So what would it mean if this is the year? What if Temple, not that long
ago the cupcake on every team’s schedule, could knock off cross-state
rival Penn State for the first time in 29 meetings?
Maybe not as much as you’d think.
“Obviously
any time you go against team with such a storied tradition, if you’re
fortunate enough to win, it would have great meaning for your program,”
said first-year Owls coach Steve Addazio. “But it doesn’t make or break
your season. It’s one football game and you want to be careful one game
doesn’t define your team. But if you win those things, it can catapult you.”
Can
they win? Listening to Joe Paterno, this Temple team presents more
challenges than ever before for his squad. Then again, Paterno would
tell you the proverbial “Little Sisters of the Poor” are much tougher
than their record really indicates.
“We had our hands full with them
last year,” said Paterno of a 22-13 win where the Nittany Lions trailed
13-9 at halftime. “And this is the best Temple team I’ve seen in all the
years we’ve played. They have size, speed, excellent quarterbacking and
two good running backs [Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown].”
So far this
season, Temple (2-0) has outscored the opposition, 83-10. Meanwhile,
Penn State (1-1) is coming off a 27-11 home thrashing by No. 2 Alabama —
and with an imposing Big Ten schedule looming, many think the Nittany
Lions might be ripe for an upset.
“Your approach doesn’t change in
games like this,” said Addazio. “Just have a normal work week of
practice and preparation, and the emotions of the game will take care of
itself. Give yourselves a chance and let the chips fall.”
