New Coach, New QB, Same Mentality

PHILADELPHIA – Temple football made a dramatic appearance on the national scene two years ago when the then-undefeated Owls hosted Notre Dame in an ABC prime-time nationally televised game before a sold-out crowd at Lincoln Financial Field.

The hype for the game in this NFL city captured the imagination of local sports fans for a solid week and was highlighted by an appearance by ESPN’s College GameDay at Independence Hall. The Owls played well in the most-anticipated game in the history of the program, taking a 20-17 lead with 4:45 left to play before the Irish rallied for a 24-20 victory.

Most of the key players, as well as Temple’s head coach, from that game are gone.

But Temple, which once went 16 years without a winning season until 2006, is getting much more positive attention these days.

The Owls, who won the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship, are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and no longer consider themselves underdogs — and that includes Saturday’s game against Notre Dame in South Bend. They are promoting their brand with the slogan “Greatness Doesn’t Quit.”

“I’ve heard all about the atmosphere at Notre Dame,” Temple sophomore linebacker Shaun Bradley said after a rainy morning workout. “We’re not just going out there to win. We’re going there to blow them out.”

Bradley’s comments will probably make for instant bulletin board material in South Bend.

But new coach Geoff Collins appeared to like Bradley’s grit and rebellious attitude. “We will be tough, we will be physical, we won’t back down from anybody, any situation, any challenge,” Collins said. “And that is a testament to what the players have done here over the last 10 years in establishing that culture of physicality, toughness – playing anybody, anywhere, anytime.”

The season-opener will be a challenge for Collins, considering the Owls must replace four-year starting quarterback Phillip Walker, who broke nearly every passing record at the school; and NFL high draft picks like defensive tackle Haason Reddick and tackle Dion Dawkins and are catching the Irish, a traditional national power, coming off an uncharacteristic 4-8 season.

But the Owls are a veteran team that built quality depth on defense under previous coach Matt Rhule and has what redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Russo describes as “the best group of receivers in the country” in redshirt senior Keith Kirkwood, senior Adonis Jennings and redshirt junior Ventell Bryant. The three combined to catch 123 passes for 2,017 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

Russo is one of four candidates competing for the starting quarterback position in Temple’s pro-style offense against the Irish. The others are freshman Todd Centeio, redshirt junior Frank Nutile and redshirt sophomore Logan Marchi.

Marchi, who threw for 3,220 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior at St Paul’s Catholic High in Bristol, Conn., redshirted as a freshman and spent most of last season as a backup to Walker. He played in five games and was the only other player on the roster to lead the Owls on a scoring drive.

Nutile, whose father Rob played for Howard Schnellenberger at Louisville in the 1980s, was a starter at storied North Jersey Parochial prep power Don Bosco where he threw for 3,100 yards in two years as a starter. He injured his knee in summer camp and missed the entire season in 2014. He saw action in three games during the 2016 season after being the primary backup to Walker in 2015.

Russo was a first team Pennsylvania all-state selection at Archbishop Wood in suburban Bucks County who threw for 2,500 yards and a Philadelphia Catholic League record 35 touchdown passes. He redshirted last season.

Centeio was a first team all- Palm Beach selection at William T. Dwyer High who threw for 2,344 yards, 31 touchdowns and rushed for four scores who enrolled in school last January so he could participate in spring drills.

Collins, who doesn’t believe in depth charts, coaches his players to be “Above the Line.” Those who are ready to play see game action, while others work to get to that level.
In hopes of keeping Notre Dame guessing, he has not announced his starter. “I just know as a defensive coordinator for such a long-time when you have to prepare for these different kinds of quarterbacks, it’s creates stress,” he said. “If you know that you’ve got four quarterbacks that you’re getting ready for who are all kind of the same thing, then you get to focus on just the scheme of the offense. But if you have different quarterbacks that you’re having to game plan for that creates stress and creates issues.

“We are not opposed to playing those guys in different series going into the game. That is what we are leaning toward now.”

Collins’ offensive coordinator Dave Pasternaude has experienced success in the past working with multiple quarterbacks. “Every single year, he’s had a different flavor of quarterback and he’s had to build the offense around him,” Collins said.

In 2016, his Coastal Carolina team averaged 37.2 points, despite using six different quarterbacks due to injuries. “The unique thing here is that we’ve got four guys that inherently have different traits and different skill sets and different abilities,” Collins said.

Whoever is behind center for the Owls Saturday will have a chance to write a new chapter in Temple’s recent history. A first-year coach, and a quarterback making his first career start in one of the legendary venues in sports?

It would be eye-opening, certainly, for college football fans. For Temple’s players, it would simply be another challenge overcome with toughness.