Three years ago, the only excuse one needed to not see a Temple football game was the team’s record. It was abysmal.
Today, such an excuse is thankfully no longer valid. We have a football team that cannot be put on the receiving end of jokes so easily.
When Temple football posters heralded the arrival of coach Al Golden as the beginning of a “Golden Era,” it sounded like nothing more than an easy pun. Fortunately, it was more.
Temple football may not be in a golden age, at least not yet, but it is on the right course. Dismantling Army 35-7 in the first game of the season is proof of that. Certainly, Temple football will not win all its games this year, and probably none of them by a 28-point margin.
Temple made mistakes in the Army game, including an all-too-common early turnover. Such mistakes are going to haunt Temple in the upcoming season, and probably cost the team games.
Quarterback Adam DiMichele has brought back not only his own prospects, but also his team’s, recovering from his fractured left tibia to lead the team into a promising season.
A former defensive coordinator, Golden has presided over a meteoric rise of the defensive side of the ball. Last year, the defense climbed to 49th in the nation, from 118th in the year before.
Turnout at the games has been on par with the team of several years ago, not today. We encourage incoming freshmen and returning students to attend games.
Not only will high fan attendance show DiMichele and the rest of the team that Temple cares, it will put pressure on them to perform even better and make fewer costly mistakes.
Temple football home games are free, and shuttles can take you to Lincoln Financial Field and back, so you don’t have to endure SEPTA subways. So show up and support the team.
Yes, it’s true that Temple has teams that are better than football that do not get enough credit.
Women’s lacrosse and field hockey are two of them.
That being said, football is, for all intents and purposes, one of America’s national pastime, and a competitive college football team builds pride in a school unlike that of other sports.
Hence, having a strong football tradition not only helps a school remain cohesive, it raises its status in both sports and the general public.
If you happen to run out of things to do on Main Campus, take the time to hop on a shuttle down to South Philadelphia, and cheer on a team that is giving us reason to cheer.
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