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Temple won't let guard down vs. Delaware State

After falling to FCS Fordham last season, the Owls know not to take Saturday's game vs. Delaware State for granted.

Temple defensive lineman Averee Robinson. (Clem Murray/Staff Photographer)
Temple defensive lineman Averee Robinson. (Clem Murray/Staff Photographer)Read more(Clem Murray/Staff Photographer)

TEMPLE'S FOOTBALL team learned a lot of harsh lessons last season. None was harder than a one-point loss to FCS Fordham at home in the third game on a Hail Mary pass at the buzzer.

It didn't matter that Fordham would win its first 10 and make it to the second round of the playoffs before losing to eventual national runner-up Towson.

You know what they say about perceptions. It's one thing to lose on two other long, late passes against Rutgers and Central Florida. And squander 21-point leads against SMU and Connecticut. Or even lose at Idaho, which wouldn't beat anyone else.

But FCS isn't FBS.

These Owls - who have won by 30 at Vanderbilt, lost to Navy in South Philly by a touchdown and are coming off the first of three byes - will host FCS Delaware State (0-3) on Saturday afternoon. They're supposed to win. That's why the game was scheduled. Still, they know what can happen. And it hasn't happened only to Temple. Ask Iowa State, for one. It's just that you don't want it to happen to you.

"I think every coach on our staff has coached at the FCS level at one point," said Matt Rhule, who was an assistant at Western Carolina from 2002-05. "A lot of us had teams that we know could have played against a lot of guys. So we certainly understand as coaches. I don't think the players understood until they stood on the field when Fordham beat us. You see it week in and week out. This week, it's given them a sense of urgency to really take the time to concentrate on this opponent, watch that tape, OK, make sure you're ready to play at a high level against them."

And really, what good is a lesson if you don't learn something from it?

"We talk a lot about [that game]," said junior defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, who has 10 tackles this season, seven of them solos, including a sack. "We have to remember our process. It's not about who we're playing, or where we're playing. It's about us, playing our brand, our style and our standard. We have to prepare like it's the national championship, like it's the biggest game of our lives.

"Last year, they were all tough. They all stick to you. Looking back, we were a young team that didn't finish well. This one coming up reminds you of that, how much harder you have to work. You can't let your guard down. Any team can fall, and any team can rise.

"Some people have said things like [it's going to be easy]. You won't hear us say that. We can't overestimate or underestimate anyone. I guarantee [Delaware State's] going to bring their best effort. We want that."

Next week, the Owls will play their American opener at UConn (1-2), which beat FCS Stony Brook by three on Sept. 6. When you're trying to go from 2-10 to bowl eligible and possibly beyond, you worry about that one when this one is behind you. Now matter how much of a formality it might seem to be on paper.

"You can't take any days off," said sophomore quarterback P.J. Walker, who's recovering from a high ankle sprain he suffered in the second quarter against Navy. "We're looking at this as if it's a conference game, or a big game. Every game counts.

"They're going to look at it as their Super Bowl, play all out for four quarters. So we have to play like it's our Super Bowl as well. The more prepared you are, the better chance you have of winning. That's the thought every week. You have to be great as a team. You can talk about being great. You have to translate it to the field."

And not merely for the first 59 minutes, 54 seconds, either. Because who really needs to be reminded of that?