Football
Temple running back Montel Harris and placekicker/punter Brandon McManus were both honored by the Big East on Monday.
Harris was named the Big East offensive player of the week, while McManus was named the conference's specialist of the week.
Harris set Temple and Big East single-game records with 351 rushing yards and seven touchdown as the Owls battered Army, 63-32, on Saturday at Michie Stadium. McManus made nine extra points en route to becoming the Owls' all-time leading scorer with 330 points. Former Temple running back Bernard Pierce, a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens, held the record with 324 points.
Big East Power Rankings Week 13
Temple moved up one spot to seventh place in my updated Big East Power Rankings after beating Army, 63-32, on Saturday.
Here’s a look at my power rankings:
Temple running back Montel Harris was named the College Football Performance Awards national performer of the week on Sunday.
The Boston College transfer set Temple and Big East single-game records with 351 rushing yards and seven touchdown as the Owls battered Army, 63-32, on Saturday at Michie Stadium.
Harris, a graduate student after a prolific career at BC, scored on touchdown runs of 60, 1, 1, 37, 2, 37 and 1 yards. Bernard Pierce, now a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens, held the old mark of five touchdowns in a game, set against Maryland last September.
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Something tells me Sunday will be a great day for Notre Dame and Alabama fans.
The Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide are destined to take over the first and second rankings in the updated BSC standings with Kansas State and Oregon both losiing on Saturday.
Notre Dame and Alabama also moved up a couple of spots to No. 1 and No. 2 on my AP Top 25 ballot. Meanwhile, Kansas State dropped from No. 2 to No. 11 after suffering a lopsided setback to a five-loss Baylor team. Previously top-ranked Oregon fell six spots to No. 7 after being upset by Stanford.
WEST POINT, N.Y. – My look at some of the best and worst performances and happenings from Temple’s 63-32 victory over Army on Saturday at Michie Stadium:
Best player: How can you not give this honor to Montel Harris? The Temple tailback left West Point with one of the best rushing performances in the history of college football. The Boston College transfer had 36 carries for 351 yards and seven touchdowns. His rushing yards and rushing touchdowns were new school and Big East records. Harris’ touchdowns runs came from 60, 1, 1, 37, 2, 37 and 1 yard out.
Worst performance: Unable to single out one player, I had to give this to Army’s defense as a whole. The Black Knights surrendered 534 rushing yards or 9.4 yards per carry. Harris wasn’t the only Owl to run wild. Matt Brown had 71 yards on four carries before suffering a game-ending, second-quarter hamstring injury. Quarterback Juice Granger had 85 yards on nine carries, while Jamie Gilmore added 49 yards on six runs.
By now, we all know Temple's football team will play in the Big East's Western Division with Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, Memphis and SMU in 2013 and 2014.
But where will the Owls land when the league expands to 14 teams in 2015?
There's a thought that the Big East will introduce two seven-team divisions that will cross geographic lines.
Here are the two-deep depth charts for Saturday's Temple vs. Army game at Michie Stadium in West Point, NY:
Army (2-8)
OFFENSE
Temple’s proposed football game with Hawaii has been called off.
The Owls (3-6) were trying to schedule a football game with Warriors at Aloha Stadium on Dec. 7. However, the teams couldn’t agree on a deal and the game was called off Monday night.
“Temple University went above and beyond normal scheduling procedures in an effort to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to play in a 12th football game this season," Temple athletic director Bil Bradshaw said Tuesday in a press release. “Unfortunately that will not be possible as our negotiations with the University of Hawaii have ended. We felt that we had an agreement in place with the University of Hawaii, but in the end its administration was unable to fulfill it due to unforeseen circumstances.”
No surprise here.
ESPN is reporting the Big East presidents will approve a two-division football format Tuesday that will place Temple in a western division with Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, Memphis and SMU in 2013-14.
The Owls knew in March that they would probably play in that division. ESPN is also reporting the divisions will likely be named Red and Blue instead of East and West.
Nine former Temple players are on active NFL rosters. Here are their performances in the league’s Week 10 matchups.
Jacksonville DT Terrance Knighton: No statistics in Thursday’s 27-10 setback to Indianapolis.
Kansas City TE Steve Maneri: No statistics in Monday’s 16-13 overtime loss at Pittsburgh.
