A tale of two former quarterbacks’ pro journeys: Adam DiMichele

Adam DiMichele, recently cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, keeps all football options open.

The distance was only feet away, but the worlds were miles apart.

Adam DiMichele spent his Temple career suiting up for home football games in the Owls’ locker room at Lincoln Financial Field. This summer, DiMichele had his own locker just down the hall.

After a successful career on North Broad Street, DiMichele earned a private tryout during offseason minicamps with the Philadelphia Eagles, who also play their home games at the Linc.

“All you really need is one team to like you, and that’s kind of what happened with Philadelphia,” DiMichele said. “They gave me that opportunity.

“It was probably my best workout. I thought I threw the ball very well.”

DiMichele signed a rookie free-agent contract with the Eagles on May 18. He was released less than a month later, but the staff told him to be ready for a phone call.

That phone call came a month later, and DiMichele signed with the Eagles again on Aug. 12.

“It was weird because they have you in there and have you sign the papers, and the next thing you know, they kind of release you,” he said. “So I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with camp. I was just trying to stay ready.”

DiMichele finished 14-for-22 for 130 yards and a 21-yard touchdown pass eight days later in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

“I was actually more nervous at practice than I was at the games,” he said. “I was just trying to play smart and play like I have always played. I came in with nothing, and basically, I had nothing to lose.”
During his time with the Eagles, DiMichele had the opportunity to work behind and interact with quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb.

He said they were all good guys, calling McNabb a “professional” and Kolb a “competitor.”
“They were all really good people,” DiMichele said. “I was trying to ask a lot of questions, and I always wondered if they were going to answer the questions or [ignore me].”

DiMichele’s journey started at Sto-Rox High School in McKees Rocks, Pa., where he was a three-sport All-State selection as a senior in baseball, football and basketball, earning state Player of the Year in the latter two.

“I really enjoyed each and every second of it, each season of it,” DiMichele said. “I was blessed to be around a lot of good people, good coaches and players.”

DiMichele finished his high school career as the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League’s all-time leading passer, breaking records set by Joe Montana, Dan Marino and Joe Namath.

“Success in high school came from a great backing from my family, great players, great coaches around me,” he said. “That’s where it all came about.”

DiMichele’s high school career earned him a scholarship to Penn State, who saw him as a defensive player and wanted him to play in the secondary. DiMichele wasn’t too keen on moving to the defensive side of the ball, so he asked to be released from his scholarship. Penn State balked at the idea, so DiMichele could not play sports at any other Division I school for a year.

He decided the quickest way to make it to a professional league would be by playing baseball, so he enrolled in Okaloosa-Walton College in Florida for two years.

In 2005, the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 38th round of the Major League Baseball draft.
But again, DiMichele said he wasn’t completely confident with his career path.

“It was weird. I kind of had just another change of heart,” he said. “It was one of those parts of your life where you don’t know what you want to do and weighing all your options, and that’s how I was. I guess I just missed football.”

So, after a brief stay at Penn State and two years on the diamond, DiMichele came to Temple, where he started at quarterback for three years.

“It was just kind of like a perfect fit,” he said. “They were rebuilding, and I was trying to rebuild myself.”
In his first year, DiMichele started nine games and threw for 10 touchdowns. A year later in 2007, he threw for 12 touchdowns in eight games before a season-ending leg injury.

Last year, he missed three games with a shoulder injury.

DiMichele admitted his past injuries hurt his chances of getting drafted.

“It was a very difficult thing,” he said. “You work so hard in the offseason, and one play can really do you in and just hurt your season.”

After missing those three games in the middle of the season, DiMichele returned and threw for a touchdown in a win against Ohio.

He finished his senior year throwing for 1,911 yards and 18 touchdowns while leading the Owls to a 5-7 record – their best finish since 1990. DiMichele, a recipient of the Owl Award and Captains’ Award in both 2007 and 2008, finished his career with 5,024 passing yards, which ranks fourth in Temple’s history.

“I’m definitely honored,” he said. “If I could go back, I would share it with those other seniors because they did just as much as I did in turning this program around. I think we did lay the foundation for something great, and I think this should be a great year.

“Those guys have seen the lowest of the low, and they’ll never let it get that low again.”

It was a low day for DiMichele when he was again released by the Eagles after his strong preseason appearance. But a phone call from offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach James Urban brightened his day, as they told him they were impressed with his competitiveness and how he played against the Colts.

“They basically told me not to quit,” he said. “They think I can still play at this level, and they think I should play anywhere I can right now and get as much playing experience as [I can].

“It was a bad day getting released, but they made my day a little better, as did feeling I could do it and not doubt myself.”

There is no doubt DiMichele still wants to play – the issue is where. He talked about the Canadian Football League and mentioned there are a few teams interested.

“I just really want to play,” DiMichele said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s the NFL or Canada. I just really want to play and compete.”

Pete Dorchak can be reached at pdorchak@temple.edu.

Owls’ careers heat up over the summer

Sean Barksdale and Adam DiMichele go pro with the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Eagles. Fans select Candice Dupree for WNBA All-Star Game.

While some Temple students spent their summers getting sunburnt and breaking rafts, some student-athletes made big headlines instead.

Baseball
Sean Barksdale played outfield for the Owls’ baseball team and was drafted in the 38th round (No. 1,151 overall) by Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros. He was the first Owl to be taken in the MLB draft since 1999.

Barksdale reported to the Tri-City Valley Cats of the Class-A short-season New York-Penn League. Through 37 games this season, he is batting .175 with two home runs, eight RBI, two stolen bases and 11 runs scored. In his last five games, he has a home run, two runs scored and two RBI.
Coach Rob Valli announced that former Monmouth pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Chuck Ristano will join the Owls as an assistant coach.

During Ristano’s four seasons at Monmouth, the Hawks made two NCAA Tournament appearances and won a school-record 37 games in 2008.

Three of his pitchers, including Ryan Buch and Brett Brach, have been drafted by MLB teams.

Men’s Basketball
6-foot, 8-inch, 215-pound forward Carmel Bouchman, from the Irani Tet School in Tel Aviv, Israel, signed a scholarship letter, joining Chester High School’s Rahlir Jefferson and Norristown High School’s Khalif Wyatt in the 2009 recruiting class.

Bouchman averaged eight points and more than seven rebounds in the Under-18 Championships in Metz, France, in July.

After not being chosen in the NBA draft, three-time Atlantic Ten Conference scoring champion Dionte Christmas was invited to the Philadelphia 76ers’ and the Los Angeles Clippers’ summer league teams, where he struggled. In five games with the Clippers, Christmas had a high score of four points.
Christmas’ coach for his freshman season, John Chaney, will be inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame this season along with former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino and former La Salle coach Bill “Speedy” Morris.

Women’s Basketball
Candice Dupree, who graduated from Temple in 2006 and plays for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, earned her first-ever WNBA All-Star appearance. Better yet, the fans selected her as a starter. She scored 12 points on five-for-12 shooting.

Football
Former quarterback Adam DiMichele lost his roster spot with the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 25 following the acquisition of Michael Vick. In the Eagles’ second preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, DiMichele engineered a drive that led to a touchdown and two point conversion. He finished the game 14-for-22 for 130 yards and the touchdown.

Gymnastics
U.S. Gymnastics named men’s gymnastics coach Fred Turoff to the 2009 U.S.A. Gymnastics World Team Selection Committee.

At the same time as the 2009 Visa Championships, the committee inducted Turoff into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in Dallas.

Ryan Rosengrant can be reached at ryan.rosengrant@temple.edu.

Looking Back

And like that, another year is complete at Temple.

There were highs, lows, good moments, bad moments and everything in between. With finals looming and the sweet release of summer right behind them, let’s take a look back at all that was from the 2008-2009 season.

AUGUST
The students filed into the dorms and back onto campus as the football team opened its season with a 35-7 win over Army in West Point, N.Y. It was the first time since 2002 that the Owls won their opening game.

The field hockey team also began its season with two 5-0 wins over Lehigh and Bryant. In addition, Eric Mobley was named coach of the track and field teams.

SEPTEMBER
It was a rough month for the football team.

The Owls lost back-to-back heartbreakers to Connecticut (in overtime) and Buffalo (on a Hail Mary). The next week against Penn State, they lost DiMichele to an injury. The following week, they lost the Homecoming game to Western Michigan, 7-3.

Meanwhile, the women’s soccer team also struggled, finishing the month at 2-5-2. The men’s soccer team finished the month with an average 4-3-1 record, but the best was yet to come for coach David MacWilliams’ team.

The men’s cross-country team had one of its best showings with a second-place finish in the Monmouth Cross Country Kickoff. The field hockey team lost six games in a row to end the month with a 4-6 record, while the volleyball team went 8-6 over the month, including a 3-0 mark in the Atlantic Ten Conference.

Also, men’s tennis coach Steve Mauro took on the task of coaching the women’s tennis team.

OCTOBER
The football team went on the road to beat Miami (Ohio), 28-10, and took down Ohio, 14-10, as DiMichele returned to the lineup. In between, the Owls lost to Central Michigan, 24-10.

The golf team followed up its stellar showing at the St. Bonaventure Invitational by winning the Big 5 Championship.

The field hockey team began A-10 play with three straight wins. However, the Owls followed those up with three straight losses to end the month at 3-2 in conference and 7-11 overall.

The men’s soccer team went 4-1-2. Six of those games came in A-10 play to lay the grounds for a playoff bid. The women’s soccer team beat Richmond, 1-0, to nab its lone victory in a dreadful 1-6-1 month. The volleyball team lost four straight A-10 games to begin its late season slide.

NOVEMBER
The football team blew a 27-7 fourth-quarter lead to Navy and lost in overtime. The Owls followed that up with a defenseless 41-38 loss to Kent State to take them out of postseason contention.

Though, the Owls did end their season with a pair of victories over Eastern Michigan and Akron, finishing 5-7 — the most wins for the program since 1990.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams opened their seasons, with the men slumping out of the gate with a 3-2 mark and the women going 3-1.

The field hockey team lost in the A-10 semifinals for the fifth straight year, though this time it was a crushing overtime defeat.

The 2-0-1 finish to the regular season put the men’s soccer team into the A-10 Tournament as the No. 2 seed. But, the Owls fell to Dayton, 2-1, to end their season. The women’s soccer team closed its season with with a 4-11-4 record. The volleyball team went 1-3 to end the regular season and lost to Xavier, 3-2, in the playoffs.

DECEMBER
After a home-opening loss to Miami (Ohio), senior guard Dionte Christmas hit for 35 points in an upset win over then-No. 7 Tennessee. The Owls also went on the road to beat Penn State. However, three straight losses to end the month left coach Fran Dunphy’s squad at 5-6 overall.

The women’s basketball team, led by first-year coach Tonya Cardoza, fell to Rutgers, Florida State and Villanova and beat Toledo, Tulane, Ball State and Dartmouth. The Owls stood at 7-4 overall.

JANUARY
The men’s basketball team won seven of nine games to begin the season at 4-2 in A-10 play. The Owls dominated the likes of La Salle and Richmond but lost to a lesser team in Massachusetts and were frustratingly inconsistent against Rhode Island. During that stretch, former coach John Chaney and Dr. Ray Moyer were inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame.

The women’s basketball team fell big to Duke but began the year at 4-2 in conference with key wins versus Dayton and St. Joe’s.

FEBRUARY
After losing to powerhouse Xavier, the men’s basketball team rattled off five wins in a row, including back-to-back road victories against St. Joe’s and Duquesne. The wins put the Owls in the bubble talk for the NCAA Tournament, but that chatter ended after two straight losses to La Salle at home and at Dayton. At the end of the month, the Owls stood at 17-11 overall and 9-5 in the A-10.

The women’s basketball team lost big at UMass, but that was it. Massive wins against Charlotte and then-No. 13 Xavier sent the Owls to the top of the conference. They finished the month 19-8 and 10-3 in the A-10.

The fencing team won the NIWFA Championships and got 12 players selected for the NCAA Regionals, where nine advanced to the finals.

Meanwhile, the lacrosse team opened its season with a 16-9 defeat to Rutgers, and the softball team began its season with a 6-3 victory over Georgetown.

The baseball team started out at 2-2.

MARCH
The men’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year by once again winning the A-10 Tournament. Wins versus St. Joe’s, Xavier and Duquesne sent the Owls dancing to Miami as a No. 11 seed.

However, sixth-seeded Arizona State downed the Owls, 66-57, to end their season and the careers of Christmas, guard Semaj Inge and center Sergio Olmos. The Owls finished the year at 22-12 overall and 11-5 in the A-10.

The women’s basketball team also made the NCAA Tournament, earning an at-large bid. The Owls were seeded ninth against No. 8 Florida, and the Gators chomped down on the Owls, 70-57, in Storrs, Conn. The Owls finished the season 21-10 overall and 11-3 in the A-10.

Meanwhile, Howell and fellow junior Melissa Parker were named honorable mention All-Americans, as the fencing team finished in eighth place at the NCAA Championships.

The women’s gymnastics team finished in third place at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships, but the real story was sophomore Katie Canning, who captured the beam championship and later qualified for the NCAA Regionals.

The lacrosse team lost all eight games in this month, falling to 0-9. The softball team snapped its long losing streak with a 4-3 victory against Wagner.

And finally, seven straight losses didn’t affect the baseball team, as it began A-10 play with three-game sweeps of Duquesne and La Salle.

APRIL
Canning took home the gold in All-Around and Vault in the USAG Championships.

The golf team finished its season with a fourth-place showing in the A-10 Championship. Also, the men’s gymnastics team failed to win its fourth ECAC title in a row, finishing in fourth place in the Championship.

The women’s tennis team fell to Richmond in the A-10 finals, 4-0. The men’s tennis team came in sixth place in the A-10 Tournament.

The lacrosse team finally won a game, beating Richmond, 12-6. The Owls finished the season with a 4-12 record. The softball team rebounded to stand 6-6 in the A-10.

The baseball team stumbled after taking two of three games against UMass, losing twice to St. Joe’s and two out of three times to both Charlotte and Xavier. They stood in third place the A-10 standings.
Finally, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected defensive tackle Terrance Knighton with the 72nd overall pick of the NFL draft.

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

Quarterback battle a toss-up

A classic quarterback battle brews down at Edberg-Olson Hall during the football team’s spring practices.

Redshirt junior Vaughn Charlton, though listed first on the depth chart, splits his reps 50-50 with redshirt sophomore Chester Stewart. Redshirt sophomore Mike Gerardi also sees some action, while incoming freshman Chris Coyer watches from the sidelines on Saturdays, when he often drives up from Virginia to acclimate himself with his teammates, the campus and the offense.

And that’s the way it will stay for the foreseeable future, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Rhule said.

“I really don’t know when the decision will be made. I really don’t,” Rhule said. “That’s the head coach’s call. It’s my job to get all the quarterbacks ready. It’s their job to win the job.”

Charlton, who redshirted in 2008 so he could have two full years of eligibility with Adam DiMichele set to graduate, played in seven games his sophomore season, starting four of them when DiMichele went down with a season-ending injury. He completed 78 of his 137 attempted passes for 808 yards and three touchdowns. In 2006, as a freshman, Charlton made three starts, again for an injured DiMichele, throwing for 417 yards and two touchdowns.

Stewart replaced DiMichele last season when the senior quarterback hurt his right throwing shoulder against Penn State and missed three games. He played in 11 games, starting three and completing 53 passes for 524 yards and four touchdowns.

“The first six practices we’re installing our offense, so there’s a lot of mistakes that everyone makes, including the quarterbacks,” Rhule said. “But I think they both really want to play, so they’ve really studied. They’ve worked hard. They’ve all played pretty well. What’s going to be the key for me is who really accelerates their development now that the installation’s done, and they’re not out there saying what do I have. They know what they’re doing. We’ll see over the next seven practices who can really play. If you repeatedly make plays, we don’t care what you did. We care what you do.”

Neither quarterback was available for comment on the issue, per coach Al Golden’s policy that places them off-limits to the media throughout spring practice.

Golden was also unavailable to answer questions.

Senior wide receivers Dy’Onne Crudup and Jason Harper have worked with Charlton and Stewart in the past when DiMichele was out and now practice with both on the first-team offense. Both said leadership will be a determining factor in the battle.

“Both quarterbacks are doing really well right now, but I think what’s going to take over between the two of them is whoever can lead the team down the field better,” Harper said. “They’re both pretty much the same. They both got good arms and size [Charlton’s listed at 6-feet-4-inches and 235 pounds, Stewart at 6-feet-3-inches and 225.].”

Crudup agreed with Harper.

“It’s just a toss-up,” he said. “One day, one’s having a good day, and the other’s not. It’s back-and-forth. Either-or is fine with me. Coach will probably make the decision when we get to camp [in August].”

Two years ago, Golden had to make a similar decision between Charlton and DiMichele.

Now, DiMichele roams the sidelines at Edberg-Olson Hall, serving as Rhule’s eyes and ears with the quarterbacks when the coordinator is busy directing the entire offense.

“Adam’s really serving two functions,” Rhule said. “When the quarterback is not playing, he’s going through the plays with them and making sure they know what’s their footwork, what’s their progression, what should their eyes be seeing. It’s sort of one-on-one tutoring. And then he’s also really helping them develop their leadership skills because Adam was a tremendous leader. He’s kind of stepped back and been kind of a coach and tutor.”

All that’s left now is for Golden to determine which quarterback leads the Owls into the 2009 season.

Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temple.edu.

Football a changed program

As the clock hit all zeros, it all came to an end.

The game against Akron.

The 2008 season.

And the collegiate careers of 22 players on the football team.

Most notably, redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele and senior wide receiver Bruce Francis donned their Temple uniforms for the final time, as these two players, so much a part of the rebuilding process under coach Al Golden, wrapped up their Owl careers with a 27-6 victory over Akron.

That victory gave the Owls five for the season, the program’s most since 1990. And while the tough losses to Connecticut, Buffalo, Western Michigan and Navy still linger in frustration, in the end, the departing seniors were not dwelling on the past.

“This has probably been the [best] three years of my life. There are no regrets,” DiMichele said. “The guys I played with are going to be lifelong friends, and it’s something special and unique. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

“It’s been a great run,” Francis added. “I had a lot of fun playing with my teammates and being coached by these guys. It’ll hit me hard in a couple of days, but right now, I’m just enjoying the victory.”

But, at the same time, everyone in that locker room knows they are a converted Hail Mary away from being in the Mid-American Conference Championship game.

And that, combined with the other close calls, can always make a player wonder, “What if?”

“Yea, I’m going to think about it,” DiMichele said. “But you can’t change the past, and I’m not going to look back too often. It still hasn’t sunk in that [Friday] was my last game, so when that happens, I’m sure I’ll look back a little bit.”

But as DiMichele looks back on his time at Temple, he can remember entering a program with no direction, no sense of purpose, no true leadership.

And those players, the departing seniors who were recruited by former coach Bobby Wallace and managed to stay through the regime change, were the ones the Owls’ captain ended up speaking so highly of.

“It’s been an honor to play with these seniors,” DiMichele said. “There are guys that came in with them that aren’t here anymore. They either couldn’t cut it or it was too rough for them. But those guys really fought, and when I got here, they taught me a few different things.”

Francis, who walked on under Wallace, remembers how different it was back then and what he had to do to work through it.

“When they had things like study hall and practice when I was a freshman, I didn’t have to go to that if I didn’t want to,” Francis said. “We had class that wasn’t mandatory. But I’m practically proud of myself because I stuck it out when it was hard, and I’m being rewarded.”

With that, the program has certainly come a long way under Golden, as he’s changed the culture of Temple football. And the transition, the Owls’ third-year coach said, has been especially evident over the past year.

“If you think of where we were at 12 months ago, 13 months ago, it’s a completely different team right now. It’s a completely different operation,” Golden said. “We have a nice group coming back. We lose two starters on defense and four on offense. So I can’t look at it in any other way other than optimistic.”

But in the end, Golden credits his key departing seniors in helping to change the atmosphere at Edberg-Olson Hall, as they were the ones who truly bought into his system and relayed the message to the team.

“The kids know how to fight now,” Golden said. “[DiMichele] taught us, and Bruce taught us, and Terrance Knighton and a couple of other guys taught us how to do it.”

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

Ending on a high note

It wasn’t the prettiest way to finish the season, but the football team will take it.

Behind a stout defense effort and some timely scoring drives, the Owls downed Akron, 27-6, Friday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

Locked in a 6-6 game in the fourth quarter, redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele completed a 50-yard strike down the middle of the field to junior wide receiver Jason Harper. On the very next play, DiMichele dove over the corner of the endzone for a 4-yard touchdown run that gave the Owls the lead for good.

Temple finished its season 5-7, 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference, an overall one game improvement from last season.

“It wasn’t easy,” coach Al Golden said of the win. “[Akron]’s a good team. That’s a good veteran team there. They’ve got some guys that are going to play in the NFL…that was a good win for us. That’s what pleased me the most.”

DiMichele finished with 220 passing yards and 57 rushing yards, including two rushing touchdowns.

The Owls’ dominance of the contest was especially evident at the end of the game, as they outscored the Zips 21-3 in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t want to come off too arrogant, but we kind of took their heart,” DiMichele said. “We were just running the same exact play over and over, and their guys were just quitting.”

“It was one of those things that Coach [Golden] wanted to see all year, and we finally made it happen,” he added.

The defense, which was coming off three consecutive games where it gave up more than 30 points in each, rebounded to halt the Zips’ attack.

And while it allowed 331 yards of total offense, the unit allowed just four third down conversions in 15 attempts and picked off Akron junior quarterback Chris Jacquemain three times.

Central to those interceptions was the game-icing pick from freshman cornerback Kevin Kroboth, who made an acrobatic play to haul in the pass attempt and an athletic play to run it back into Owls territory.

“Excellent player, excellent player,” Golden said of Kroboth. “He’s a credit to the camp, he is a credit to trusting what you see and not listening to what the recruiting experts say.”

Redshirt senior fullback Marcellous Grigsby, who finished with 40 rushing yards on 11 carries, pounded home a 3-yard to make Kroboth’s pick and run back count, which gave the Owls at 14-point lead.

A blocked field goal which was touched by Akron and recovered by Temple led to Grigsby running another touchdown in, as the senior ended his collegiate career on a high note.

But at that point the game was over, and for the seniors, the last four or five years of hard work all came to fruition.

“It’s been a great run,” senior wide receiver Bruce Francis said. “I had a lot of fun playing with my teammates and being coached by these guys. It’ll hit me hard in a couple of days, but right now I’m just enjoying the victory.”

The Owls took a 6-0 lead in the first half on a 4-yard run by DiMichele, but Akron eventually tied the score with two second half field goals.

Temple will host Villanova in the home opener of the 2009 season.

Game Notes

Prior to kickoff, Temple’s 22 seniors were honored and recognized, as their names were called out one by one before meeting family members on the 50-yard line…The five Temple wins are the program’s most since 1990…Akron’s loss left them with five wins, one shy of bowl eligibility…Redshirt junior kicker Jake Brownell missed an extra point and two field goals.

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

Shootout at the Linc

In a game that didn’t mean anything, the football team brought its offense.

And just enough defense.

The Owls defeated Eastern Michigan, 55-52, Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field, behind record-setting days from redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele and senior wide receiver Bruce Francis.

DiMichele threw for 370 yards and six touchdowns while running for 28 yards and a touchdown, and Francis caught 9 passes for 125 yards and four touchdowns.

DiMichele’s six touchdown passes in the game were the most ever in school history, and Francis also broke the school record for touchdowns receptions in a game with his 10-yard haul in the fourth quarter.

All told, the Owls’ offensive stars had superb games.

And when told of their performances, the two were their normally humble selves.

“The records? I don’t know, it’s just one of those things,” Francis said. “It’s just one of those things were you’ve been working so hard for so long, it’s just a good way to get paid off.”

“It was fun,” DiMichele added. “It was nice. The guys just made some plays for me…everyone on offense did their part today. It was good to see.”

DiMichele also had a hand in all seven of the Owls’ touchdowns.

“It was a good game plan,” he said. “Obviously, we scored 55 points [and] that hasn’t occurred too many times around here.”

The game itself came down to the Owls recovering an onside kick with 37 seconds remaining in the contest after the Eagles cut the lead to three on a 2-yard touchdown run from junior quarterback Andy Schmitt.

But sophomore Marquise Liverpool, now listed as a wide receiver, handled the bouncing ball, and a few kneel-downs later, the Owls had their fourth win of the season.

That opportunity was set up by a 45-yard touchdown pass from DiMichele to junior wide receiver Jason Harper with 2:50 to go in the fourth quarter that put the Owls up by 10.

The victory also puts Temple in reach of winning its most games in the last two decades if the team can beat Akron next Friday.

“[It’s] very significant in terms of this program and building because we have six seniors that are starting for us,” coach Al Golden said. “We have a chance to have a team that knows how to compete. The next step for our guys is to win more of these games.”

But today, even though they found themselves down 14-3 early, the Owls battled back to take a 17-14 lead thanks to two DiMichele to Francis touchdowns passes.

The teams then answered each others’ scores for the duration of the game, with Eastern Michigan simply running out of time in the end.

The normally stout Temple defense wound up giving up 552 yards of total offense, a far cry from what it has done in the past.

“I don’t think we really broke on the ball underneath. We weren’t as physical as we needed to be,” Golden said. “But we have to get healed up on defense. I know this is not the way we want to finish the season on defense.”

Schmitt threw for 484 yards and three touchdowns on 76 pass attempts. The Eagles only ran the ball 19 times all game, but four of those rushing attempts went for scores: two from Schmitt and two from sophomore running back Dwayne Priest.

“I didn’t know it was going to be like that, but I knew it was going to be something,” Golden said of the Eagles’ offense. “I had no idea they would do what they did.”

The Owls had a more balanced attack, with 37 pass attempts from DiMichele and 34 rushing attempts from a variety of players, with redshirt freshman running back Joe Jones, who also caught a late first half touchdown, accounting for 16 of them, as he has appeared to re-leapfrog freshman running back Kee-ayre Griffin on the depth chart.

Temple’s final game of the season and the final games of DiMichele’s and Francis’ careers takes place Friday at 1 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.

Game Notes

The Phillie Phanatic, along with former Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil and his wife, Carol, participated in the coin toss…The Phillies’ 2008 World Series trophy was in the Lincoln Financial Field headhouse before the game, as fans were allowed to take pictures of it and pose with it…In what was perhaps a cost-efficient move, the lights were not on at the stadium, even when things got darker towards the end of the fourth quarter.

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

Passing into the record books

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Not much can be said after blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and losing in overtime after the game was surely in the win column.

However, if there’s one positive to take from the football team’s heartbreaking 33-27 overtime loss to Navy last Saturday, it has to be the senior one-two punch on offense.

Quarterback Adam DiMichele and wide receiver Bruce Francis had career days, putting the Owls in position for a win that would have put them at 4-5 overall and on a two-game winning streak entering their final three Mid American Conference games.

The sure win did not come, but the chemistry and success these two seniors have formed over their careers is one of the few sure things these days.

“It’s simple with Bruce,” DiMichele said. “There are no worries. You know he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be.”

Francis had equally nice things to say about his quarterback.

“We have the kind of chemistry where we don’t need to discuss it,” he said. “It’s been one of those things that have been building over the years.”

Francis has been building himself into of the best receivers in Temple history.

Last Saturday, Francis had a career-high 151 yards receiving on five catches, including two 49-yard touchdown receptions. Those two scores tied him for the career record for touchdown receptions in Temple history with 18.

“The guy makes plays,” DiMichele said. “He doesn’t make mistakes. He left it all on the field.”
Francis acknowledged the records are nice, but that he couldn’t accomplish them without the help of his offense.

“It’s important to me because it’s one of those things that it’s a prestigious record that hasn’t been broken in a while,” said Francis, who has a reception in 35 consecutive games. “But I don’t come in and think about catching touchdowns.

“I do it because it helps the team, and if I happen to break some records, then so be it. I’m not a superstar. I’m not better than anyone else here. I’m one of 11,” he added.

Another of those 11 is DiMichele, who also had a career game against Navy. The McKees Rocks, Pa., native started the game 6 for 6 and finished 21 of 28 for a career-high 340 passing yards with three touchdowns.

“I thought he did a good job distributing the ball,” coach Al Golden said. “I thought he made some good decisions on third down.”

DiMichele missed three games after leaving the Penn State game with a shoulder injury. He returned two weeks ago and led a fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio.

“I feel good personally,” he said of his arm. “When your adrenaline is going and you see one of your teammates going, your arm takes over.”

“He probably came back before he was supposed to,” Francis said. “I’m sure his arm hurts, but Adam won’t tell you that. We appreciate and applaud his effort.”

Ultimately – at a time when the Owls cannot close a game and take the next step in their program – Golden says both seniors should be applauded for their contributions to Temple football.

“Both kids work really hard,” he said. “I just hope with three games left in their careers that they can have a lot of success down the stretch.

“They deserve it. No one works harder than they do.”

Pete Dorchak can be reached at pdorchak@temple.edu.

Heartbroken again

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Haven’t we been down this road before?

The football team blew a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost in overtime, 33-27, to Navy Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Crops Stadium.

The Owls were leading comfortably, 27-7, but the Midshipmen stormed back and tied the game on a 42-yard fumble return by junior linebacker Clint Stovie.

Freshman cornerback/running back Kee-ayre Griffin coughed up the ball on third-down, as the Owls were one play away from essentially running out the clock and winning the game.

In overtime, junior tight end Steve Maneri dropped a sure touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, and Navy answered with a game winning one-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Ricky Dobbs.

The Owls now drop to 3-6 on the season, while the Midshipmen advance to 6-3 and a bid in the Eaglebank Bowl.

After the game, a depressed Griffin stood up and put the loss on his shoulders.

“Absolutely, I fumbled,” he said. “I know football is not an odd thing, but you’ve got to have some accountability for something. And I take that fumble very hard.”

Meanwhile, some questioned whether Griffin should have ever touched the ball in the first place, as the Owls could have easily kneeled-down and put the game on their defense.

But coach Al Golden didn’t see it that way.

“That’s what running backs do, running backs carry the ball,” the Owls’ third-year coach said. “I don’t question that, I think you’ve got to give it to your running backs.”

Griffin did have a stellar game, rushing 29 times for 99 yards and one touchdown. His 16-yard scamper in the beginning of the fourth quarter gave the Owls that commanding three-possession lead.

But Navy answered with touchdowns on back-to-back drives, first from senior wide receiver T.J. Thiel on a 22-yard pass from Dobbs, and next on a 1-yard run by senior fullback Eric Kettani.

The ensuing extra point was blocked by Owls’ senior defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who evened out redshirt junior Jake Brownell’s missed extra point after Griffin’s touchdown.

But the loss for the Owls was undoubtedly a difficult one, which seems to be a running theme this season. The Cherry and White have suffered through several tough, heartbreaking defeats this year, as they’ve lost two games in overtime, one on a last second Hail Mary, and another by four points.

“The first three quarters we won the game, and they beat us in the fourth quarter,” redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele said. “They made one more play than we did.”

“It’s frustrating,” senior wide receiver Travis Shelton added. “But we’re taught to have tunnel vision and just keep moving forward.”

The Owls can take a few positive things from this game, as DiMichele hooked up with senior wide receiver Bruce Francis for two 49-yard touchdown passes in the third quarter. DiMichele finished with 340 yards passing and three touchdowns, while Francis accumulated 151 yards on five receptions and two touchdowns.

That, along with solid play from the defense, gave Golden something to look forward to as the Owls head back into Mid-American Conference play for the rest of the season.

“I’m excited about the way they’re competing,” he said. “I think they’re starting to enjoy the fight. I think they’re starting to enjoy the give and take. And when you start from where we started at such a depressed state…I’m pleased.”

The Owls got on the scoreboard with a 4-yard touchdown pass from DiMichele to Maneri, which answered a 2-yard touchdown run by Midshipmen senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who left in the game in the second half with an injury.

Temple returns to action Nov. 12 against Kent State in a game that will be seen on ESPN360.com.

Game Notes

Four former Temple graduates, included Maryland Speaker of the House Michael Busch, were listed as guest coaches for the game…This was Navy’s final home game of 2008…Sophomore defensive back Jamal Schulters blocked a field goal attempt at the end of the first half, but left the game with a leg injury late in the fourth quarter…Shelton declined to talk about missing the last game against Ohio…Maneri just simply declined to talk to reporters.

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

The key to victory

It took him two years, but last Tuesday night freshman Kee-ayre Griffin finally found himself back on the football field and starting at running back.

“What went through my mind was just, ‘OK. It’s my time. Stay humble. Stay calm. And think about the plays and do your job,’” Griffin said.

And did he ever do his job.

On 22 carries, Griffin rushed for a career-high 94 yards, including a 37-yard run on the football team’s first possession of the fourth quarter that set up his 1-yard touchdown run three plays later.

It’s that big-play potential that led coach Al Golden to insert Griffin into the running back position in the first place and then name him the starter last Tuesday.

“The reality is on three days of practice he’s taking the ball and going 30 yards,” Golden said prior to last Tuesday’s game. “So, we just felt we studied it hard, and there was a lot more openings there than were being converted into productive yards, so we thought we’d try him. And it’s easy to see he’s got it.

He’s got what running backs need. He’s strong inside. He’s got the lateral quickness you need. He’s elusive.”

“But the difference is he can see the second guy,” Golden added. “He’s made multiple, multiple guys miss. And he’s not focused on the guy that’s trying to tackle him. He can see the second guy, and that’s why he’s getting 30-yard runs and 40-yard runs.”

Redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele has watched Griffin in practice while recuperating from a shoulder injury. And he, like Golden, likes what he sees.

“He’s been fun to watch,” DiMichele said. “And watching him break tackles last week was fun, too. He makes my job easier. He’s really coming into his own.”

For the first five games of the season, Griffin lined up exclusively at defensive back. Even after he saw action at running back during the Miami (Ohio) and Central Michigan games, he was still the second option behind redshirt freshman Joe Jones.

That was, until last Tuesday night.

After rushing for 26 yards and a touchdown on only six carries against the RedHawks and 76 yards and another touchdown on 12 carries versus the Chippewas, Griffin earned the starting nod against the Bobcats.

It was the first time he’d started a football game since he was one of Golden’s prized recruits back in 2006.

As a senior at Saint Peter’s Prep in East Orange, N.J., in 2005, Griffin carried the football 159 times and racked up 1,513 yards and 26 touchdowns, earning him first team All-State selection at running back by the Newark Star Ledger.

At one point in high school, he had as many as 30 scholarship offers and was being recruited by the likes of Boston College and West Virginia. Somehow, some way, Golden snagged him. But academics got in the way, and Griffin didn’t become eligible for the Owls until this season.

“I was staying in shape over the summer,” Griffin said. “The coaches had pretty high expectations for me. I was running, I was doing workouts with them, and I was just pushing myself during the offseason to get ready for this year because I knew it was going to be a big opportunity for me.

“This game means a lot to me,” he added. “The coaches that recruited me stayed with me over the years. And this game just means the world to me. When I’m on the field, I just keep a level head, and I try to give the coaches and the players 100 percent. Whatever these coaches want me to play [defensive back or running back], that’s what I’ll do in the game.”

Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temlple.edu.

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