1986 Waldo Stadium *W, 49-17 Bruce Arians Jack Harbaugh 1989 Waldo Stadium L, 24-31 Jerry Berndt Al Molde 1997 Waldo Stadium L, 14-34 Ron Dickerson Gary Darnell 2005 Lincoln Financial Field L, 16-19 Bobby Wallace Bill Cubit 2006 Waldo Stadium L, 7-41 Al Golden Bill Cubit
SERIES HIGHS
Temple Owls
Rushing: Ventres Stevenson, 31-182 1 TD (1986)
Passing: Pat Bonner, 16-28-198, 1 TD (1997)
Receiving: Maurice Johnson, 4-90 (1989)
Western Michigan Broncos
Rushing: Robert Sanford, 24-142 (1997)
Passing:  Tim Lester, 17-25-295, 4 TDs (1997)
Receiving:  Steve Neal, 5-107, 2 TDs (1997)
FIVE MAC WINS WOULD MAKE HISTORY
Temple has won four games so far this season, the most wins since the 2002 season when the team finished 4-8 overall. With one game remaining on the schedule, the Owls could pick up their fifth win. Temple has not had five wins in a season since 1990 when TU finished 7-4 under head coach Jerry Berndt. The Owls have never won five conference games.  During their stint in the Big East (1991-2004), the most wins Owls tallied were three in 1997, finishing with a 3-4 conference record.
When Temple played in the Middle Atlantic Conference (1960-69), the Owls won four conference games twice-- once in 1964 (4-1) and in 1967* when TU went a perfect 4-0 in the Middle Atlantic Conference en route to the league crown.
* Note: Temple has not won four conference games in 40 years. However, from 1970 to 1990, the Owls were an independent. Temple played in the Middle Atlantic Conference from 1960-69 and the Big East from 1991-2004. This is Temple's first season in the Mid-American Conference.
BEST SEASON IN A WHILE
Temple is enjoying four conference wins for the first time since 1967. Here's a look at what life was like in 1967.
U.S. NEWS
President: Lyndon B. Johnson
Vice President: Hubert H. Humphrey
Population: 198,712,056
Life expectancy: 70.5 years
Median Household Income
(current dollars): $7,143
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.05
• Thurgood Marshall sworn in as first black U.S. Supreme Court justice (Oct. 2).
• Astronauts Col. Virgil I. Grissom, Col. Edward White II, and Lt. Cmdr. Roger B. Chaffee killed in fire during test launch (Jan. 27).
SPORTS
Super Bowl
Green Bay def. Kansas City (35-10)
World Series St. Louis Cardinals def. Boston Red Sox (4-3)
NBA Championship Philadelphia 76ers def. SF Warriors (4-2)
Stanley Cup Toronto def. Montreal (4-2)
NCAA Basketball Championship UCLA def. Dayton (79-64)
NCAA Football Championp USC (10-1-0)
ENTERTAINMENT
• Congress creates PBS.
• Rolling Stone and New York Magazine debut, spawning the popularity of special-interest and regional magazines.
Movies • The Graduate, Bonnie and Clyde, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, In the Heat of the Night, Cool Hand Luke
Music • The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Academy Award-Winning Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons
Grammy Award Winners Record of the Year: Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra
Album of the Year: Sinatra: A Man and His Music, Frank Sinatra
Song of the Year: Michelle written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Miss America: Jane Anne Jayroe (Oklahoma)
All of this happened before any of the current Owl players were born. Ironically, these events came two years prior to the birth of TU head coach Al Golden who was born in July 1969.
