After a lot of news surfaced this past week regarding the Owls' depth chart and with a few surprises (if you want to call it that) concerning the offensive side of the ball, I decided to take a step away from chipping in my own viewpoint on the developing scenarios, and bring in one of the more respected Temple bloggers out there.
Dave Gerson, owner of Owlified.com, took some time out of his hectic schedule to bring his never ending knowledge of Temple football and opinions pertaining to the week's past news stories. With that said, it's time to see Dave's thoughts on Temple's recent roster moves.
1. The Owls recently decided to go with Chester Stewart at quarterback, which was expected all along, but now has become official. What is your take on the junior quarterback, and how do you see him performing in the upcoming season?
I'm really excited to see Chester Stewart take control of this offense. He is a different player than Vaughn was, and really adds a sense of mobility to his position. Chester has had plenty of opportunity and experience now (his first career game was in Happy Valley, doesn't get much better than that) and will take over a veteran offense that has had time to develop and grow as a unit.
C.S needs to improve his accuracy, coordination (controlling snaps), and decision making. Besides that, he's a quality quarterback. Of the four or five other QBs on this team, Stewart is the most experienced and best candidate for the starting spot. I'm excited to see him on the field September 3rd.
2. In somewhat of a surprising move, Coach Al Golden placed fellow sophomore running back Matt Brown ahead of Bernard Pierce on the depth chart. What was your reaction to this move, and do you think Golden is using this for motivational purpose, or is it really because of Pierce's head injury?
I've been asked this question a number of times, and say the same thing: I'm not worried or surprised at all. Anyone who pays attention to Coach Golden's style of coaching knows that he uses the depth chart as a way to wake players up. Bernard missed several practices due to injury, which gave backup Matt Brown almost every first team snap there was. His play during that time earned him the top spot on the depth chart.
This was definitely done for motivational purposes, but to be honest there's not too much more you need to do in Bernard Pierce's case. He will be ready and will be the starter for the Villanova game.
3. The depth chart was recently announced, and aside from the the running back position, were there any other roster moves that surprised you?
This is obviously not the official depth chart for the season, so there is no surprise for me specifically that certain starters (Bernard Pierce, Colin Madison, Peanut Joseph) are listed as backups.
James Nixon and Vaughn Charlton have made unbelievable strides during the off-season, with both players switching positions. Nixon is competing with Marquise Liverpool (another former offense player turned defense) for a starting cornerback spot, while Charlton will make a push for a top spot with the tight ends.
Taking a look at the redshirts, though, I am surprised that there are less freshman that will be held out for a year. This means the level of talent has gone up, and that this team is deeper than ever.
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Dave Gerson, owner of Owlified.com, took some time out of his hectic schedule to bring his never ending knowledge of Temple football and opinions pertaining to the week's past news stories. With that said, it's time to see Dave's thoughts on Temple's recent roster moves.
1. The Owls recently decided to go with Chester Stewart at quarterback, which was expected all along, but now has become official. What is your take on the junior quarterback, and how do you see him performing in the upcoming season?
I'm really excited to see Chester Stewart take control of this offense. He is a different player than Vaughn was, and really adds a sense of mobility to his position. Chester has had plenty of opportunity and experience now (his first career game was in Happy Valley, doesn't get much better than that) and will take over a veteran offense that has had time to develop and grow as a unit.
C.S needs to improve his accuracy, coordination (controlling snaps), and decision making. Besides that, he's a quality quarterback. Of the four or five other QBs on this team, Stewart is the most experienced and best candidate for the starting spot. I'm excited to see him on the field September 3rd.
2. In somewhat of a surprising move, Coach Al Golden placed fellow sophomore running back Matt Brown ahead of Bernard Pierce on the depth chart. What was your reaction to this move, and do you think Golden is using this for motivational purpose, or is it really because of Pierce's head injury?
I've been asked this question a number of times, and say the same thing: I'm not worried or surprised at all. Anyone who pays attention to Coach Golden's style of coaching knows that he uses the depth chart as a way to wake players up. Bernard missed several practices due to injury, which gave backup Matt Brown almost every first team snap there was. His play during that time earned him the top spot on the depth chart.
This was definitely done for motivational purposes, but to be honest there's not too much more you need to do in Bernard Pierce's case. He will be ready and will be the starter for the Villanova game.
3. The depth chart was recently announced, and aside from the the running back position, were there any other roster moves that surprised you?
This is obviously not the official depth chart for the season, so there is no surprise for me specifically that certain starters (Bernard Pierce, Colin Madison, Peanut Joseph) are listed as backups.
James Nixon and Vaughn Charlton have made unbelievable strides during the off-season, with both players switching positions. Nixon is competing with Marquise Liverpool (another former offense player turned defense) for a starting cornerback spot, while Charlton will make a push for a top spot with the tight ends.
Taking a look at the redshirts, though, I am surprised that there are less freshman that will be held out for a year. This means the level of talent has gone up, and that this team is deeper than ever.
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We thank Dave for taking some time to do this Q&A, and expect to see more of his thoughts and opinions on Cherry & White Nation once the season gets underway.
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