Villanova at Temple, Mr. C''s In-Game Blog

[Mr. C]

After a middle-of-the-night flight and a 2 1/2-hour drive back to the Philly suburbs, I am embarking on Game Two of my Labor Day weekend marathon with the game at Lincoln Financial Field between Villanova and Temple. After pulling into my driveway at 5 a.m. this morning and getting about two hours of sleep, I am wondering what state I'm in, let who is playing.

Temple may have beaten Villanova by the uncharateristic score of 42-7 last year, but don't let that score foul you. This should be a competitive game from start to finish. Villanova is battling some camp bumps and bruises including injuries to No. 2 receiver Dorian Wells and Kenny Miles, both who have a broken foot. Both should be out 4-to-6 weeks. At least the Wildcats have Norman White returning. The All-American receiver missed the entire 2011 season with a broken bone in his foot.

[Mr. C]

It is about 24 minutes to game time. The field is in great shape and it is a nice day in the 80s, with a light breeze blowing through the stadium to cool things off.

[Pard4Life]

I always wanted to go to this game, but not worth $35 a ticket.

[Mr. C]

It is the last Mayor's Cup game for awhile. Villanova and Temple had a four-year deal and the Wildcats have decided to play some different teams in the next few years.

[Mr. C]

I always wanted to go to this game, but not worth $35 a ticket.

It has been a fun rivalry. Maybe they might put a few more butts in the seats if the tickets were a little cheaper. And they might sell more concessions, too. Don't forget that parking is like $15 as well.

[Mr. C]

The Temple band has played the national anthem and is finishing up its pre-game routine. Less than seven minutes before we start.

[Mr. C]

Horror of all horrors, I just found out that the Temple student radio crew is sitting next to meet. I hate student radio ...

[Mr. C]

The Temple radio guys expect the Owls to run all over the Wildcats, even with ONLY nine returning starters for Temple. Boy are they going to be surprised.

[Mr. C]

What would a Mayor's Cup game be without attention whore and Philly mayor Michael Nutter coming out to do the coin toss? Villanova will receive.

[Mr. C]

The kickoff lands in the end zone, 9 yards deep. VU's ball at the 25 with the new kickoff rules.

[Mr. C]

Dropped pass by Poppy Livers, who was set up for a nice gain with a block from Norman White. White made a catch on second down and Polony's scramble came up inches short of a first down on the third play. Fair catch on the punt and Temple's ball at the TU 28.

[Mr. C]

Read option on 2nd and 7 for a first down by the Owls.

[Mr. C]

First-down counter run by Matt Brown to the VU 49

[Mr. C]

Read option to the left for Temple. The Owls seem to be targeting the right side of the VU line. Third and long upcoming after a stuff up front.

[Mr. C]

Fitzpatrick catch at the 35 for a Temple 1st down

[Mr. C]

I don't like the arm tackling that I'm seeing thus far after a 7-yard run

[R3TRO]

Stupid CenturyLink... is there a stream for this game other than the espn3 one?

[Mr. C]

Third and short at the 26.

[Mr. C]

Bridges with a nice hit, but the Owls get the first down at the 25.

[Mr. C]

TE Cody Booth with a 1st down catch on a bootleg pass on the 10.

[Mr. C]

Matt Brown for four yards to the six after getting hit in the backfield.

[Mr. C]

Shovel pass to Kenny Harper is called a TD, but it looked like he was short on the play. Temple 7, Villanova 0 on the 14-play, 78-yard drive. 5:54 left.

[Mr. C]

Kevin Monangai fumbled the kickoff, but recovered for seven yards to the 12.

[Mr. C]

Austin Medley with a nice zone play run to the 20 on the next play and then he bursts free for a 36-yard run to the TU 45.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I'm going to rely on you Mr C for at least the first half!

Temple should win by 17 io

[Mr. C]

Monangai to the 40 as the Cats used a quick tempo

[Mr. C]

Third and four pass from Polony goes behind White and a fourth-down pass is also incomplete, but offsides by Temple give the Cats a first down at the 34.

[Mr. C]

John Robertson on a Wildcat run to the 21 for first down after a 14-yard run and a screen pass to Medley from Polony for 17 yards. First and goal from the 3.

[Mr. C]

Austin Medley is stopped for no gain on a zone play handoff from Robertson.

[Mr. C]

Pass deep into the deep corner to White is incomplete

[Pard4Life]

I'm going to rely on you Mr C for at least the first half!

Temple should win by 17 io

The game is on ESPN3 btw... http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index

[Mr. C]

Time out for Temple on third and goal from the 3.

[Mr. C]

I'm going to rely on you Mr C for at least the first half!

Temple should win by 17 io

Don't count your Owl chicks before they hatch.

[Mr. C]

Robertson's pass to White is knocked down.

[Mr. C]

20-yard FG for Mark Hamilton to end an 85-yard drive. Temple 7, Villanova 3, 2:19 left in the first period.

[Mr. C]

Temple returns the kickoff to the 26

[Mr. C]

3 and out for the Owls. Punt upcoming

[Mr. C]

40 yard punt will give VU the ball on the Cat 25.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

The game is on ESPN3 btw... http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index

I'm away from a compufer right now. Plus, we don't get espn3 in Bozeman.

[caribbeanhen]

After a middle-of-the-night flight and a 2 1/2-hour drive back to the Philly suburbs, I am embarking on Game Two of my Labor Day weekend marathon with the game at Lincoln Financial Field between Villanova and Temple. After pulling into my driveway at 5 a.m. this morning and getting about two hours of sleep, I am wondering what state I'm in, let who is playing.

.

good grief Mr C, your obsessed....

[Mr. C]

Second Quarter begins with a third and 7

[VUCats02]

Well the game isn't over after the first quarter. So far we're doing better than last year...

[Mr. C]

good grief Mr C, your obsessed....

Doing two games in North Carolina on Saturday, App State-East Carolina and Liberty-Wake Forest. Going to be watching on TV sunday for the MEAC-SWAC Challenge.

[Mr. C]

Temple stops VU and takes over for its next drive at the 44 after a 44-yard Hamilton punt

[Mr. C]

3rd and 3 for TU at midfield

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

What type of crowd has settled in? How does the TU OL and QB Coyer look?

[Mr. C]

High throw and its 4th down. Good coverage for the Cats on that drive.

[Mr. C]

VU will start its next drive at its own 11

[Mr. C]

Total offense for the 1st Period VU 92 yards, Temple 86 yards

43 yards already for Austin Medley, including 36 on one drive

[Mr. C]

What type of crowd has settled in? How does the TU OL and QB Coyer look?

It looks like it has filled in nicely. I'd say the best crowd yet for the Mayor's Cup

[Mr. C]

The passing game for Polony and company hasn't clicked yet. 3rd and long

[Mr. C]

Nice route and catch for Norman White 11 yards and a first down at the 27

[Mr. C]

Vaughn Carraway of Temple intercepts a overthrown ball from Polony, intended for Norman White, and returns it 57 yards for a touchdown, Temple 14, Villanova 3, 11:24 left in the second period.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Nice to get up early! The longer nova hangs around the more of a headache they become.

[Mr. C]

Monangai makes a bad decision to return the ball out of the end zone and is stopped at the seven.

[Fordham]

Sounds like 'Nova's playing tough save for that INT

[Mr. C]

Monangai made a nice run to the 24, but fumbled at the end of the run. Carraway recovered at the VU 24 after the forced fumble from Zamel Johnson

[Mr. C]

On a third and five, QB Chris Coyer goes inside on the read option for 19 yards and into the end zone. Temple 21, Villanova 3, 9:08.

[Mr. C]

What type of crowd has settled in? How does the TU OL and QB Coyer look?

The line play has been pretty even. Coyer has looked serviceable on the read option.

[Mr. C]

Sounds like 'Nova's playing tough save for that INT

The two turnovers are the main difference right now.

[Mr. C]

1st down for VU at the 25

[Mr. C]

Polony is stopped short on a third-down run to force another punt.

[Mr. C]

The Owls have the ball at the TU 37.

[Mr. C]

Coyer is running all over the Wildcat defense, but the defense is overrunning plays. The QB draw give the Owls a first down at the 33.

[Mr. C]

Villanova had Temple stopped, but more bad tackling allows the Owls to move a 4th and 2 at the 25. On fourth down, the option didn't work and VU has a stop.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Coyer is a darn good QB. If Addazio had started him sooner last year we would have won two more games.

[Mr. C]

Back-foot throw by Polony to White sails well off the mark. Also holding on the play on RG Josh Bucci makes it first and 25. There was a delay of game on the first play of the drive. Full-speed reverse.

[Mr. C]

Monangai turns a simple screen into a 37-yard gain to the TU 46.

[Mr. C]

Play is now under review to see if Monangai stepped out of bounds.

[Mr. C]

The ruling on the field is confirmed. 1st Down and 10, VU at the TU 46

[Mr. C]

Robertson goes back to throw and scrambles out of pressure to the 35

[Mr. C]

After a completion to White, it is third and five at the 20 for VU.

[Mr. C]

Pass interference as Polony targeted White is going to give VU a first down at the 26

[Mr. C]

Robertson squirts outside for a 21-yard run to the five. First and goal.

[Mr. C]

Late handoff to Monangai on the zone read play and it is stuffed.

[Mr. C]

Robertson goes up the middle for a four-yard TD after a play fake and finding no one open. A penalty flag is down, but it is offsides on Temple. VU cut its to 21-10 with 1:04 left in the half

[Mr. C]

A dangerous pouch kick is moved by Temple's Matt Brown to the TU 27

[Mr. C]

14 yard first down run by Brown to the TU 40

[Mr. C]

Near completion to Hammond near the 20 is defended by Eric Loper and dropped

[Mr. C]

Killer for Villanova. Matt Brown breaks into the secondary for 56 yards and a crushing TD with 21 seconds left in the half. Temple 28, Villanova 10

[Mr. C]

Halftime with Temple leading by 18 points. This game has turned on one play.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I was a little conservative with the 17 point margin! We still have some weapons!

Nova is still a very young team. It's going to be at least another year for them!

[Mr. C]

Offsides on Villanova on the second half kickoff

[Mr. C]

1st Half Stats

Villanova 206 yards, Temple 221

Matt Brown 10 carries, 100 yards and that 56-yard TD, Chris Coyer 10 carries, 72 yards and 4-of-8 passing for 38 yards (1 TD running, 1 passing).

[Mr. C]

Temple is on the move to the VU 38, 2nd and 10 upcoming.

[Mr. C]

Looked like a little counter trap play for a Kenny Harper 38-yard TD run. Temple 35, Villanova 10, 12:19 in the third quarter.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Very nice! Hopefully we can carry this momentum into next week! Time to start building depth!

[Mr. C]

I was a little conservative with the 17 point margin! We still have some weapons!

Nova is still a very young team. It's going to be at least another year for them!

Temple is a young team as well. The Cats look good in spots, but have made a lot of mistakes. Polony in particular hasn't been as good as he looked in the spring.

[Mr. C]

Very nice! Hopefully we can carry this momentum into next week! Time to start building depth!

Looking forward to those Maryland and Penn State games are we? This should be the year you finally pop the PSU Groundhogs.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Looking forward to those Maryland and Penn State games are we? This should be the year you finally pop the PSU Groundhogs.

We went into College Park last year and crushed Maryland. It was 31-7 at half and the stadium was empty. They'll be out for payback.

We SHOULD beat PSU this year! We've seen ooo-soo close the last two years

[Mr. C]

Robertson played the entire first drive for VU in the third period and moves them to the 28 before a 4th down pass to White sailed incomplete

[Mr. C]

We went into College Park last year and crushed Maryland. It was 31-7 at half and the stadium was empty. They'll be out for payback.

We SHOULD beat PSU this year! We've seen ooo-soo close the last two years

I'm not a big fan of the current state of Maryland football. The AD there has that program in a mess. Temple has every chance to put three or four wins in a row together to start the season.

[Mr. C]

Temple calls a time out on 4th and four from the VU 38.

[Mr. C]

The Owls will do the right thing (Spike Lee reference there) and ... Punt

[Mr. C]

The punt went into the end zone. At least no defender tried to run the wrong way for 58 yards like last night in the Kent State-Towson game.

[Mr. C]

John Robertson looks to have some immediate skills in the running game, but looks very unpolished in the passing game. He just got sacked on one play and then had a ball tipped and almost intercepted.

[Mr. C]

Second misadventure for Livers on the night. He tried to catch a ball on the 3, dropped it into the end zone and gets tackled at about the 1 1/2-yard line after barely avoiding a safety. 2:15 left in the third period.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The score is not a typo. Wagner 3, FAU 0, Halftime.

[Mr. C]

Coming to the end of the third period. Temple 35, Villanova 10. Largest crowd ever for the Mayor's Cup with over 32,000

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Wow. Looks like 'Nova is in for another rough season.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Coming to the end of the third period. Temple 35, Villanova 10. Largest crowd ever for the Mayor's Cup with over 32,000

Have they announced the attendance? '09 was close to 40k, '10 about 32k and last year maybe 30k

[Mr. C]

A 45-yard punt return puts the Owls in scoring position again. And a face mask gives Temple a first down at the VU 13.

[Mr. C]

Third Quarter Stats

Villanova 290 yards, Temple 332

Matt Brown 16 carries, 135 yards rushing, Chris Coyer 13 carries, 80 yards rushing, 5-of-11 61 yards passing.

John Robertson 11 carries, 76 yards rushing, 1 TD

[Mr. C]

QB Coyer just made the block of the night one player before a 24-yard FG made it 38-10 Temple with 10:33 left in the game. Brandon McManus just hit his Temple career record 47th field goal.

[Mr. C]

Upset alert: Wagner 3, Florida Atlantic 0 early in the third period. Sounds like an ugly game. Would love to see the FCS traitors from FAU lose to an FCS team.

[Mr. C]

Have they announced the attendance? '09 was close to 40k, '10 about 32k and last year maybe 30k

32,179 is official and was announced as the largest in Mayor's Cup history. It also was announced as the third largest crowd for Temple ever at the Linc.

[Mr. C]

A late hit by VU's Kyle Wallace after a nice 20-yard punt return by Matt Brown is going to give the Owls the ball back at the VU 33. 8:20 left in this one.

[Mr. C]

Field Goal time from 31 yards out for McManus is good, Temple 41, Villanova 10, 5:10 remaining.

[Mr. C]

Villanova is moving inside the TU 35 with less than two minutes left.

[Mr. C]

Manangai breaks loose for 11 on third and 1 to the 24.

[Mr. C]

Livers with a catch to the 19.

[Mr. C]

Medley to the 18 and Robertson with a QB draw on third and 3 to the 8. First and goal 12 seconds left.

[Mr. C]

Illegal formation costs VU a TD on an 8-yard pass from Robertson to TE Earnest Pettway. Final Score Temple 41, Villanova 10.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Great way to start the year! Hopefully it sets the tone for the season.

I'm sad to see the series end but it is time to move on. Maybe a game with Delaware can be worked out.

[Mr. C]

Great way to start the year! Hopefully it sets the tone for the season.

I'm sad to see the series it end but it is time to move. Maybe a game with Delaware can be worked out.

Not unless Temple wants to do a home-and-home with a game at the Tub.

[HailSzczur]

My observations, and comments:

All in all, I think the Defense looked pretty good. Off the 41 points, 14 were scored off turnovers. A defense letting up 27 to an FBS team is nothing to sneeze at. We actually outgained Temple and held them to a respectable 362 yds of offense. Temple had 2 TD's of 40+ yds which shows more a momentary lapse and doesn't reflect as poorly as expected.
I expected the passing game to have suffered losing Jame Pitts, but they played really well breaking up a few plays. The run defense left alot to be desired. I'm not sure how much to attribute to a superior Temple O-line and backfield (Brown is a hell of a runner) and how was actually incompetence on our part. The concerning part was the inability to wrap up a tackle. That needs to be fixed ASAP.

Special teams didn't wow me at all. The decision making process of the returners was terrible. Monogai running it 7yds deep out of the end zone after diving for the ball was one of the worst lapses in judgement I've seen. There was a similar play on the punt where someone fielded a ball at about the 5.

And then there's the offense. So much for having the whole quaterback thing settled out of camp. Polony didn't look that bad I didn't think. Honestly I think we got robbed on back to back no pass interference calls in the end zone late in the 2nd quarter which kind of skew his stats. But he just didn't look too comfortable with the ball in his hands. Rolling out of the pocket he never seemed to know what he wanted to do, and that interception was pitiful. I think I could have picked it the way he lobbed it up like a nerf ball because he was so locked in on 1 receiver. Robertson looked good when he came in though, almost as if he were Chris Whitney incarnated. His stats were actually pretty good too 9/17 for 135 yds, along with leading the team in rushing. He looked very calm and like Whitney seemed to have a game plan when he moved out of the pocket.
Due to the QB situation I can't really judge the WR corps too well....
As has been the staple over the years, it appears we are a run first team again this year. I was very impressed with the 2 headed monster in the backfield of Medley and Monangai, both played well. Robertson really mixed his running and passing game well. And I'm not sure if it was that our patchwork O-Line played that well or Temple's D-Line was that bad, but we looked good up front.

And just a general not, boy do we need to dial back the penalties.

Sorry if this is long winded, I just spend all night in the student section, on the train, and in dorms with kids saying how terrible we looked and what a complete disaster it was. Honestly I didn't think it was that bad.....could have been way worse

[caribbeanhen]

Doing two games in North Carolina on Saturday, App State-East Carolina and Liberty-Wake Forest. Going to be watching on TV sunday for the MEAC-SWAC Challenge.

safe travels, your wife must be an Angel:D