Ohio at Temple: What Bettors Need to Know
By Marc Lawrence
The leaders in the MAC East Division meet for top honors in the conference Tuesday night.
Boo-urns
Bobcats quarterback Boo Jackson is questionable for Tuesday’s game after getting knocked out and suffering a concussion in a bar fight two weeks ago.
Jackson was involved in an altercation in which people were trying to enter a bar from an alternative entrance on November 6. Jackson was among the crowd and was KO’d by a bouncer. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and released that Sunday morning.
"I'm ready," Jackson told reporters at practice this week. "I feel one hundred percent, but the doctors have to take their precautions, and I don't want to rush into things or anything like that."
If Jackson is sidelined, Ohio will go with backup Phil Bates, a junior transfer from Iowa State. He’s thrown 20 passes, completing nine for 178 yards and is primarily used as a running back, leading the Bobcats with 423 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season.
Jackson's status is holding back the total for Tuesday's game at many sportsbooks.
Here we go again
The Owls are going to a bowl game, again. But rest assured they’d prefer to go as the MAC champ.
Last fall, the Temple football team went into its final three Mid-American Conference outings needing to go 3-0 to assure the Owls of the East Division title and a berth in the league's championship game.
But a loss at Ohio on the last day of the regular season left Temple with only a share of the division crown and sent the Bobcats to the MAC title game.
Now, the Owls have presented themselves with much the same opportunity.
Temple defeated defensively staunch Kent State, 28-10, at Dix Stadium 10 days ago and returns home for the rematch with OU this week, with first place once again on the line.
"Every game is a season. We have 22 days where all of this is going to be determined. I think we're focused, but we're going to need a lot of energy to match their energy. It's a big game for everybody,” said Temple coach Al Golden.
After suffering a season-opening loss at Lincoln Financial Field to start the 2009 season, the Owls have bounced back to win 10 straight home games.
Sophomore spark
The insertion of sophomore QB Mike Gerardi has lifted the Owls both on and off the field.
In the last 15 quarters he's gone 54-for-81 for 865 yards, with eight touchdowns and four picks.
He's developed as a leader and person," Golden noted. "He's growing in the role. But he has been, for 4 or 5 weeks now, even before [he got in]. He's playing with poise, making good decisions. It's not just Mike. But certainly he came in and moved the ball.”
"He earned his opportunity. And he's making the most of it. He's provided us with a spark, clearly.”
Walk this way
On a typical Division-I football team, 85 players receive scholarships, while the remaining total is comprised of walk-ons.
A walk-on is an athlete who, instead of joining the team on scholarship, is required to pay for his own tuition and room and board.
But for the first three years under coach Golden, the football team had to fill a larger-than-normal portion of its roster with walk-ons, due to the program’s low academic progress rate.
Temple’s APR suffered following former coach Bobby Wallace’s decision to bring in risky junior-college transfers.
When Golden took over the program in winter 2005, he realized a successful walk-on program would be necessary to be competitive. Thus, the Local 215 was born.
“It originated from necessity because we only had 54 scholarship players our first year,” Golden said. “We were playing teams with 85, and it was going to take us two or three years before we could be a full Division I-A program again.”
Golden was faced with the unenviable task of convincing high school players to forgo any potential scholarships and instead pay their own way at Temple. He said one of the selling points he used was Temple’s low in-state tuition.
“Our in-state tuition is one of the best deals in the country,” Golden said. “If your kid wanted to play I-A football and he was from the state of Pennsylvania or from D.C., it’s one of the best values in the country in terms of the tuition.”
Gerardi, originally recruited by Connecticut before the Huskies pulled the offer, and sophomore running back Matt Brown, a 5-foot-5 native of Baltimore – two of the team’s leaders on offense – are alumni of the Local 215.
Brown established himself as a reliable offensive weapon and has rushed for 529 yards and five touchdowns on 89 carries.
“We don’t turn this program around without our walk-on program,” Golden added.
May the force be with you
Ohio defensive lineman Stafford Gatling is a force on the OU front.
Gatling, a fifth-year senior from Burlington, N.C., recorded six tackles, including 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss with a forced fumble in Ohio's 34-17 win over Buffalo on November 4. He was named Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week last Monday by the league office.
Gatling's constant pressure in the Buffalo backfield helped hold the Bulls to 84 yards passing and just eight completions in 27 attempts.
For the season, “Gatling-gun” has connected for five sacks and 11 tackles for loss to go along with 39 tackles.
You need to know
• Under head coach Frank Solich, OU is 28-12-2 against the spread in conference games, including 12-4 off back-to-back wins.
• The Owls are 33-21-3 against the spread in all games under Golden, including 17-7-1 in games off a win and 4-0 in last home games.
• The Bobcats are 24-12-2 against the spread in their last 38 conference games, including 8-1 versus an opponent off back-to-back wins.
• The host team in this series is 3-0 straight up and against the spread.
Tale of the tape: Ohio at Temple
The Bobcats and Owls square off for a pivotal game that could be the difference at the top of the MAC East Division. Temple is set as a 7.5-point favorite with the total at 44.5.
Offense:
The Ohio Bobcats started the year 0-3 but have rebounded with six straight wins, backed by a consistent offense that has put up at least 30 points in each of those six wins. They get it done mostly on the ground, averaging 177 rushing yards per game to rank 38th in the nation.
Quarterback Philip Bates is their most dangerous running threat as he’s put up 423 yards, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. It’s still uncertain whether Bates or Boo Jackson (concussion) will start. Bates has just one passing touchdown this year while Jackson has 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Temple also comes into this one on a hot streak having won four straight and also rely heavily on the running game. The Owls sit 46th in the country averaging 165 rushing yards per game with Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown combining for more than 1400 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Quarterback Mike Gerardi is making a big impression with the Owls. He was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week after he threw for 368 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in downing Kansas State 28-10 as 3-point favorites.
Edge: Temple
Defense:
Temple’s defense has allowed just 10 points over its last three games, pitching a pair of shutouts. The Owls rank 18th in the country in total defense, allowing only 312 yards per game and sit among the top 30 in passing, rushing, and scoring defense. The Owls have 23 sacks on the year. In short, they’re scary good.
Ohio’s defense makes some plays too. The Bobcats check in at 33rd in the nation in total yards (335 per game) and are solid against the run, allowing about 116 yards per game. Their pass defense isn’t terrible either, but they give up 219 yards per contest through the air while yielding 21 points per game. That said, they can come down with the football too, Ohio has 15 interceptions this season, two behind a group of five teams that lead the nation with 17.
Edge: Temple
Special teams:
Ohio’s hitting 80 percent of its field goal attempts and has an average return game, taking kicks back 21.8 yards and punts at 9.8 yards.
The Owls only convert 66.7 percent of their field goals. Temple is slightly better on kickoff returns at 22.9 yards, but averages only 7.6 yards on punt returns.
Neither team excels in punting with Ohio ranking 80th nationally and Temple sitting 109th.
Edge: Ohio
From the beat reporters:
"They've got a huge offensive line, probably the biggest we've seen so far, and they're gonna try to come out and run the ball on us. It will be a good test. We've been stopping the run pretty well, and on Tuesday, something's going to give." – Ohio linebacker Jay Edwards told The Post, Ohio’s campus paper.
“I’m pleased with the way they’ve been playing. Coach D’Onofrio has done a great job with the defense, they’re executing and not giving up a lot of big plays, they’re taking the ball away and they’re giving us good field position.” - Temple coach Al Golden said of his defense.
Final score prediction:
Temple 21, Ohio 13
Tips and Trends
Ohio Bobcats at Temple Owls
BOBCATS: Ohio has won their last 6 games, and enter tonight as one of the hottest teams in the MAC. The Bobcats will be bowling again this season, a tall achievement for a program that has struggled traditionally. Ohio is 7-3 both SU and ATS this season. Ohio is 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS on the road this year. The Bobcats have scored at least 30 PTS in each of their last 6 games, but they will have their work cut out for them tonight. QB Boo Jackson is unlikely to play tonight, a huge blow considering he is the Bobcats leader. Ohio has had 2 more days than Temple to prepare for this matchup. The Bobcats are allowing just 21 PPG, 33rd in the nation. The Bobcats are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games played in November. Ohio is 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a bye week. The Bobcats are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Bobcats are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win. Ohio is 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 conference games. The Bobcats are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games. Ohio is 26-10 ATS in their last 36 games played on grass.
Bobcats are 6-1 ATS last 7 games as an underdog.
Under is 14-4 last 18 road games against a team with a winning home record.
Key Injuries - S Gerald Moore (foot) is questionable.
Projected Score: 17
OWLS: (-7.5, O/U 44.5) Temple is 1 win away from completing a perfect record at home this year. The Owls are 5-0 SU this year at home, helping them achieve an 8-2 SU record. In addition to being 8-2 SU, the Owls are also 7-3 ATS this season. Temple lost in blowout fashion last year to Ohio, so they'd like nothing more than to get their revenge tonight. The Owls are averaging 27.4 PPG, thanks to a powerful rushing attack. RB's Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown have each rushed for more than 700 YDS and combined for 14 TD's this year. The Owls are coming into their own defensively, as they've allowed a total of 10 PTS in their past 3 games combined. Temple is allowing just 17.5 PPG this year, 10th best in the country. The Owls are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite between 3.5 and 10 PTS. The Owls are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game. Temple is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU win. The Owls are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game. Temple is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Owls are 4-1 ATS last 5 games as the listed favorite.
Under is 7-0 last 7 games following a SU win.
Key Injuries - OL Steve Caputo (knee) is out.
Projected Score: 21 (UNDER-Total of the Day)