Temple University Athletics
Owls Return to Temple from Winter Break Ready to Work
1.21.14 | Football
PHOTO GALLERY | VIDEO
When the Owls returned home from a 41-21 win in their season finale at Memphis the attitude around the Edberg-Olson Facility was high. The team had finally seen what they could produce when playing a full game in the three facets of football: offensive, defensive and on special teams.
Their record did not read the way they had hoped it would at the end of the season, and head coach Matt Rhule was first to address this as he stated after the win that the 2014 Temple football season would start at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Fast-forward two days later and the Owls were up bright and early on Chodoff Field running sprints and pushing 45-pound plates across the width of the field. Vowing to never let the mishaps and unfortunate fourth quarter play to ever happen again, Rhule and Co. focused on moving forward and getting better every day.
With classes starting today, the team was back at the facility yesterday where head strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Scott and his staff continued their offseason winter workout program.
In their first test, sophomore captain center Kyle Friend led the way with 36 repetitions bench pressing 225-pounds.
"To reach our potential as a team we need to get the best out of everyone," freshman quarterback P.J Walker said. "We are just competing right now. The workouts have been tough and the intensity [in the weight room] is at an all-time high, but we have to focus on bringing out the best in everyone because that is the only way we will get better and move on from last year."
Walker said this week he and his fellow receivers and backs will make their way to the Pavilion to begin working on re-establishing their connection in the passing game, which led to Walker passing for the fourth highest total ever by a Temple quarterback.
On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore first-team All-American Athletic Conference linebacker Tyler Matakevich, said the focus in the weight room has been on finishing.
"Finishing… That is what we are working on this winter. Whether it be in the weight room, when you feel that you cant get the very last rep up, or on the field when there are two minutes remaining and we have to protect a lead when the opposing offense has the ball one last time."
"We are sick of having that feeling of not finishing," Matakevich said. "As a team we are already seeing leaders step up so last season won't ever happen again. Kenny [Harper] and Jalen [Fitzpatrick] were stepping up for the offense, and on defense, Nate D. Smith and I just took over in the weight room and were making sure everyone was giving their all."
When the Owls returned home from a 41-21 win in their season finale at Memphis the attitude around the Edberg-Olson Facility was high. The team had finally seen what they could produce when playing a full game in the three facets of football: offensive, defensive and on special teams.
Their record did not read the way they had hoped it would at the end of the season, and head coach Matt Rhule was first to address this as he stated after the win that the 2014 Temple football season would start at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Fast-forward two days later and the Owls were up bright and early on Chodoff Field running sprints and pushing 45-pound plates across the width of the field. Vowing to never let the mishaps and unfortunate fourth quarter play to ever happen again, Rhule and Co. focused on moving forward and getting better every day.
With classes starting today, the team was back at the facility yesterday where head strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Scott and his staff continued their offseason winter workout program.
In their first test, sophomore captain center Kyle Friend led the way with 36 repetitions bench pressing 225-pounds.
"To reach our potential as a team we need to get the best out of everyone," freshman quarterback P.J Walker said. "We are just competing right now. The workouts have been tough and the intensity [in the weight room] is at an all-time high, but we have to focus on bringing out the best in everyone because that is the only way we will get better and move on from last year."
Walker said this week he and his fellow receivers and backs will make their way to the Pavilion to begin working on re-establishing their connection in the passing game, which led to Walker passing for the fourth highest total ever by a Temple quarterback.
On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore first-team All-American Athletic Conference linebacker Tyler Matakevich, said the focus in the weight room has been on finishing.
"Finishing… That is what we are working on this winter. Whether it be in the weight room, when you feel that you cant get the very last rep up, or on the field when there are two minutes remaining and we have to protect a lead when the opposing offense has the ball one last time."
"We are sick of having that feeling of not finishing," Matakevich said. "As a team we are already seeing leaders step up so last season won't ever happen again. Kenny [Harper] and Jalen [Fitzpatrick] were stepping up for the offense, and on defense, Nate D. Smith and I just took over in the weight room and were making sure everyone was giving their all."
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