Keys to Victory: Offensive Line Leads The Way
USF (1-5; 0-2 American) vs Temple (3-3; 1-1 American)
Saturday, Oct. 23 • 7:00 P.M. • Tampa, Fla. • Raymond James Stadium (65,857)
SURFACE: Tifway Bermuda
TV: ESPN+: Courtney Lyle (p-by-p) & Brandon Weeden (analyst)
RADIO: 95.3 FM WDAE
AUDIO STREAM: iHeartRadio - Bulls Unlimited1
SERIES: Temple leads, 5-2
IN TAMPA: USF leads, 2-1
IN PHILADELPHIA: Temple leads, 4-0
LAST: Temple won, 39-37, in Philly in 2020
STREAK: Temple has won three straight
GAME NOTES (PDF)
By Joey Johnston
It's called Temple Tuff. Or in the social media world, #TempleTuff. The slogan is meant to symbolize the fight, grit and toughness of Temple's football program. It was actually coined by John Chaney, the late Temple men's basketball coach, whose teams were known for their hard-nosed passion.
But now it's time for USF Tuff.
If ever there's an occasion for the USF Bulls to display their toughness, resolve and grit, this is definitely it. The Bulls (1-5, 0-2 AAC) need a victory to establish momentum in Coach Jeff Scott's second season and the Temple Owls (3-3, 1-1 AAC) are the obstacle in Saturday night's game at Raymond James Stadium (ESPN+).
For the Bulls, a victory would mean everything.
Moving forward from last Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Tulsa doesn't figure to be easy. The Bulls should rely on their strengths — a veteran offensive line and the resolute power of Jaren Mangham, who leads the AAC with 10 rushing touchdowns (a figure that ranks No. 2 nationally) and has proven the ability to grind out yards and help the Bulls produce long drives.
There are no Bulls' units with more hard-earned pride than USF's offensive line. "When we've got to get it done, we want it to start with us,' senior guard Demetris Harris said.
Left to right, tackle Donovan Jennings, Harris, center Brad Cecil, guard Dustyn Hall and tackle Demontrey Jacobs lead the way up front. There are things to clean up. Against Tulsa, McClain was sacked three times and under constant pressure. And there's that failed fourth and one in crunch time.
But the unit has largely played with poise and composure (one false start against Tulsa), typified by no pre-snap penalties in BYU's noisy din.
It's the perfect time for USF's offensive line to firmly establish itself as the program's leaders. Mangham is prepared to follow that direction. He doesn't say he has rushed for 10 touchdowns. He says all of his teammates — principally, the offensive linemen — share in the 10 scores.
"Without them, and the blocking of the wide receivers, I wouldn't be where I am today,'' Mangham said. "If you have 11 (defensive) guys against one, that's not going to work. I'm not going to get in there (end zone) without them. They are moving guys for me, giving me holes, getting down and dirty every single play.
"Having the 10 touchdowns is like having a target on your back. It's still satisfying getting into the end zone, very exciting getting there. But it's not the job of one person. We're all doing it together.''
Mangham was asked about the concept of toughness. It's a legendary quality for all of Philadelphia's sports teams. But Mangham is from Detroit, another blue-collar, gritty capital.
Which is tougher — Philadelphia or Detroit?
"You know who I'm rolling with,'' Mangham said.
It boils down to that. USF vs. Temple. Which team is more tough? Or more tuff?
The USF-Temple Series
Temple leads 5-2 in the series against USF and has three consecutive victories, including last season's 39-37 win at Philadelphia. There were five lead changes in the wild game. USF held a 31-20 lead late in the third quarter, but the Owls took command with 19 unanswered points.
USF's most notable victory against Temple occurred in 2015, when the Bulls won 44-23 against the No. 21-ranked Owls at Ray-Jay. The Bulls gained 556 yards as running back Marlon Mack rushed for 230 and scored three touchdowns.
Connections
* USF sophomore wide receiver Yusuf Terry, a transfer from Baylor, grew up in North Philadelphia, very close to Temple's campus.
* USF assistant head coach/offensive line coach Allen Mogridge was Temple's offensive line coach in 2013.
* USF tight end Mitchell Brinkman played three seasons at Northern Illinois for Rod Carey, who moved his head-coaching duties from NIU to Temple in 2019.
* Temple has five Floridians, but none from the Tampa Bay area.
Trivia Time
Since beginning its football series against Temple in 2012, the Bulls have faced four different Owls' head coaches in the seven games. Can you name them? (Answer below).
Looking Ahead
After facing Temple, the Bulls have a short week before traveling to East Carolina for a Thursday night game on ESPN. The Pirates (3-3, 1-1 AAC) will play at Houston on Saturday afternoon.
USF leads 9-2 in the series against East Carolina, including a 5-0 mark in Greenville, N.C. The Bulls also gained the program's first-ever bowl victory in a 24-7 triumph against the Pirates in 2006.
This season, the Pirates are averaging 42.7 points in their wins and 17.3 points in their defeats. They hold victories against Marshall (42-38), Charleston Southern (31-28) and Tulane (52-29), while dropping a pair of heartbreakers against South Carolina (20-17) and UCF (20-16).
East Carolina is paced by one of the AAC's top running backs, Keaton Mitchell, who has rushed for 639 yards (106.5 per game, 8.3 per carry) and four touchdowns.
Trivia Answer
During its games against USF, Temple has had four head football coaches — Steve Addazio (2012), Matt Rhule (2013-16), Geoff Collins (2017-18) and Rod Carey (2019-present). Addazio is now the head coach at Colorado State after a stop at Boston College immediately after Temple. Matt Rhule led the Baylor program for a few successful years following his Temple stint before taking over as head coach of the NFL's Carolina Panthers in 2020. Geoff Collins is now in his third season as the head coach at Georgia Tech.
