Temple Travels to No. 5 Penn State for Saturday Gridiron Clash

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THIS WEEK
Temple packs its bags for its first road trip of the 2009 season with a visit to Happy Valley. The Owls take on No. 5 Penn State on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for Noon at Beaver Stadium. The Big Ten Network will televise the game live nationally with Ari Wolfe (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), and Kenny Jackson (sideline) calling the action.

The Owls' radio broadcast will air on WPHT 1210 AM with Harry Donahue calling the play-by-play and Steve Joachim providing color analysis.

Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Al Golden, Temple football returns to action after a 16-day break (bye week). The 2009 squad, featuring Golden's first recruiting class as seniors, returns 21 starters to 17 positions. The Owls utilize an East Coast offense and 4-3 defense.

The Owls opened the 2009 season with a 27-24 loss to Villanova in the inaugural Mayor's Cup game. Redshirt junior QB Vaughn Charlton went 19-of-28 for a career-high 317 yards and two touchdowns. Junior WR Michael Campbell scored his first TD and led the receivers with 93 yards on five catches. On the ground, sophomore RB Kee-ayre Griffin gained 70 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

Temple ranks among the nation's best in three defensive categories. The Owls are No. 1 nationally in sacks allowed (0.00), No. 2 in sacks (5.00), No. 3 in tackles for loss (11.00), and No. 12 in passing offense (317.00). Penn State ranks ninth in scoring defense (7.00), No. 10 in rushing defense (46.50), and No. 11 in TFL (9.50).

The meeting marks the fourth contest of a seven-game series between Temple and Penn State, with five games scheduled at Beaver Stadium (Nov. 11, 2006; Sept. 20, 2008; Sept. 19, 2009; Oct. 9, 2010; Sept. 15, 2012) and two games slated for Lincoln Financial Field (Nov. 10, 2007; Sept. 17, 2011).

Saturday's game also marks the third meeting (and second at Beaver Stadium) between Golden (Penn State '91) and his mentor Joe Paterno, who is in his 44th season as head coach at Penn State.

In 2007 in Philadelphia, the two coaches met for the first time on opposing benches as head coaches. The Lions left with a 31-0 win.

In the fall of 2006 in Happy Valley, first-year head coach Golden led his 1-9 Owl team into his old stomping grounds of Beaver Stadium. However, Paterno did not coach the game. At Wisconsin the week before, Paterno suffered a broken leg and missed the date with the Owls, marking only the third game he has missed in his 59 years at PSU. The Nittany Lions were coached in that game by coordinators Tom Bradley and Galen Hall. Golden has faced his alma mater in each of his four seasons as a head coach.

Nationally ranked Penn State is 2-0 on the season after home wins over Akron (31-7) and Syracuse (28-7). The Nittany Lions return 10 starters to their multiple offense and multiple defense.

Junior TB Evan Royster is the Nittany Lions' leading rusher with 102 yards on 26 carries. Senior QB Daryll Clark is 49-of-71 for 593 yards and six touchdowns in two contests. Junior WR Graham Zug is the top receiver with 141 yards on 11 receptions and two touchdowns.

TEMPLE-PENN STATE CONNECTIONS
Coaching Staff Connections:
It's not a secret that Temple head coach Al Golden is a Penn State graduate. He is one of three Temple coaches that played at Penn State. Earning a degree in pre-law in 1991, Golden played TE from 1987-91 and won the team's 1991 Ridge Riley Award. Golden also served as the Nittany Lions' LB coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2000 season, working with seven current members on the PSU coaching staff— Joe Paterno, Dick Anderson, Tom Bradley, Larry Johnson, Bill Kenney, Mike McQueary, and Jay Paterno. As a coach, Golden stands 1-4 against his alma mater, including two games as the defensive coordinator at Virginia.

Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio (Penn?State '92) played LB from 1988-91. He and Golden were team captains together during their senior season. D'Onofrio, who earned his degree in labor and industrial relations, led the team in sacks in 1989 as a sophomore and in tackles in 1990 as a junior.

Golden and D'Onofrio were teammates with current PSU quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, all lettering for the Nittany Lions in 1989.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Rhule (Penn State '97) is a State College native. He played LB from 1994-97. A three-time Penn State Scholar-Athlete, he earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1997. Rhule earned his degree in political science. Rhule and PSU?wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike McQueary, who quarterbacked the Blue and White, attended State College Area HS together. Jay Paterno is also a State College Area HS alum.

PSU assistant coaches Dick Anderson, Tom Bradley, and Bill Kenney were all assistants during the playing careers of Golden, D'Onofrio, and Rhule. PSU assistants Larry Johnson and Jay Paterno were members of the coaching staff that instructed Rhule.

Player Connections:
Temple has 36 players on its roster from Pennsylvania with two players from Central Pennsylvania. Redshirt junior WR Josh Hutchison and freshman DB Justin Gildea are from Hollidaysburg.

Temple redshirt senior OT Devin Tyler and Penn State redshirt junior LB Navorro Bowman are both graduates of Suitland (Md.) HS, playing together under head coach Nick Lynch. The twosome helped Suitland to a 13-1 record in 2004 and the state 4A title.

Temple junior DB Anthony Ferla and Penn State redshirt junior C Doug Klopacz went to St Joseph Regional HS in Montvale, N.J. Ferla also played with Penn State OL Lou Eliades in the NJ vs. NY Governors Bowl.

Penn State has four players from the Philadelphia area— sophomore S Tyler Ahrenhold (Blue Bell), freshman WR Andrew Goodman (Philadelphia), junior DT Tom McEowen (Feasterville), and freshman TE Mark Wedderburn (Upper Darby).

Additional Connections:
Before transferring to Temple where he won the 1974 Maxwell Award as college football's Player of the Year, Temple radio color commentator Steve Joachim earned a letter as a quarterback at Penn State under Joe Paterno in 1971.

Athletic Communications' associate director Cathy Bongiovi (Penn State 1987) earned a degree in journalism. She previously worked at her alma mater for four years (1997-2001), advancing to the 2000 women's basketball Final Four with the Lady Lions.

TEMPLE-PENN STATE— THE SERIES
Saturday's game is the 39th meeting between the Owls and the Nittany Lions, the second-longest series in Temple school history. TU has met only one other opponent more often— Bucknell (44).

Since the teams' first meeting in 1931, the Nittany Lions lead the series, 34-3-1. Under Paterno, the Lions are a perfect 25-0 against the Owls (since 1975).

Temple has not beaten Penn State since a 14-0 victory on Oct. 18, 1941. The teams tied 7-7 in 1950. The Owls lost by one point in both 1975 and 1976. On. Sept. 6, 1986, the Temple-Penn State game was the first-ever night game played at Beaver Stadium. The Owls and Nittany Lions have also played twice at historic Franklin Field (1975, 1994) and met in Giants Stadium in 1996.

Last year at Beaver Stadium, the heavily favored No. 16/15 Nittany Lions proved to be too formidable for the visiting Temple Owls in front of 105,106 fans in posting a 45-3 win. The Cherry and White suffered an even worse blow, however, as starting QB Adam DiMichele left the game after the first series with a shoulder injury.

Despite the injury to DiMichele, which occurred on a sack by Penn State DE Aaron Maybin on the fifth play of the game, the Owls were able to stay even with the Nittany Lions after 15 minutes. It marked the first time all season that the PSU offense had not scored at least two first quarter touchdowns.

Penn State broke through on the second play of the second quarter on a 20-yard TD reception by Brett Brackett. The Blue and White scored on all five possessions of the quarter, building a 31-0 halftime lead.

SERIES INFORMATION
Temple all-time vs. Penn State: 3-34-1
Temple in games at Temple: 3-11
Temple in games at Penn State: 0-20-1
Temple in games at a neutral site: 0-3
First meeting in series: 1931 at Temple Stadium, W, 12-0
Last meeting in series: 2008 at Beaver Stadium, L, 45-3

SERIES HIGHS
Temple Owls
Rushing: Paul Palmer, 30-206, 2 TDs (1985)
Passing: Henry Burris, 24-42-323, 2 TDs (1994)
Receiving: Pete Righi, 7-100 (1975)

Penn State Nittany Lions
Rushing: Rodney Kinlaw, 27-168, 1 TD (2007)
Passing: Anthony Morelli, 22-33-260, 3 TDs (2007)
Receiving: Terry Smith, 8-144, 1 TD (1991)

Year Site Result Temple Coach PSU Coach
1931 Temple Stadium W, 12-0 Henry J. Miller Bob Higgins
1932 Temple Stadium W, 13-12 Henry J. Miller Bob Higgins
1940 Temple Stadium L, 18-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1941 Temple Stadium W, 14-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1943 Beaver Field L, 13-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1944 Temple Stadium L, 7-6 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1945 Beaver Field L, 27-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1946 Beaver Field L, 26-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1947 Temple Stadium L, 7-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1948 Beaver Field L, 47-0 Ray Morrison Bob Higgins
1949 Temple Stadium L, 28-7 Albert P. Kawal Joe Bedenk
1950 Beaver Field T, 7-7 Albert P. Kawal Rip?Engle
1952 Beaver Field L, 20-13 Albert P. Kawal Rip?Engle
1975 Franklin Field L, 26-25 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1976 Veterans Stadium L, 31-30 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1977 Beaver Stadium L, 44-7 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1978 Veterans Stadium L, 10-7 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1979 Beaver Stadium L, 22-7 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1980 Veterans Stadium L, 50-7 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1981 Beaver Stadium L, 30-0 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1982 Beaver Stadium L, 31-14 Wayne Hardin Joe Paterno
1983 Veterans Stadium L, 23-18 Bruce Arians Joe Paterno
1985 Beaver Stadium L, 27-25 Bruce Arians Joe Paterno
1986 Beaver Stadium L, 45-15 Bruce Arians Joe Paterno
1987 Beaver Stadium L, 27-13 Bruce Arians Joe Paterno
1988 Veterans Stadium L, 45-9 Bruce Arians Joe Paterno
1989 Beaver Stadium L, 42-3 Jerry Berndt Joe Paterno
1990 Beaver Stadium L, 48-10 Jerry Berndt Joe Paterno
1991 Veterans Stadium L, 24-7 Jerry Berndt Joe Paterno
1992 Beaver Stadium L, 49-8 Jerry Berndt Joe Paterno
1994 Franklin Field L, 48-21 Ron Dickerson Joe Paterno
1995 Beaver Stadium L, 66-14 Ron Dickerson Joe Paterno
1996 Giants Stadium L, 41-0 Ron Dickerson Joe Paterno
1997 Beaver Stadium L, 52-10 Ron Dickerson Joe Paterno
2003 Beaver Stadium L, 23-10 Bobby Wallace Joe Paterno
2006 Beaver Stadium L, 47-0 Al Golden Joe Paterno*
2007 Lincoln Financial Field L, 31-0 Al Golden Joe Paterno
2008 Beaver Stadium L, 45-3 Al Golden Joe Paterno

* coached by coordinators Tom Bradley and Galen Hall

HOOT TOOTS ... OWL NOTES & QUOTES
• In its first three games this season, Temple faces teams whose school colors are blue and white (Villanova, Penn State, Buffalo).

• Al Golden is the only former Penn State player to coach against his mentor Joe Paterno as a head coach. The duo also met twice when Golden served as the defensive coordinator at Virginia [2001, 2002]. In a re-scheduled game in 2001 due to the attacks on Sept. 11, Virginia beat PSU, 20-14, on Dec. 1, preventing the Nittany Lions from a bowl appearance. In 2002 in Happy Valley, Penn State claimed a 35-14 win over the Cavaliers.

• Al Golden served on Joe Paterno's staff during the 2000 season. He worked with the linebackers and served as the recruiting coordinator.

• Five of Temple's 2009 opponents went on to postseason play last fall— Ball State [MAC Championship & GMAC Bowl], Buffalo [MAC Championship & International Bowl], Navy [EagleBank Bowl], Penn State [Rose Bowl], and Villanova [NCAA quarterfinals].

• Over the last two seasons, Temple showed the most improvement nationally in scoring defense. The Owls, who allowed 41.3 points in 2006, led the nation with a 18.2 difference, allowing just 23.1 points in 2008.

• Temple led the nation in 2008 in kickoff returns with 26.6 yards per return.

• “I was not displeased with our effort; we were ready to play. We played aggressively. We played a hard-fought game. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game coming in, but we just turned the ball over too many times to win the game.” — Al Golden following the season opener with Villanova

UP NEXT
Temple returns home to Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 26 to host Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference opener. Kickoff is Noon on ESPN Plus.

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Temple Travels to No. 5 Penn State for Saturday Gridiron Clash

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