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 Wednesday’s Miami-Temple game in Philadelphia pits a frustrated team against a team that hopes it has turned the corner. Both are still in the picture for a Mid-American Conference East title.
Temple’s title hopes took a blow last week with yet another late-season loss to Ohio. The latter moved into a first place tie with Miami, and those two teams meet Nov. 22 in Athens.
It isn’t to say that Temple is completely out of the hunt. But a win over Miami is critical.
Of course, MU cannot afford a loss, either. Three weeks ago, the RedHawks were coming off a disappointing set back of their own. Since that decisive loss at Toledo, however, Miami has started to show signs of turning things around.
The latest sign was an improved running game last week during a rainy win over visiting Akron. Running back Justin Semmes churned out 100 yards on 24 carries, becoming the first RedHawks ball carrier to reach the century mark this season. Notably, the 6-2, 227-pound sophomore had just four carries for three yards prior to getting the start against Akron.
Semmes has also shown signs of being a capable receiving option. Three of his five TDs, in fact, came off passes. He also had touchdown catches last year against Colorado in the regular season and Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game. Even with very limited offensive opportunities to date, he is tied for the team lead with 30 points.
While MU hopes it has found a solid runner to bolster a running attack ranked 120th nationally, Temple (first in MAC, eighth in the nation) knows it can run the football. It just hopes its best option is healthy. Bernard Pierce leads the MAC in rushing with an average of 115 yards per game. He owns a total of 1,035 yards and has registered a whopping 19 touchdowns.
The 6-1, 218-pound junior, who is drawing looks from NFL scouts, was nursing a sore hamstring against Ohio. Still, he managed 84 yards and one TD on 22 carries before taking a hit that left him questionable (head) for this week. If unavailable, it would be the second straight year in which he has missed the Miami game. Temple fell to the RedHawks in Oxford last year to end a three-game winning streak against MU.
This week’s depth chart listed Pierce as a starter. Backing him up is 5-5, 170-pound Matt Brown. The junior produced three straight games of 114 yards or more rushing before getting just 17 on five carries against Ohio.
Regardless of Pierce’s status, the Owls seem to find another formidable weapon last week. Sophomore Chris Coyer replaced senior Chester Stewart at quarterback during the Ohio game. In addition to rushing for 180 yards on 17 carries, Coyer completed 8-of-14 passes. Three of those tosses went for touchdowns. At 6-3, 214, Coyer is the type of mobile quarterback who has sometimes given the RedHawks problems.
In recent weeks, however, Miami’s defense has stepped up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With Coyer’s ability to run, balancing pressure with containment could be a key. Coyer is listed as this week’s starter.
Miami, of course, brings a pretty good quarterback of it’s own in junior Zac Dysert. Among all of college football’s non-senior quarterbacks, Dysert (7,381 yards in 31 games) ranks fourth, trailing only Oklahoma’s Landry Jones (11,265 yards in 35 games), Baylor’s Robert Griffi n III (8,854 yards in 36 games) and Southern California’s Matt Barkley (8,134 yards in 33 games).
Dysert missed last season’s tilt between the two schools as he recovered from a lacerated spleen. However, he had a career-best performance the last time he suited up in Philadelphia. He connected on 31-of-51 that day, good for 426 yards and three touchdowns.
That kind of potential gets a little scary for Owls fans given last week’s defensive display at Ohio. Typically a hard-nosed, stingy and proud unit, the Temple “D” ranked No. 1 in total defense (291.9 ypg) this week. The Owls are first in rushing defense (107.1) and second in pass defense (184.8 ypg).
Impressive as those rankings are, Temple yielded 521 yards to the Bobcats. Can the Owls return to form?
Miami won’t roll out a running back like Ohio senior Dante Harden (184 yards rushing, 75 yards receiving, 63 yards on kickoff returns, three touchdowns last week). Wideout LaVon Brazil also did plenty of damage with 165 yards receiving. But the RedHawks do have a number of options at receiver. Chief among them is Nick Harwell. The sophomore had only four catches against Akron, but they were good for a total of 117 yards and one touchdown. His 111.9 ypg average ranks ninth nationally.
Senior Chris Givens has yet to reach 100 yards in 2011, but he frequently seems to come up with clutch catches at key moments.
One key area to watch is turnovers. Temple ranks 31st nationally (+0.44) and is third in the MAC. Miami is 70th (0.11) in the country and sixth in the MAC.
For the Owls, three games remain on the schedule. After Miami, Temple hosts Army (non-conference) and Kent State. Trailing Miami and Ohio by a half game, the Owls need some help. But they must take care of their own business first.
Among the contenders (nearly everybody in the MAC East), Miami has one of the tougher stretches to close the campaign. After traveling to Temple, the RedHawks host Western Michigan before finishing on the road against Ohio. Like Temple, to make the finale meaningful, MU needs to win.
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