During the Owls’ preseason training camp, I asked head coach Steve Addazio about the possibility of running a three-headed quarterback system on offense this season.
Addazio’s response was short and dismissive.
“No, I don’t want to do that,” Addazio said.
The ironic thing is that, in the season-opening blowout against Villanova on Thursday, Addazio ended up using three quarterbacks, but not for the reason that I, nor anyone else, could have foreseen.
Redshirt-junior Mike Gerardi impressed as the Owls’ starter. Gerardi finished the game with 235 yards and two touchdowns, but even more notable was the confidence and poise he displayed in the pocket. He took multiple shots downfield (his two touchdown passes went for 35 yards or more) and spread the ball amongst his receivers (five different players had at least one reception). Above all, the offense did not turn the ball over when Gerardi was at the helm.
“I thought [Gerardi] did a great job,” Addazio said. “He managed the game. He was a leader in the huddle. He had confidence. He threw the ball really well. I was proud of him.”
Gerardi was so impressive that the Owls had built a 35-point lead going into the fourth quarter, and Addazio saw fit to bench Gerardi and give redshirt-sophomore Chris Coyer a chance to finish the game at quarterback. Needless to say, Coyer made the most of his opportunity.
In just his third play from scrimmage, Coyer ran a beautiful option fake and scampered straight through the heart of the Villanova defense for a 68-yard touchdown, the first of his collegiate career. With one swift play, Coyer put a nail in the Wildcat’s coffin while simultaneously unhinging the nail in his own coffin, as his chances of being the Owls’ starting quarterback this season seemed buried due to Gerardi’s outstanding play.
“[Coyer] knows everything about the offense, just like the starter would,” Gerardi said. “[Coyer] helps me, I help him. We both make each other better.”
Sophomore Clinton “Juice” Granger, who Addazio has deemed a guy who “you don’t want to be off the field,” took all the snaps at quarterback on the Owls’ final drive of the game. So despite the Owls’ impressive Mayor’s Cup victory, it appears that the quarterback controversy at the head of the Owls’ offense is far from being settled.
“It was a tough call,” Addazio said about the starting quarterback decision. “I thought [Coyer] had a heck of a camp, and you saw he had a heck of a play out there himself. We really think [Granger] has come quite a way as well.”
“What we were really waiting for was to see who could really grab the leadership of this team,” Addazio added. “I thought that they all really grew in that regard. [Gerardi] has had a little bit more experience, and it favored him a little bit.”
The good news is that no matter who starts at quarterback, the Owls offense will continue to be centered upon junior running back Bernard Pierce. Pierce had one of his best efforts of his career Thursday, rushing for 147 yards and tying a career-high with three touchdowns.
“[Pierce] played great,” Gerardi said. “When you’re able to run the ball like he did, it opens up the other things we can do on offense.”
“The last two years, [my performance in the Mayor’s Cup] didn’t really go over,” Pierce said in a teleconference on Friday. “Coming out this year, I really think I set the tone for the rest of the season.”
Pierce showed the burst of his outstanding freshman year, when he rushed for more than 1,400 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. He dominated short-yardage plays and used his speed to consistently get around the edge of the Villanova defensive line.
“He’s as talented as any of the backs that I’ve seen at any of the conferences I’ve been in,” Addazio said.
The quarterback that will continue to run the Owls’ offense remains to be seen, but a healthy Pierce makes that uncomfortable feeling associated with a quarterback controversy fade away.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Football and men's basketball to be broadcast on 1210 WHPT
1210 AM WPHT, the longtime radio home of Temple athletics, have expanded their athletic coverage to incude broadcasts of the entire football and men’s basketball seasons.
“We are excited to be able to not only continue, but strengthen our relationship with WPHT,” Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said. “This deal enables fans in the greater Delaware Valley and beyond the ability to follow Temple Athletics on one of the strongest commercial radio stations in the country.”
The multi-year agreement will go into effect this Thursday night when the Owls kick off their football season against the University of Villanova in the Mayor’s Cup at Lincoln Financial Field, and will extend throughout the 2011-12 athletic season.
KYW Newsradio announcer Harry Donahue will do play-by-play for both football and men’s basketball. Former Owls quarterback Steve Joachim will do color analysis for football, while Assistant Athletic Director John Baum will provide color analysis for men’s basketball.
“We are excited to be able to not only continue, but strengthen our relationship with WPHT,” Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said. “This deal enables fans in the greater Delaware Valley and beyond the ability to follow Temple Athletics on one of the strongest commercial radio stations in the country.”
The multi-year agreement will go into effect this Thursday night when the Owls kick off their football season against the University of Villanova in the Mayor’s Cup at Lincoln Financial Field, and will extend throughout the 2011-12 athletic season.
KYW Newsradio announcer Harry Donahue will do play-by-play for both football and men’s basketball. Former Owls quarterback Steve Joachim will do color analysis for football, while Assistant Athletic Director John Baum will provide color analysis for men’s basketball.
Owls offense forced to adapt to new leadership
First-year head coach Steve Addazio knows a thing or two about offense.Previously the offensive coordinator at Florida, Addazio brings to Temple not only a fresh batch of offensive enthusiasm, but also an impressive history of success. Addazio has 15 years of offensive coaching experience at the collegiate Division 1 level, including the last five years at Florida where he helped lead the Gators to national championships in 2007 and 2009. The veteran coach is hoping to harness the success of his past and channel it into another winning season for Owls’ football.
“I don’t know what the past means, all I know is what the present is,” Addazio said. “What I see right now is a group of guys that have responded well to change.”
“This program has been able to rise up from a program that had a hard time winning seasons, to two winning seasons,” Addazio added. “We’re looking for that growth. We’re looking to sustain that kind of movement.”
Quarterbacks
Per Addazio’s system, each position on offense has undergone a competitive position battle throughout training camp. The most heated battle during the preseason camp was at the head of the offense at quarterback, where five different players had fought for the starter spot.
Redshirt-senior Chester Stewart and redshirt-junior Mike Gerardi both saw significant time as starters last year, but both struggled to protect the ball and neither did enough to secure the starting job. Stewart compiled a 5-2 record as a starter, but threw five interceptions and fumbled seven times. When Gerardi started midway through the season he displayed evidence that he can be a pure passer, as he threw for 1,290 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games. But, Gerardi’s tenure as a starter was tainted by eight interceptions in the team’s final five games as the Owls’ finished the season with a 3-2 record.
“All I have over the other quarterbacks is more experience, but that doesn’t necessarily make me the best quarterback,” Stewart said. “It’s about the team. I’m not really worried about myself. [Addazio] will put the best quarterback out there.”
“You’re never entitled to anything,” Gerardi said. “You always gotta prove yourself, especially at the quarterback position.”
Also, in competition for the starting job is sophomore Clinton Granger, who has been one of the more pleasant surprises throughout training camp. A transfer from Pierce College in Los Angeles, Granger has built a reputation among coaches as a quick learner and has impressed them with his natural ability.
“He’s got a maturity about him,” Addazio said of Granger. “He’s wired right. Where he is now and where he’ll be three days from now will still change because he’s growing at that level.”
Sophomore Chris Coyer and redshirt freshman Connor Reilly have also been competing for reps. The multiplicity of quarterbacks that have impressed at camp combined with the fact that Addazio is yet to name a starter naturally creates the question of the possibility of a multiple-quarterback system. While Addazio has vehemently spoken out against giving more than one quarterback significant time in a given game, he has not ruled out the possibility of bringing a quarterback in off the bench in a wildcat formation or in spread offense situations.
“I don’t want to play two quarterbacks,” Addazio said. “We might have a package for a wildcat. But to play two guys because they’re both kinda doing well? I don’t want to do that.”
Addazio has stated that an official starter won’t be named until the season’s first game against Villanova. However, at training camp Gerardi has taken a majority of the snaps for the first-team offense and Addazio has hinted that Granger would be the most likely candidate to come off the bench and run the wildcat.
“What we’re looking for right now is that ‘it’ factor, more so than that extra completed pass,” Addazio said. “Quite frankly, I’d be okay with either of them right now.”
Running Backs
In contrast to the mercurial atmosphere surrounding the quarterback position, the Owls have a clear-cut view of the 2011 season at running back. It comes in the form of 6-foot, 218-pound junior Bernard Pierce. Injuries and inconsistency marred his sophomore year and his numbers dropped across the board after an outstanding freshman. Now, injury-free and without the pressure of unfair expectation, Pierce is hoping to maintain his health and return to prime form.
“Last year, I would say I wasn’t as prepared for the season,” Pierce said. “I was caught up in the hype rather than actually getting ready. I just want to prove to myself that I can play a full season.”
“He’s absolutely as talented [if not] more than most all running backs I’ve ever coached,” Addazio said of Pierce.
Junior running back Matt Brown has overcome conflicts with the team in the offseason and will return to the backfield to create an impressive split-back system.
Wide Receivers
At wide receiver, Rod Streater and Joe Jones will retain their starting positions for their senior years. Battling for the third and fourth spots are sophomore Deon Miller and junior C.J. Hammond. Hammond has a chance to play in what could be his first full season as a starter- he missed all of last season with a knee injury.
“This year I have a chip on my shoulder,” Hammond said. “I’m more hungry than ever to get back out there.”
Tight Ends
Senior Evan Rodriguez will regain his starting role at tight end, where he caught 21passes last year. Rodriguez was one of 34 players named nationally to the 2011 John Mackey Award Watch List, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Another tight end competing for reps is senior Matt Balasavage, who played in 10 games last season with four starts. Also competing for playing time at the position will be four sophomores- Cody Booth, Matt Brookhart, Alex Jackson and Chris Parthemore -who all stepped on the field last year.
Offensive Line
New offensive line coach Justin Frye inherits a veteran group with versatility. Six starters return on the offensive line, all whom have started multiple games at different positions. Seniors Derek Dennis and Wayne Tribue will start at guard, junior Martin Wallace and senior Pat Boyle will play at tackle and senior John Palumbo will anchor the line at center.
“I think they’re athletic,” Addazio said of the offensive line. “I think they’re fundamentally pretty good. [Frye] has done a great job with them. I feel great about our first offensive line.”
Once the question at quarterback is solved, this offense potentially has enough talent at running back and wideout to compete with any defense in the Mid-American Conference. If Addazio’s history of success means anything, 2011 will be another step up for Temple football.
“I think that what is yet to be determined is, are we at the stage where we can take this thing to the next level and that’s going to be determined on the playing field,” Addazio said.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Freeland's Finish Highlights Penn Relays
In one of the last races of his collegiate career as a sprinter for the track team, senior sprinter Emmanual Freeland seized the moment and emerged victorious.
Freeland is the last leg of the Owls’ track and field 4×100 meter relay, which finished first in the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America Championship race on Saturday at the Penn Relays.
“The feeling was amazing. I had tears of joy after the race,” Freeland said. “I was overwhelmed. As a senior, there’s no other way I would rather end my last collegiate Penn Relays than as a champion.”
It was the only first-place finish for the Owls in the event’s three days, and it was completed in dramatic fashion. Freeland received the baton with the Owls in fourth place and brought his team back to a photo-finish victory. All other five anchors finished within a half a second of Freeland and the Owls’ winning time of 41.29 seconds. Freeland joined freshman Alex McGee, sophomore Dylan Pensyl and senior Miles Dryden in the champion relay.
“I got the baton from [McGee], and I saw that we were in fourth place,” Freeland said. “The atmosphere was amazing, the crowd was going crazy, my family was there, and I just left it all out on the track.”
“I told my team if they just kept me in the race, I would bring home the gold,” Freeland added. “They held their word, so I had to hold mine. I came from fourth place and got my team the victory.”
It was the first ICA4 men’s 4×100 relay championship in Temple history, and it wasn’t even supposed to happen. The 4×100 only qualified as an alternate for the championship race in the qualifying race on Friday. But Brown University did not show up Saturday, setting up Freeland and company’s heroics.
“We told ourselves to live for the moment and just trust each other,” Freeland said. “We are the first Temple 4×100 relay to win the ICA4 Championship. We made history. Nobody can take that from us.”
Freeland, Dryden, McGee and Pensyl also competed in the 4×200 relay qualifier on Friday, in which they placed 18th and earned a spot in the ICA4 Championship on Saturday. The relay gave another outstanding effort in that race, finishing just behind the University of Maryland/Eastern Shore for the team’s second Top 3 performance of the day.
“Our day one was not good at all,” Freeland said. “We had a long talk when we got back to school. We told ourselves that we were going to leave it all on the track day two, and that’s exactly what we did.”
The men’s track and field team had six individuals and four relay teams take the trip to Franklin Field to compete in the Penn Relays. On Friday, the individual standout was senior and Temple hammer throw record-holder Bob Keogh, who placed third in the same event.
Dryden and Pensyl, gold medal winners in the 4×100 on Saturday, also performed well individually in the long jump on Friday. Dryden placed fourth with a personal best mark of 23-11.00 and Pensyl placed 18th with a distance of 21-11.50.
Also performing as an individual on Friday was junior high jumper Tim Malloy, who placed 18th in the high jump. In relays, the 4×400 team of McGee, junior Alan Harding, freshman Chris Bradley and senior Derrhyl Duncan placed 50th, and the distance medley of freshman Will Kellar and seniors Aaron Taylor and Lou Parisi and junior Travis Mahoney placed eighth. On Saturday, freshman Gabe Pickett placed seventh in the triple jump and senior Chris Durante placed 15th in the javelin.
“It was a real solid performance for us,” distance coach Matt Jelley said about the team overall. “Whenever you get in an event like that when you’re out on the track, and you’re hearing all the people in the stands, it’s a pretty cool atmosphere. I thought the guys stepped up and were probably helped by the fact that they were in that atmosphere.”
The women’s track and field team took two individuals and four relay teams to Franklin Field. The 4×400 relay of freshman Ambrosia Iwugo, junior Tanisha Wells and seniors Shadaya Bennett and Paris Williams placed 27th in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship qualifying race. The lineup was altered for the championship race on Saturday, in which Iwugo, sophomore Victoria Gocht and seniors Tashima Stephens and Assata Cowart placed fourth, which was the women’s highlight of the weekend.
Cowart also performed as an individual on Thursday, in which she placed 32nd in the 400 hurdles. Also competing as an individual for the Owls on Thursday was junior Alanna Owens, who placed 20th in the shot put. Freshman Gennie Depass, sophomores Crystal Hercules and Dia Dorsey, and junior Andrea Butler placed 49th in the 4×100 to round out the Owls’ competition on Thursday.
On Friday, Depass, Hercules, Dorsey and sophomore Tessa West placed 35th in the 4×200 relay. On Saturday, Gocht and Bennett joined sophomore Tonney Smith and Stephens to place fifth in the 4×800.
Overall, the Owls performed very well. But the spotlight was stolen by the 4×100 relay and a standout senior who was determined to end his career at Temple on a high note.
“When we got on that podium and [coach Eric Mobley] ran out there, and we were taking pictures, giving autographs and getting congratulated from everyone, I could just think of those workouts where [Mobley] tried to kill us, running in the rain, running in the snow and lifting weights at 6 a.m.,” Freeland said. “This is where it all pays off. We will never forget this moment. And until 2012 Penn Relays, Temple 4×100 are the ICA4 champions.”
Freeland is the last leg of the Owls’ track and field 4×100 meter relay, which finished first in the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America Championship race on Saturday at the Penn Relays.
“The feeling was amazing. I had tears of joy after the race,” Freeland said. “I was overwhelmed. As a senior, there’s no other way I would rather end my last collegiate Penn Relays than as a champion.”
It was the only first-place finish for the Owls in the event’s three days, and it was completed in dramatic fashion. Freeland received the baton with the Owls in fourth place and brought his team back to a photo-finish victory. All other five anchors finished within a half a second of Freeland and the Owls’ winning time of 41.29 seconds. Freeland joined freshman Alex McGee, sophomore Dylan Pensyl and senior Miles Dryden in the champion relay.
“I got the baton from [McGee], and I saw that we were in fourth place,” Freeland said. “The atmosphere was amazing, the crowd was going crazy, my family was there, and I just left it all out on the track.”
“I told my team if they just kept me in the race, I would bring home the gold,” Freeland added. “They held their word, so I had to hold mine. I came from fourth place and got my team the victory.”
It was the first ICA4 men’s 4×100 relay championship in Temple history, and it wasn’t even supposed to happen. The 4×100 only qualified as an alternate for the championship race in the qualifying race on Friday. But Brown University did not show up Saturday, setting up Freeland and company’s heroics.
“We told ourselves to live for the moment and just trust each other,” Freeland said. “We are the first Temple 4×100 relay to win the ICA4 Championship. We made history. Nobody can take that from us.”
Freeland, Dryden, McGee and Pensyl also competed in the 4×200 relay qualifier on Friday, in which they placed 18th and earned a spot in the ICA4 Championship on Saturday. The relay gave another outstanding effort in that race, finishing just behind the University of Maryland/Eastern Shore for the team’s second Top 3 performance of the day.
“Our day one was not good at all,” Freeland said. “We had a long talk when we got back to school. We told ourselves that we were going to leave it all on the track day two, and that’s exactly what we did.”
The men’s track and field team had six individuals and four relay teams take the trip to Franklin Field to compete in the Penn Relays. On Friday, the individual standout was senior and Temple hammer throw record-holder Bob Keogh, who placed third in the same event.
Dryden and Pensyl, gold medal winners in the 4×100 on Saturday, also performed well individually in the long jump on Friday. Dryden placed fourth with a personal best mark of 23-11.00 and Pensyl placed 18th with a distance of 21-11.50.
Also performing as an individual on Friday was junior high jumper Tim Malloy, who placed 18th in the high jump. In relays, the 4×400 team of McGee, junior Alan Harding, freshman Chris Bradley and senior Derrhyl Duncan placed 50th, and the distance medley of freshman Will Kellar and seniors Aaron Taylor and Lou Parisi and junior Travis Mahoney placed eighth. On Saturday, freshman Gabe Pickett placed seventh in the triple jump and senior Chris Durante placed 15th in the javelin.
“It was a real solid performance for us,” distance coach Matt Jelley said about the team overall. “Whenever you get in an event like that when you’re out on the track, and you’re hearing all the people in the stands, it’s a pretty cool atmosphere. I thought the guys stepped up and were probably helped by the fact that they were in that atmosphere.”
The women’s track and field team took two individuals and four relay teams to Franklin Field. The 4×400 relay of freshman Ambrosia Iwugo, junior Tanisha Wells and seniors Shadaya Bennett and Paris Williams placed 27th in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship qualifying race. The lineup was altered for the championship race on Saturday, in which Iwugo, sophomore Victoria Gocht and seniors Tashima Stephens and Assata Cowart placed fourth, which was the women’s highlight of the weekend.
Cowart also performed as an individual on Thursday, in which she placed 32nd in the 400 hurdles. Also competing as an individual for the Owls on Thursday was junior Alanna Owens, who placed 20th in the shot put. Freshman Gennie Depass, sophomores Crystal Hercules and Dia Dorsey, and junior Andrea Butler placed 49th in the 4×100 to round out the Owls’ competition on Thursday.
On Friday, Depass, Hercules, Dorsey and sophomore Tessa West placed 35th in the 4×200 relay. On Saturday, Gocht and Bennett joined sophomore Tonney Smith and Stephens to place fifth in the 4×800.
Overall, the Owls performed very well. But the spotlight was stolen by the 4×100 relay and a standout senior who was determined to end his career at Temple on a high note.
“When we got on that podium and [coach Eric Mobley] ran out there, and we were taking pictures, giving autographs and getting congratulated from everyone, I could just think of those workouts where [Mobley] tried to kill us, running in the rain, running in the snow and lifting weights at 6 a.m.,” Freeland said. “This is where it all pays off. We will never forget this moment. And until 2012 Penn Relays, Temple 4×100 are the ICA4 champions.”
Spotlight: Phillies Fans
The Philadelphia Phillies lost last night, 2-1 to the New York Mets in extra innings. What on the surface appears as just another divisional matchup in May lends greater meaning if you listened closely to the sounds of Citizens Bank Park that began quietly in the top of the ninth inning:
“U-S-A! U-S-A!”
The Phillies’ fans were reacting to the new that spread quickly throughout the ballpark that Osama Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted terrorist and the man most responsible for the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, had been killed.
In a breaking news address to the Nation last night, President Barack Obama informed the country that a U.S. armed force infiltrated a mansion in Pakistan and, after a brief firefight, killed Bin Laden and captured his body which was returned to the United States.
"[Bin Laden’s] demise should be welcomed by all those who believe in peace and human dignity," Obama said.
The news of Bin Laden’s death traveled by word of mouth throughout the ballpark, and by the end of the ninth inning, it was clearly audible to the national audience watching the game from home on ESPN.
“I don’t like to give Philadelphia fans too much credit, but they got this one right,” Mets third baseman David Wright said after the game.
The atmosphere on the field was undoubtedly affected by the fans’ cheers. It is very possible that most of the players didn’t know what had happened until the Phillies’ fans gave them a hint. The fact that New York and Philadelphia were on the field, two cities that were obviously greatly affected by 9/11 contributes an even greater meaning to the game.
"I asked what was going on with all the yelling 'U-S-A, U-S-A,'" Mets reliever Pedro Beato said. "I just asked [pitching coach John Debus], and he said supposedly they caught bin Laden."
"It's probably a night I'll never forget," Mets starter Chris Young. "There are some things bigger than the game and our jobs. I was inside. You could hear the crowd chanting, 'U-S-A.' And I got chills hearing that. It was a pretty neat atmosphere and place to be to get that kind of news.”
Philadelphia is universally recognized as the most hated sports city in the country. Specifically, Philadelphia fans are often criticized for booing too often and expressing criticism without a heart. With their touching moment of patriotism last night, Philadelphia sports fans have taken a step in the right direction of winning over the hearts of the rest of America
“U-S-A! U-S-A!”
The Phillies’ fans were reacting to the new that spread quickly throughout the ballpark that Osama Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted terrorist and the man most responsible for the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, had been killed.
In a breaking news address to the Nation last night, President Barack Obama informed the country that a U.S. armed force infiltrated a mansion in Pakistan and, after a brief firefight, killed Bin Laden and captured his body which was returned to the United States.
"[Bin Laden’s] demise should be welcomed by all those who believe in peace and human dignity," Obama said.
The news of Bin Laden’s death traveled by word of mouth throughout the ballpark, and by the end of the ninth inning, it was clearly audible to the national audience watching the game from home on ESPN.
“I don’t like to give Philadelphia fans too much credit, but they got this one right,” Mets third baseman David Wright said after the game.
The atmosphere on the field was undoubtedly affected by the fans’ cheers. It is very possible that most of the players didn’t know what had happened until the Phillies’ fans gave them a hint. The fact that New York and Philadelphia were on the field, two cities that were obviously greatly affected by 9/11 contributes an even greater meaning to the game.
"I asked what was going on with all the yelling 'U-S-A, U-S-A,'" Mets reliever Pedro Beato said. "I just asked [pitching coach John Debus], and he said supposedly they caught bin Laden."
"It's probably a night I'll never forget," Mets starter Chris Young. "There are some things bigger than the game and our jobs. I was inside. You could hear the crowd chanting, 'U-S-A.' And I got chills hearing that. It was a pretty neat atmosphere and place to be to get that kind of news.”
Philadelphia is universally recognized as the most hated sports city in the country. Specifically, Philadelphia fans are often criticized for booing too often and expressing criticism without a heart. With their touching moment of patriotism last night, Philadelphia sports fans have taken a step in the right direction of winning over the hearts of the rest of America
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