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2009 Temple Owls NCAA Football Predictions

Written July 8, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Temple Owls 2009 Predictions The Temple Owls had some very high expectation going into the 2008 season, as they lost just two starters from the previous season, but things just didn’t go the Owls way as they finished up the season at 5-7. The Owls did finish tied for 2nd in the East division of the Mid-American Conference at 4-4, and it wasn’t as though the Owls played bad last season, as they lost three games on the final play, and spent four games without their starting quarterback. The Owls are once again primed for another strong season, as they have 15 starters coming back this season, and only have to deal with losing 16 letterman from last season. Here is a look at both sides of the ball plus my prediction on where they will finish up the 2009 season in the MAC.

The offense will be the biggest concern for the Owls heading into the 2009 season, as they lost their top passer from last season in Adam DiMichele. Junior quarterback Vaughn Charlton and sophomore Chester Stewart will battle it out for the starting job this season. Charlton, who redshirted last season, is likely the leading candidate, but Stewart did get the snaps last season when DiMichele was out because of injury. At running back the Owls return their leading rusher from last season in Kee-ayre Griffin, but it looks as though senior transfer Lamar McPherson has the edge heading into the season after a strong spring. At wide receiver the Owls also lost their top talent, as they will have to find a way to replace the 687 yards and 13 touchdowns provided by Bruce Francis last season. A lot is expected out of senior Jason Harper, who is the top returning receiver from last season, but the Owls are also hoping to get something out of sophomore James Nixon and junior Delano Green. The Owls do have senior tight end Steve Maneri back this season, and though he didn’t have a ton of catches last season he did provide 4 touchdown grabs for the Owls. On the offensive line the three returning starters back are all sophomores, and this group figures to only get better. Juniors Colin Madison and Derek Dennis are expected to fill the voids at right guard and right tackle. Whoever wins the job at quarterback between Charlton and Stewart, doesn’t have to make the big plays, but just needs to make smart decisions and keep from turning the ball over. Bet the Owls this season at Sportsbook.com.

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Where the Owls are going to cause some damage this season is on the defensive side of the ball, as they have 9 starters back and some of the best talent at nearly every position in the MAC this season. It starts up front with a couple of senior studs on the defensive line in end Junior Galette and tackle Andre Neblett. A couple of solid sophomores will hold down the other two spots, as end Andrein Robinson and tackle Muhammad Wilkerson both had solid freshmen runs last season. At linebacker the Owls return all three starters led by the play of senior middle linebacker Alex Joseph, who was second on the team with 87 tackles last season. In the secondary the Owls just have one open position at corner and that spot looks to go to junior Daryl Robinson, as he joins a star studded group. Robinson will play opposite of one of the top corners in the MAC in Senior Jamal Schulters, who tied for the team lead with 3 interceptions last season. The two players he tied with are the two starting safeties for the Owls this season in senior strong safety Dominque Harris and junior free safety Jaquawn Jarrett. Overall this unit is going to be tough for any team to score on, and could very well be the reason this team returns to its winning form and goes to a bowl game for the fist time since 1997. Bet the MAC this season at Sportsbook.com.

My 2009 Prediction: 1st in MAC East Division. I am going out on a bit of a limb here, but I really feel like the Owls are going to surprise a lot of teams this season, and could even end up winning the overall conference title this season. In order for this prediction to come true the Owls will likely have to win both road games against Ohio and Akron, but I like that they play these games late in the year after the offense has had a chance to get a rhythm going.

Need some help with your NCAA football predictions this upcoming season? Be sure to check back for our expert NCAA football picks and the latest NCAA football odds at Betfirms.

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