A change at quarterback for Temple?

On Monday, Temple coach Al Golden vowed to shake things up after his team's lackluster performance in a 31-17 loss at Northern Illinois. On Tuesday, he did not rule out the possibility of a change at quarterback.

Temple (4-2 overall, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) will host Bowling Green (1-5, 0-2) on Saturday.

Chester Stewart, a redshirt junior who had seven career starts for Temple before taking the reins this season, has shown himself to be a capable quarterback. But he has missed on big-play opportunities in a few games by overthrowing receivers who were wide open.

Against Northern Illinois, Owls wide receiver Rod Streater got behind the Huskies' defense with Temple trailing by 24-17, but Stewart's throw was too strong.

For the season, Stewart is 71 of 132 passing for 831 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

"You only get them a couple of times a game, and you have to hit them," Golden said about big plays in the passing game. "He knows that. Ultimately, it's the quarterback's responsibility to put the ball on [the receiver], and he's got to do that. Right now, it's unacceptable. The amount of throws we're leaving on the field is unacceptable."

Behind the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Stewart on the depth chart are redshirt junior Mike Gerardi (6-2, 206), and redshirt freshman Chris Coyer (6-3, 214). Neither has thrown a pass this season.

"Obviously, neither of them have the game experience," said Golden, who added that an in-game switch at quarterback this week is not out of the question. "But they are both bright. Both have good arms and they have good touch. They can make plays with their feet. We're going to give guys a look there just like we're doing at the other positions."

One week after hearing Golden describe the team's 42-35 victory over host Army as the biggest of his five-season tenure, the Temple team heard a different message after the loss at Northern Illinois.

The Huskies won by shutting out Temple over the last two quarters. The contest pitted the teams that many expect to meet in the MAC championship game.

Golden was disappointed that he did not see the effort and toughness that had brought the Owls from a 1-11 finish in his first year to a 9-4 mark and a bowl appearance last fall. The coach also accepted responsibility for how his team played in its most recent outing.

"We're not going to play like we did on Saturday again," Golden said. "I'll quit before that happens. It was embarrassing. I couldn't believe that was my team out there. It starts and ends with me, and I'm going to get it fixed."

Notes. Running back Bernard Pierce (ankle), who made only a few a carries before leaving the Northern Illinois game, joined his teammates for practice. . . . Temple will celebrate homecoming on Saturday. Fans who show tickets for the Phillies or Flyers games that day can watch Temple-Bowling Green for $10.