Steve Addazio said he was sitting out Adrian Robinson and Bernard Pierce because they "had great springs" and quarterback Chris Coyer "was fine" in this video that features iconic SID Al Shrier walking around in the background wearing the worst possible logo on his hat.
You can tell a lot about initial impressions.
I thought about that while walking into the Edberg-Olson Football Complex, oh, about 9:59 a.m. on Saturday morning.
The sound blasting in the background was Ce Lo Green's hit "Forget You" which featured the cleaned-up version of the original viral hit lyrics.
I thought how nice to dedicate a song to Villanova, the next Owl opponent.
Or, someone said walking next to me, Al Golden.
"Ouch," I said.
I understood where he was coming from, though.
My school of thought on Al Golden is, simply, this:
There was no man alive who Bill Bradshaw could have hired at the time who could have pulled Temple's football program out of the quick sand better than Al Golden.
He was the right man for THAT time.
If yesterday showed me anything, Steve Addazio might be the right man for THIS time.
One of the players' dads might have said it best.
"These guys are big-time SEC coaches," he said. "Can you imagine these MAC coaches having stuff thrown at them like these guys are going to throw at them? Their heads will be spinning."
I say might because we won't know until the real numbers start pouring in from the West Coast precincts, but here are some real numbers I'm looking for this season:
1) A 35-14 (or better) win over Villanova on Sept. 1 (55-3 would be preferable);
2) A 10-2 (or better) record.
If the first number comes in, go to Vegas and place a sheckle or two on the second number coming to fruition.
"These guys are big-time SEC coaches. Can you imagine these MAC coaches having stuff thrown at them like these guys are going to throw at them? Their heads will be spinning."
_ Temple player's dad
_ Temple player's dad
The first number is important because, for all of Al's admirable qualities, he couldn't put away a seven-win FCS team and he lost to a national champion FCS team with a nine-win FBS team. That should not happen.
The second number is important because Golden set the bar high with that nine-win season two years ago and also because Al left Temple a wonderful parting gift:
Players.
Plenty of good ones.
Plenty of returning starters.
Plenty of really good talent he stashed away with a red shirt last year.
Myron Myles was one of them.
He gained 187 yards and caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Connor Reilly.
Even Michael Doty, the less famous sibling of UConn superstar women's basketball player Caroline Doty, caught a long touchdown pass.
They didn't release depth charts but my guess is that Mike wasn't on the first or second team.
Just a hunch.
There was sooooo much talent on that field yesterday it's hard to know where to start.
James Nixon is going to be the greatest kickoff returner in America next year. You read that here first.
ERod and AJax will be the best tight end combo in the MAC. It's not even close. Let's stretch the field with the spread and watch the seams open up on the inside with dump offs to Eric Rodriguez and Alex Jackson.
I hope they put Nixon back on offense where he can stretch the field out of the spread with Rod Streater and Joe Jones and company.
The difference between Al and Daz as I saw it on the field yesterday was that Daz seems to be able to put these guys in better spots to utilize their talents. I just hope he finds someone else to punt by Sept. 1 because I don't want to expose my NFL leg to a season-ending injury on a roughing-the-punter play. I want to use him for kickoffs and extra points only. Maybe a couple of field goals.
My friend, Ray, knows more nuts and bolts football than most guys I know.
"It's hard to tell from a scrimmage," Ray said. "But I know what I know and this is the most excited I've been coming out of a Cherry and White game in years."
It's nice to think that on your own, but it's doubly nice when you can get that kind of validation from several good football sources.
Speaking of whom, Eagles' coach Andy Reid was there. I thought I saw him over by the food trucks saying this was the greatest campus in America.
Reid sent his son to play for Daz, so that tells you all you need to know about how Andy Reid feels about Daz and being Temple TUFF.
Speaking of Temple TUFF, loved the T-shirts. I walked up to the table, wanted to buy one and the beautiful young lady there said, "Sorry, sir, this is for students only."
Nice.
I thought this was Alumni Weekend.
On the way out, I saw the classic Temple football helmet being sold. The one with TEMPLE on it.
I thought that might be the last time I ever saw one, so I bought it.
In the parking lot afterward, I ran into some ex-Temple football players holding their tailgate. I told them about the T on the helmet.
Nobody liked it.
Nobody.
Hey, Daz has stepped up to the plate and gotten a hit most times since Dec. 23. He can afford a few swings and misses.
"If we beat Penn State, I don't care what he puts on it," I said.
"Hey," one of the players said, "if we beat Penn State, he can put his picture on the side of the helmet if he wants to ..."
