Owls host Redhawks in MAC Conference Battle

The Temple Owls have established themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the MAC conference. Temple has surrendered just 77 points in 8 games prior to giving up 35 to the Ohio Bobcats last week. First year head coach Steve Addazio is an offensive coordinator that once coach Tom Brady, but he is fully aware that his defense is the key to this team’s success. The Owls allowed just 19 points per game in 2010, and are giving up just 12.8 this year. Their inconsistency on offense has forced this season’s team to rely on their defense to lead the way. A 5-4 record isn’t what they had expected through their first 9 games.

College football experts had the Owls finishing at or near the top of the MAC East division, but at 3-3 they are currently 1 game behind both Ohio and Miami of Ohio. The Miami of Ohio Redhawks are also under a first year head coach, but have come into this season off of a tremendous 10-4 year that ended with a 35-21 win over Middle Tennessee St in a bowl game. The Redhawks aren’t dominate in any one area of the game, but are disciplined enough to win close games.

Zac Dysert has had a solid junior season under center for the Redhawks. His passing number are thrugh the roof compared to what he had done in his first 2 years as a starter. Most importantly, he has cut back on his turnovers, and has thrown just 8 interceptions to 16 touchdowns after having a 1:1 average over his first 2 years. The lack of a legitimate running game will inevitably hurt this team over the long haul, and Wednesday’s match-up against the temple defense will put them to the ultimate test.

Temple uses the old school NFL approach to winning games as they run the ball relentlessly on offense, and back it up with dominating “D”. Throwing the ball isn’t and has never been a strong suit for the Owls, and this season is no different. They currently rank 115th out of 120 division 1 teams in passing, but that hasn’t slowed them down one bit. Bernard Pierce is the heart and soul of the offense, and has rushed for over 1000 yards in 9 games. His 19 touchdowns has been the reason Temple’s offense has been able to stay ahead of the opposition. Chester Stewart took over for Mike Gerardi in the second game of the season at quarterback, and has done exactly what was expected of him. Handing the ball off is Stewart’s primary focus, and that will not change until the Owls can bring in a QB that gives them a legitimate threat.

NCAA football handicappers have listed the Owls as 13 point favorites at home for this match-up. This has the potential to be a much more competitive game than advertised if the Redhawks can somehow find a way to move the ball offensively. Tune in Wednesday for this top tiered MAC conference showdown.

 

Related posts:

1. Bobcats host Redhawks in MAC Conference Showdown
2. MAC Conference Showdown: Miami of Ohio vs. Temple
3. MAC Conference Championship: Huskies vs. Redhawks
4. Temple and Ohio in MAC Conference Grudge Match
5. MAC East Leaders Collide: Temple vs. Ohio

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