Temple University Athletics
Saturday, October 11
Philadelphia, PA
12:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
Tulsa
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Football Prepares for Homecoming Showdown with Tulsa
10.7.14 | Football
Game Notes | Conference Notes | Press Conference
After their second bye week of the season, head coach Matt Rhule spoke at a press conference to address the team's upcoming game with American Athletic Conference opponent Tulsa.Â
The October 11 game will be nationally-televised on ESPNews at noon. Those in the Philadelphia area will also be able to listen to the game on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with Harry Donahue (play-by-play), Paul Palmer (analyst) and Harry Mayes (sidelines).
Below is Coach Rhule's opening statement:
"I appreciate everyone being here, thank you for coming out and watching us at the end of practice and then getting right up here to start this.
Obviously we're excited to get back on the field after our second bye week, which is a little bit unusual to have two bye weeks in five weeks. I thought it was good for us, thought it was good for us to work on the things that we're not doing well. I try to bring along some of our young players, we're smart enough to know that we have a lot of young kids that are going to have to help us and accelerate our growth. We worked a lot of the guys we're trying to get ready for next year, so we're trying to build the depth of the program and think long term. We were finally able to rest some guys, get them healthy, let guys concentrate on school, and make sure we have the right start academically.Â
Now we started on Saturday, right into game week and get ready for Tulsa. That should be a great week for us, for Temple, a great week for homecoming. I've been getting calls and texts from the guys that played under Coach Golden and Coach Addazio coming back, which is great. Some of the guys who played for Coach Hardin and Coach Arians all the way back, I know they'll all be there, they're always out there, which is awesome to see them. It's a fun time for us at homecoming and hopefully our team can play a way all those guys can be proud of.
So that's our charge this week. We had a good practice today to make sure we're ready to go and I think we'll be ready. I think that it's also special for us that the school is inducting six people into their athletic hall of fame and three of them are former football people. Coach Morrison, who coached here a long time ago, and Raheem Brock and Dan Klecko, two great Temple Owls, two great friends of this program. I probably hear from Dan Klecko before and after every game, he's just a true Temple Owl at heart. Raheem is always around asking what he can do to help. So it's an honor to be able to play on a weekend where they're being inducted into the hall of fame.
Just a couple of thoughts on what we're trying to get done this week. Just trying to improve our team; we know as a defense that we've gotten publicity, we've done some good things, but there's things we haven't done. We haven't proven yet that we can stop the pass; we've faced a bunch of run-oriented teams, kind of made them one dimensional, they had to throw the ball a bit. But we haven't shown that we can stop that fast, no-huddle offense that gave us a lot of trouble last year. Tulsa was really one of the originators of that; they throw the ball as well as anybody. As I told our team, they threw for almost 500 yards in against Tulane, so they can throw the football. And we haven't proven that we can stop that yet, so it's a challenge to our defense to show that we've grown in that area since last year.
And offensively, I think its P.J.'s time now really to get started with 11 starts under his belt. I'm pleased with what he's done; he's completing 65 percent of his passes, he seven touchdown passes, he's completing 200 yards a game. But I think it's time for him to now go play like a sophomore, eliminate some of the foolish mistake. He's no longer a freshman, he has 11 starts, now it's time to go really excel in every aspect of the game. So he's healthy, he's had a two good weeks of practice, I think we'll see an advancement in his development this week.
And then we have to get the run game going. I know you're going to ask me about that, I ask myself about that all the time. Our offensive line has done a great job protecting the quarterback; I think we've taken one dropback sack this year in four games, most of our sacks have been on nakeds and silly plays. They've done a great job at protecting the quarterback, but we have to run the football. Tulsa's a physical group, they're a rugged group, so it's not going to be an easy challenge. We've worked hard these last two weeks to really try to find a way to improve in that area.
That's kind of where we're at as a team. We're excited about playing Tulsa. Coach Blankenship is a guy I've looked up to in coaching, he's a Tulsa man, and he's done a great job there. They have as dynamic a wide receiver as there is in this league. He's a Biletnikoff Award candidate, he had a terrible fracture in his leg last year. But, you watch Keyarris Garrett out there play, you're in for a treat if he plays this week, and I'm sure he will. He didn't play last week, but he's at Oklahoma and the Sooners are trying to play bump-and-run and he's going over the top, making plays. He's 1,000 yards receiving in his career, and he's really going to stress us and challenge us outside at wide receiver. They have another big play threat in Keevan Lucas, he had a long touchdown against Oklahoma. In terms of the passing game, I think I saw the stats where they're averaging 229 yards of offense in the second half, even though they haven't had great starts. But they're dynamic offensively and we have to show that we can stop that. So Garrett going to be a heck of a matchup, Lucas is going to be a heck of a matchup, and we'll see if we're prepared.
Our offense against their defensive, they have as good a cornerback in the league in Darrell Williams; he plays bump-and-run of the field the whole game, I'm sure he'll match up with Jalen and try to take Jalen away, and both of their safeties are outstanding players. They've got a lot of really good players, they face a tough schedule and I know we'll have them ready to play. So our focus is on our process this week, trying to get ready to play Temple football on Saturday."
After their second bye week of the season, head coach Matt Rhule spoke at a press conference to address the team's upcoming game with American Athletic Conference opponent Tulsa.Â
The October 11 game will be nationally-televised on ESPNews at noon. Those in the Philadelphia area will also be able to listen to the game on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with Harry Donahue (play-by-play), Paul Palmer (analyst) and Harry Mayes (sidelines).
Below is Coach Rhule's opening statement:
"I appreciate everyone being here, thank you for coming out and watching us at the end of practice and then getting right up here to start this.
Obviously we're excited to get back on the field after our second bye week, which is a little bit unusual to have two bye weeks in five weeks. I thought it was good for us, thought it was good for us to work on the things that we're not doing well. I try to bring along some of our young players, we're smart enough to know that we have a lot of young kids that are going to have to help us and accelerate our growth. We worked a lot of the guys we're trying to get ready for next year, so we're trying to build the depth of the program and think long term. We were finally able to rest some guys, get them healthy, let guys concentrate on school, and make sure we have the right start academically.Â
Now we started on Saturday, right into game week and get ready for Tulsa. That should be a great week for us, for Temple, a great week for homecoming. I've been getting calls and texts from the guys that played under Coach Golden and Coach Addazio coming back, which is great. Some of the guys who played for Coach Hardin and Coach Arians all the way back, I know they'll all be there, they're always out there, which is awesome to see them. It's a fun time for us at homecoming and hopefully our team can play a way all those guys can be proud of.
So that's our charge this week. We had a good practice today to make sure we're ready to go and I think we'll be ready. I think that it's also special for us that the school is inducting six people into their athletic hall of fame and three of them are former football people. Coach Morrison, who coached here a long time ago, and Raheem Brock and Dan Klecko, two great Temple Owls, two great friends of this program. I probably hear from Dan Klecko before and after every game, he's just a true Temple Owl at heart. Raheem is always around asking what he can do to help. So it's an honor to be able to play on a weekend where they're being inducted into the hall of fame.
Just a couple of thoughts on what we're trying to get done this week. Just trying to improve our team; we know as a defense that we've gotten publicity, we've done some good things, but there's things we haven't done. We haven't proven yet that we can stop the pass; we've faced a bunch of run-oriented teams, kind of made them one dimensional, they had to throw the ball a bit. But we haven't shown that we can stop that fast, no-huddle offense that gave us a lot of trouble last year. Tulsa was really one of the originators of that; they throw the ball as well as anybody. As I told our team, they threw for almost 500 yards in against Tulane, so they can throw the football. And we haven't proven that we can stop that yet, so it's a challenge to our defense to show that we've grown in that area since last year.
And offensively, I think its P.J.'s time now really to get started with 11 starts under his belt. I'm pleased with what he's done; he's completing 65 percent of his passes, he seven touchdown passes, he's completing 200 yards a game. But I think it's time for him to now go play like a sophomore, eliminate some of the foolish mistake. He's no longer a freshman, he has 11 starts, now it's time to go really excel in every aspect of the game. So he's healthy, he's had a two good weeks of practice, I think we'll see an advancement in his development this week.
And then we have to get the run game going. I know you're going to ask me about that, I ask myself about that all the time. Our offensive line has done a great job protecting the quarterback; I think we've taken one dropback sack this year in four games, most of our sacks have been on nakeds and silly plays. They've done a great job at protecting the quarterback, but we have to run the football. Tulsa's a physical group, they're a rugged group, so it's not going to be an easy challenge. We've worked hard these last two weeks to really try to find a way to improve in that area.
That's kind of where we're at as a team. We're excited about playing Tulsa. Coach Blankenship is a guy I've looked up to in coaching, he's a Tulsa man, and he's done a great job there. They have as dynamic a wide receiver as there is in this league. He's a Biletnikoff Award candidate, he had a terrible fracture in his leg last year. But, you watch Keyarris Garrett out there play, you're in for a treat if he plays this week, and I'm sure he will. He didn't play last week, but he's at Oklahoma and the Sooners are trying to play bump-and-run and he's going over the top, making plays. He's 1,000 yards receiving in his career, and he's really going to stress us and challenge us outside at wide receiver. They have another big play threat in Keevan Lucas, he had a long touchdown against Oklahoma. In terms of the passing game, I think I saw the stats where they're averaging 229 yards of offense in the second half, even though they haven't had great starts. But they're dynamic offensively and we have to show that we can stop that. So Garrett going to be a heck of a matchup, Lucas is going to be a heck of a matchup, and we'll see if we're prepared.
Our offense against their defensive, they have as good a cornerback in the league in Darrell Williams; he plays bump-and-run of the field the whole game, I'm sure he'll match up with Jalen and try to take Jalen away, and both of their safeties are outstanding players. They've got a lot of really good players, they face a tough schedule and I know we'll have them ready to play. So our focus is on our process this week, trying to get ready to play Temple football on Saturday."
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