Miami RedHawks at Temple Owls
Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, November 8, 2011, 8:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Temple -11 1/2
Current Line: Temple -13
Opening Total: 41 1/2
Current Total: 44
Opening Money Line: Temple -450 / Miami +370
Current Money Line: Temple -455 / Miami +375
Miami and Temple meet for the sixth time ever Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Temple leads the overall series 3-2 but Miami is won last year in Oxford 23-3. This season Temple is 5-4 (3-3 in the MAC East) under first year coach Steve Addazio, while Miami is 4-5 (3-2 in the MAC East) under coach Don Treadwell. Temple is a half game behind Ohio and Miami for first place in the division. Miami started off the season 0-4 but has since won 4 of the last 5. Miami has losses at Missouri 17-6, Minnesota 29-23, and Toledo 49-28, along with home losses to Bowling Green 37-23 and Cincinnati 27-0. Miami has home wins over Army 35-28, Buffalo 41-13, and last week against Akron 35-3, along with a road win at Kent St 9-3. Temple has home wins over Villanova 42-7 and Buffalo 34-0, along with road wins at Akron 41-3, Maryland 38-7, and Ball St 42-0. Temple has home losses to Penn St 14-10 and Toledo 36-13 along with road losses at Bowling Green 13-10 and last week at Ohio 35-31. The Owls have lost two games in a row.
Last week, Miami hosted Akron, and the RedHawks were 14 point favorites on the college football betting line. Akron was never in the game as Miami was up 28-0 at halftime. Miami breezed to a 35-3 win. Akron didn’t score until they kicked a meaningless field goal late in the fourth quarter. The Zips had 2 turnovers in the loss. Miami had 383 total yards including 168 rushing yards. RedHawk quarterback Zac Dysert threw for 215 yards, with two touchdown passes, and also had a rushing touchdown and 32 yards on 9 carries. Running back Justin Semmes had 24 carries, 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Receiver Nick Harwell had 4 catches, 117 yards, and a touchdown catch. Andy Cruse also had a touchdown catch for Miami. Akron had 201 total yards including 90 passing yards.
Miami averages 349.8 total yards and 22.2 points a game. The passing attack is #25 in the country with 271.1 yards, but the rushing game is the worst in the country averaging 78.7 yards a game. Miami has 16 turnovers and has allowed 28 sacks this season. Miami is 54/145 on third and fourth down conversions, and 23/30 scoring in the red zone with 22 touchdowns. The RedHawks give up 349.8 total yards and 22.9 points a game. Miami allows 179.8 passing yards and 170 rushing yards per game. The pass defense is 310 in the country. The RedHawks have forced 20 sacks and 15 turnovers. Miami opponents are 55/149 on third and fourth down conversions, and 26/33 scoring in the red zone with 19 touchdowns. Miami has one defensive touchdown but has allowed 3 this season.
Dysert is 190/304 passing with 2,364 yards, along with 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, along with 76 carries for 65 yards and 3 touchdowns. Back-up Austin Boucher has a touchdown pass in 10 attempts this season. Running back Erik Finklea had 92 carries, 328 yards, and 4 touchdowns. He hasn’t played in two games but isn’t listed on the injury report. Semmes has 26 carries, 101 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 8 catches, 79 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Tyrone Jones and Chrishawn Dupuy also get significant carries. Harwell has 54 catches for 895 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dawan Scott has 16 catches, 370 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Chris Givens has 32 catches, 368 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Cruse has 31 catches, 293 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Kicker Mason Krysinski is 24/27 on extra points and 2/4 on field goals with a long of 45 yards. Seven RedHawk players are questionable or out indefinitely including 6 defensive players.
Last week Temple traveled to Ohio to take on the Bobcats in a battle for first place in the MAC East. Temple was a 4 point favorite on the road. The game was close throughout, and was tied at 21 going into the fourth quarter. Temple took a 31-28 lead with less than 5 minutes to go. Ohio scored with 1:41 left to make the score 35-31 and Temple turned the ball over on downs on their last possession. Each team had one turnover. Temple had 437 total yards including 308 rushing yards. Temple quarterback Chris Coyer threw for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns and 17 carries for 184 yards. Running back Bernard Pierce had 22 carries, 84 yards and a touchdown. He is questionable with a leg injury. Receiver Rod Streater had 3 catches, 82 yards and a touchdown catch. Evan Rodriguez and Deon Miller also had touchdown catches for Temple. Ohio had 521 total yards including 240 rushing yards.
Temple averages 391.1 yards a game, including the #8 rushing attack with 258.3 yards a game. The passing game averages only 132.8 yards a game. Only 5 other teams in college football pass for less yards a game than the Owls. Temple scores 29 points a game. Temple has 10 turnovers and has allowed 14 sacks this season. The Owls are 68/146 on third and fourth down conversions, and 27/32 scoring in the red zone with 19 touchdowns. Temple has a top ten ranked defense allowing 291.9 yards and just 12.8 points a game. Temple allows 184.8 passing yards and 107.1 rushing yards a game. The Owls have forced 14 turnovers and 25 sacks. Temple opponents are 46/143 on third and fourth down conversions, and 13/17 scoring in the red zone with 11 touchdowns.
Temple quarterback Chester Stewart platooned with Mije Gerardi for the first 3 games but Gerardi hasn’t played in 5 games. Stewart is 48/77 passing with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, along with 55 carries for 148 yards. Gerardi is 30/59 passing for 423 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Stewart only threw three passes and left the game against Ohio with a hamstring injury. Coyer saw his first action of the season after that. Both Coyer and Stewart could see action against Miami. Pierce has 203 carries, 1,035 yards, and 19 touchdowns, and 3 catches for 52 yards. Matt Brown has 99 carries, 579 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Coyer has 28 carries, 353 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Rodriguez has 24 catches, 311 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Streater has 15 catches, 305 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Joe Jones has 23 catches, 225 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Deon Miller has 14 catches, 190 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Kicker Brandon McManus is 33/33 on extra points and 10/15 on field goals with a long of 41 yards.
Temple is 6-3 against the spread and the total is 2-7 this year. Miami is 5-4 ATS and the total is 5-4 in those games. Miami has covered the last 2 in the series against Temple. The RedHawks are 5-1 ATS following a straight up win, 4-1 overall, 5-2 in conference, 2-5 against teams with winning records, and 1-4 after a straight up win of 20 points or more. The Owls are 4-1 ATS on grass, and 1-4 in November games.
Although Temple has lost 2 games in a row, they are more talented than Miami. Temple should control the game with their running game and dominant defense. Miami is good at stopping the pass but struggles against the run. Temple should win this game rather easily.
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