Posted: Friday, October 28, 2011, 11:44 PM | 7 comments |
 

Pierce: "I should be good for Wednesday"
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(Michael Bryant/Staff file photo)

If Bernard Pierce could talk to Temple fans, he would tell them to relax.

“I’m feeling well,” said the Owls tailback, who is nursing a hamstring injury. “My body is holding up well, just a couple of nicks and bruises along the way.”

Then he said the one thing Temple followers really wanted to hear.

“I should be good for Wednesday,” Pierce said in reference to the much-anticipated Mid-American Conference East Division matchup against Ohio.

The Owls (5-3, 3-2 Mid-American) must defeat the Bobcats (5-3, 2-2) at Peden Stadium if they expect to reach the conference championship game. And a healthy Pierce gives them their best chance to win.

“Coach [Steve Addazio] is taking the extra precaution of not trying to drive my body into the ground in practice when we have a game,” the 6-foot, 218-pound junior said of not practicing since Oct. 14.

Pierce leads the nation with 18 rushing touchdowns. He also ranks second in scoring (13.50 points per game) and  10th in rushing (118.88 yards per game). 

The Glen Mills product had 17 carries for 107 yards a touchdown while competing at 60 percent in last weekend’s 13-10 setback to Bowling Green.

“I give him a lot of credit,” Addazio said. “He did not want to come out that one game. And it was real important for him to be in the game.”

And it’s also important for Pierce to play against Ohio.

“We got to win,” he said. “Everyone has been going really hard this week at practice. And our mentality, our mindset, our motive is to go down there and win.”
Posted by Keith Pompey @ 11:44 PM  Permalink | File Under: Football | 7 comments
7
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:29 AM, 10/29/2011
    Look for a significant passing game on Wednesday. As to who will be throwing those passes, we will have to wait and see.
    — Clifton
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:03 AM, 10/29/2011
    Temple's back is to the wall. They have to win the remaining games on the schedule and hope Bowling Green loses. I hope Pierce is healthy and by some miracle, Temple finds a passing game.
    — xxx
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:28 AM, 10/29/2011
    Ohio has a great coach and there is plenty of game film. Just stack the box to stop Pierce, blitz the QB, and dare Temple to run a deep route.
    — damnels
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:53 PM, 10/29/2011
    Adazzio knows what Ohio will do to force Stuart to pass. Relying on the run to win will result in third and longs. Temple will have to mix it up to win. If CS plays smart and completes a couple of passes early to get into a rhythm, things will be OK. But if Ohio stacks the line, blitzes, and causes CS to run scared early Temple will be in serious trouble. Coach, don't forget you have 2 decent backups.
    — hobie
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:31 PM, 10/30/2011
    I've been to the 2 games here in Athens that Temple lost. Ohio is a solid team, always plays real tough defense. If the Owls can complete some passes they can win. The O-line has to block. Go Owls.
    — joninohio


7 comments
About Keith Pompey
Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He began covering the Temple men's basketball team in November 2010. His other duties include small-college football and college recruiting. Pompey previously covered the Penn and Drexel men's basketball teams after intially focusing on high school sports. He is also the Pennsylvania representative on the McDonald's All-American High School boys' basketball contact committee.

Pompey is a native Philadelphian and a University of Pittsburgh graduate. Follow him on Twitter @pompeysgridlock.

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