TEMPLE

[Confident Carl]

They return 11 on a defense that was very effective last year. (see attachment) in 2015 they play Penn State, Notre Dame, UMASS and Charlotte in OOC games. They were 2-10 in 2013, 6-6 last year. Barring significant injuries they could have a terrific year. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to the championship game. UCONN is at least a year behind them developmentally.

What bothers me the most, is UCONN could have landed linebacker Tyler Matekevich from St. Joe's in Trumbull but Pasqualoni and staff ignored him and gift wrapped him for Temple. This was told to me by
a very credible source.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...le-owls-football-2015-preview-schedule-roster

Tyler Matekavich

http://www.owlsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7116

 

[Palatine]

Matekavich is a good linebacker. He is a solid run stopper. Tackling machine. Less effective against the pass. Not especially fast but makes up for it with good instincts. Tough kid. Good football player.

He may or may not have beaten out the guys we have put at LB. Most have been better athletes. There is no guarantee he would have had the career he had at Temple at UConn.

P. made many, many mistakes, overlooking TM is a minor one at best.

 

[31GuardTrap]

LB is the one position I am sure UConn has not suffered at.

 

[mets1090]

I believe I heard that Matekavich sent his film to UConn basically asking for a scholarship and would have committed had an offer come.

Even if we haven't suffered at the position, depth and flexibility is something you can't have enough of.

 

[Confident Carl]

Matekavich is a good linebacker. He is a solid run stopper. Tackling machine. Less effective against the pass. Not especially fast but makes up for it with good instincts. Tough kid. Good football player.

He may or may not have beaten out the guys we have put at LB. Most have been better athletes. There is no guarantee he would have had the career he had at Temple at UConn.

P. made many, many mistakes, overlooking TM is a minor one at best.

The coaches at St. Joes were pleading for UCONN to take TM and they passed. You are underestimating his value. I agree on pass coverage speed but he is a great linebacker. This was a major mistake to lose him to Temple when he wanted to come to UCONN.

Good?

Became only the third player in Temple history to record 100+ tackles in three straight seasons [Joe Klecko (1974-1976) and Steve Conjar (1979-81)] ... ranks sixth all-time with 355 tackles ... his streak of 35 consecutive games played is tied for the longest on the Owls (John Christopher, Kyle Friend, Hershey Walton) entering 2015.

Honors: All-Conference First Team by American Athletic Conference ... All-AAC Second Team by College Sports Madness ... 2014 Bednarik Award Watch List by Maxwell Football Club ... 2014 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List ... 2014 Butkus Award Watch List ... 2014 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List ... 2014 CFPA Linebacker Trophy Watch List ... Midseason All-AAC First Team by Phil Steele Publications ... Under Armour OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week (12/8/14-12/15/14) ... Defensive Play of the Week by the American Athletic Conference (12/6/14 at Tulane) ... Honorable Mention Player of the Week by American Athletic Conference (11/1/14 vs. East Carolina) ... Preseason All-American Fourth Team by Phil Steele Publications ... Preseason All-AAC First Team by Phil Steele Publications ... Preseason All-AAC First Team by Athlon Sports ... Preseason All-AAC First Team by College Sports Madness ... 2013 first team All-Conference by American Athletic Conference and Sporting News ... 2013 honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrrated ... 2013 first team All-Sophomore team by College Football News ... Temple Student Athlete of the Week (9/30/13-10/6/13) ... 2013 preseason first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection by Phil Steele’s College Football … 2013 preseason second-team All-American Athletic Conference by Athlon Sports … 2013 CFPA Watch List … 2012 FWAA Freshman All-American … 2012 Big East Rookie of the Year … 2012 second-team All-Big East … 2012 ECAC Defensive Rookie of the Year … 2012 CBSSports.com Big East All-Conference Team … 2012 Big East Freshman of the Year by College Sports Madness … 2012 second-team All-Big East by College Sports Madness … MNYFWA National Rookie of the Week (10/17/12) … named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll (10/15/12; 10/8/12) … CFP Honorable Mention Linebacker of the Week (10/7/12).

 

[Confident Carl]

I believe I heard that Matekavich sent his film to UConn basically asking for a scholarship and would have committed had an offer come.

Even if we haven't suffered at the position, depth and flexibility is something you can't have enough of.

You are correct.

 

[31GuardTrap]

I am pretty sure that UConn has had and will continue to have "depth" over the next few years at the LB position. Pointless debate here. One could say, both points are correct.

 

[mets1090]

I am pretty sure that UConn has had and will continue to have "depth" over the next few years at the LB position. Pointless debate here. One could say, both points are correct.

I agree both points are correct. If there's one position they could afford to miss at, it would have to be LB. I'm just guessing that if they had one more potential all conference guy you would see someone shift to DE, SS, or even TE and help elsewhere. But yeah I doubt him coming would have had much of an impact on our record the last two years.

 

[Confident Carl]

Don't get me wrong, mets and 31G, I understand that he may not have made a huge difference in UCONN's record, no matter how good Matekavich is. UCONN had the 27th pick in the NFL draft and ended up 2-10. Temple's best year during his time was last year, 6-6 but as I stated in the post, In 2015 Temple they could be really good. With 11 returning starters on D lead by TM they should be scary on D.

UCONN cannot afford to lose talent and leadership like this.

 

[huskymedic]

What bothers me the most, is UCONN could have landed linebacker Tyler Matekevich from St. Joe's in Trumbull but Pasqualoni and staff ignored him and gift wrapped him for Temple. This was told to me by a very credible source.

Here we go again...

As a reminder --- Edsell was coach when TM was a high school senior @ St. Joe's - not Pasqualoni. TM then did a year @ Milford Academy.

I do agree that Matekevich has turned into quite the LB and will in all likelihood get a chance to play on Sundays.

 

[Confident Carl]

Here we go again...

As a reminder --- Edsell was coach when TM was a high school senior @ St. Joe's - not Pasqualoni. TM then did a year @ Milford Academy.

I do agree that Matekevich has turned into quite the LB and will in all likelihood get a chance to play on Sundays.

True, both Edsell and Pasqualoni were guilty. Edsell was bla on CT kids but supposedly Pasqualoni was the guy who knew CT. A friend coached St. Joe's and told me they were selling Matakevich but UCONN wasn't buying. After Edsell passed, they went to Pasqualoni
and even after a year at Milford, UCONN under Pasqualoni still didn't go after him. If offered he was going to UCONN all the way.

"He's a hustler," Temple second-year coach Matt Rhile said during Monday's AAC coaches' conference call. "He finds a way to get to the ball even when he's being blocked."

http://www.ctpost.com/uconn/article/Passed-over-by-UConn-Matakevich-found-a-home-in-5778557.php

 

[Palatine]

I think it worked out well for both. He walked into a great situation at Temple. UConn had Smallwood at the time. And has had very good LB play since.

As I said, P. made many mistakes. This isn't one of his worst.

 

[freescooter]

I agree with pal. Lots of things go into recruiting. Coaches might have concluded that it was as simple as linebackers weren't a priority in that class. So unless a can't miss stud is available and nobody said he was that, you take a pass and offer an olineman. That's the way it works in recruiting. Limited spaces and you try to meet needs.

 

[Huskygrad88]

Calhoun missed on Ryan Gomes...we've all seen then resultant press conference.

 

[Bonehead]

They return 11 on a defense that was very effective last year. (see attachment) in 2015 they play Penn State, Notre Dame, UMASS and Charlotte in OOC games. They were 2-10 in 2013, 6-6 last year. Barring significant injuries they could have a terrific year. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to the championship game. UCONN is at least a year behind them developmentally.

What bothers me the most, is UCONN could have landed linebacker Tyler Matekevich from St. Joe's in Trumbull but Pasqualoni and staff ignored him and gift wrapped him for Temple. This was told to me by
a very credible source.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...le-owls-football-2015-preview-schedule-roster

Tyler Matekavich

http://www.owlsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7116

I could be wrong - and I am NOT a PP apologist - but I didn't think Tyler could get in?

 

[Confident Carl]

I could be wrong - and I am NOT a PP apologist - but I didn't think Tyler could get in?

Tyler's Academics weren't an issue, as I recall he was offered to come as a walk on and if you do not meet the requirements you can't walk on. You may be confusing him with Montrell Dobbs from Ansonia, who had issues and went to Milford Academy the same year.

"Dobbs had committed to UConn following his senior year in 2010 but it was reported several weeks ago that he would not be enrolling in Storrs because of academic issues."

http://articles.courant.com/2011-12...0111206_1_montrell-dobbs-enrolling-head-coach

This thread is focusing too much on Matakevich, when it is entitled Temple. The fact is, Temple has 11 returning defensive players from an excellent defense. They have everyone on the two deep back as well. Tyler is the leader of the defense and it's hard to place a quantifiable value on theat. Temple is going to be a handful in 2015!

 

[weyuo]

As long as they are a handful for ECU, UCF, Navy and Cincy. I am hoping UConn is a handful also. Only thing that is puzzling me is the QB situation and the fact that who ever does become #1 won't have much time with his starting mates to really gel into a cohesive unit before Mizzou. Fortunately Temple is at the end of the season so the offense should have been able to figure it out by then. If not....gulp!

 

[businesslawyer]

My God, can we stop? I hate P as much as anyone, but stop. Did BC offer him? Syracuse? Pitt? Any national power? No. Everyone -- EVERYONE -- at our level at that time didn't think he was fast enough.

They were wrong. He's a really good LB. But sometimes players work out better than a coach analyzing the situation properly would think. And this was obviously one of those times.

There. You made me defend P and I just threw up in my mouth a little. Happy?

 

[weyuo]

"P did get 5 wins HIS first season(quickly hides behind barrier as rocks and bottles start flying)

 

[Confident Carl]

"P did get 5 wins HIS first season(quickly hides behind barrier as rocks and bottles start flying)

This post is about the potentially good season Temple could have in large part because of a tough Defense lead by Connecticut's own Tyler Matekevich. I'm just disappointed that UCONN missed out on Matakevich, Smallwood or not. St. Joe's (my high school) raved about the kid and neither RE of PP wanted him.

Temple's pending success is ironic because in 2004, they got officially kicked out of the Big East and at around the same time UCONN was admitted to the conference. After the Big East breakup, Temple was invited to rejoin for 2012.

I remember blogging back then that Temple has potential (4th largest TV market) to be decent and it's good to see them producing. Although I am hoping we beat the Owls in Philly our last game of the season, I'd like to see them beat Penn State and Notre Dame this year. It would be good for the American, Temple and North East football.

 

[Bonehead]

"P did get 5 wins HIS first season(quickly hides behind barrier as rocks and bottles start flying)

With a loaded roster coming off BCS game -

3 cheers for Paual - Hip hip hooray....hip hip hooray...hip hip hooray

 

[huskysupporter]

With a loaded roster coming off BCS game -

3 cheers for Paual - Hip hip hooray....hip hip hooray...hip hip hooray

I still can't believe he could only manage 5 wins with that defensive talent.