That orange bag in the background might be an omen of things to come.
If my math is correct, Montel Harris mentions the Orange Bowl not once but twice in the video above.
I like the way Temple's newest and maybe greatest running back sets the bar.
For the past three years, Temple has had a remarkable 1-2 running back combination, Bernie and The Bug.
We've still got Matty Brown, the Bug, so we'll have to come up with a nickname for Harris as well.
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| Montel Harris being carried off by the Owls after beating Cincinnati at LFF for the Big East title? Perhaps. |
So close to the season opener, Harris knows the reasons why you play the game is to win and win championships.
The nice thing about this being opening weekend is that you can win them all at this point and why not go for it?
Harris understands if Temple wins the Big East, it will be Temple going to the Orange Bowl and no amount of backroom politics can keep the Owls out.
To that end, I'm glad Harris is on Temple's side.
His exploits are well-documented on this website. Had he remained at Boston College, he would have been the all-time leading rusher in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. That's a conference that includes Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, among other storied football schools.
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| Let's not forget The Bug, TU's No. 1 AP rusher last year. |
Harris said his injured leg is 100 percent and that it is so good it is better than the other leg.
If that's true, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, Harris represents an upgrade over Bernard Pierce, who was merely a third-round NFL draft choice.
As good as Pierce was, I'm 100 percent sure he would not have had the first three years in the ACC that Montel Harris did.
Fortunately, I have 11 games in which to prove my hypothesis.
It won't be proven by mere stats because I don't think Harris will match BP's 27 touchdowns and 1,737 yards. But it will be proven by wins and that's really all I care about.
"Bernard was a heckuva football player and this guy (Harris) is a heckuva football player," head coach Steve Addazio said. "He's got great balance. He's never off his feet. He's a smart guy. You need to only tell him things once and he picks it right up."
If Harris and Brown as a tandem can help the Owls win more games than last year, there's a good chance Temple fans will be making plans for a winter trip to Miami (Florida, not Ohio) where they might run into Al Golden.
"Bernard was a heckuva football player and this guy (Harris) is a heckuva football player. He's got great balance. He's never off his feet. He's a smart guy. You need to only tell him things once and he picks it right up." _ Steve Addazio
It's nice to know that Harris is on the same page.
It's no secret that Addazio counseled Pierce to stay at Temple for his senior year and was not happy when Bernard decided to leave. Addazio's thought process was that if you are not a first-round draft choice, you should stay in college, enjoy your senior year and get your degree.
Wouldn't it be interesting if Harris proved Daz right about Pierce by parlaying his only season at Temple into a first-round NFL pick?
If Harris leads Temple to the Orange Bowl, he not only positions himself into the first round but into the Heisman Trophy conversation as well. Pierce could have done the same, but we will never know.
Harris has his chance and so do the Owls.
Electric Orange indeed.
One BC fan's view of how MH8's season will end:
Tomorrow: Temple vs. Villanova preview
