(02-21-2020 10:18 AM)vick mike Wrote: Accurate for Temple in that we lose several key defensive players to graduation and lose one transfer. Our offense was meh last year but we bring back most of it.
Haven't been following in detail, but I have the impression that the defense may be a little less formidable than last season.
While most of the offense may be returning, they too are losing some valued players, including a starting RB, their #2 QB (transferring), and WR/RB Isaiah Wright, as well as a few others.
To say that Temple's offense (except vs. Memphis) was "meh" last season is an understatement.
Temple's offense was ranked #86 in ppg in the nation in 2019:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/yea...fense.html
Coach Carey's offense was ranked #121 in ppg in the nation in 2018:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/yea...fense.html
Coach Carey's offense was #90 in total yardage in 2017:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/yea...fense.html
Despite being #90 in total offense in 2017 and #121 in total scoring in 2018, Coach Carey elected to bring his co-OC to Temple and elevated him to the full title of OC. The OC's only prior experience, beyond two highly unsuccessful seasons as Carey's co-OC (Carey was the other co-OC), was primarily spent as an offensive line position coach.
UPSHOT: In addition to the dubious decision to hire a moderately successful MAC HC to run Temple's FB program,
Coach Carey's decision to hire an unsuccessful co-OC with no full OC experience to take the OC position was highly problematic. As a result, Temple was only able to score 26.3 ppg and generate 392.5 yards in total offense last season.
Although Temple's defense was #51 in points allowed, Temple's opponents scored 25.9 per game last season.
As a consequence, Temple's margin of victory last season was only 0.4 points per game.
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Another criticism of last season's team is that there was inadequate depth at some positions in 2019.
Unfortunately, Temple lost their top recruiter, Fran Brown, who is now Rutgers' HC.
I haven't followed the recruiting situation carefully, but the last time I checked, there were some serious concerns about depth and recruiting, given that most of Matt Rhule's recruits have departed or will soon depart.
Since Carey came east from Northern Illinois, he did not bring a familiarity of the mid-atlantic recruiting region with him, which is why he chose to hire Fran Brown. Whether or not the new recruiting staff will be able to restock the team effectively will remain to be seen.
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2020 predictions on a Temple message board have generally been somewhat less sanguine than they were last season, particularly given the way Temple's starting QB underperformed in 2019, paired with the team's scoring difficulties.
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Interesting look at returning production in football next season...
