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 The MAC East could move one more step closer to crowning a champion on Wednesday night when the Temple Owls bring their prolific rush offense to Athens to square off against the Ohio Bobcats.
The matchup also will feature two of the best defensive units in the MAC in what many feel will be a low-scoring struggle.
“This game is going to be a battle of field position,” head coach Frank Solich said. “They aren’t afraid to use their special teams and defense to set up their offense.”
While Temple’s defense ranks in the top-10 nationally in five defensive categories, including second in the nation in points allowed (10.0 ppg), the Bobcats feel that the numbers should not be feared.
“They’ve got a great defense,” quarterback Tyler Tettleton said. “But they won’t be giving us any looks we haven’t seen.”
The Bobcats saw an offensive resurgence against Akron, gaining 556 yards of offense. It was the second time this season in which they have eclipsed the 500-yard mark.
Tyler Tettleton has thrown for at least 200 yards in each of the last six weeks and his 17 touchdowns are only four short of the school’s all-time single season record.
Temple, meanwhile, will be looking to erase the memories of a tough 13-10 defeat at the hands of the Bowling Green Falcons last week.
The Bobcats are putting a great focus on Temple’s running game, which ranks ninth in the nation with 252.1 yards per game. It will take a total team effort to stop the attack, led by junior Bernard Pierce.
“It is not just the responsibility of the defensive front to stop them,” junior cornerback Travis Carrie said. It will take everyone doing their job to make it happen.”
“We need to find a way to just control the running game, since I don’t think you can completely stop it,” Solich said. “If you put too many guys up front you are vulnerable to big plays by way of the play action pass.”
The game will start a stretch of four consecutive weeknight games for the Bobcats to finish the season. Temple, meanwhile, will play during the week for three of their final four. The changes can wreak havoc with routines teams have been using for the first two-thirds of the season.
“It’s definitely tough with balancing the games with homework and studies,” Carrie said. “The coaching staff does a good job making sure we can balance planning for the game with school.”
Another scheduling change is working in the favor of the both the Owls and Bobcats.
Due to the NBA lockout, the game broadcast has been moved from ESPN2 to ESPN. It will be the first time that the main station will broadcast a game from Peden Stadium.
The Bobcats will also be wearing their fabled black uniforms for the school’s first ever ‘blackout’. The Bobcats are 1-0 in the uniforms as they pummeled Marshall 44-7 on September 17 in the Battle of the Bell.
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