Unlike in week one when the game and all of the subsequent preparation was more focused on the Bearcats than their opponent, a lowly FCS team, this time around we’re more than mindful of a Temple Owls team that beat the snot out of Penn State last Saturday.
Here are five keys to the game for Cincinnati.
1) Mind Your Blocking Assignments
This goes for the offensive line as well as the running backs. Temple’s front seven is as suffocating, active, and downright nasty as there is in the AAC, if not college football. The number one priority for Cincinnati on Saturday is keeping Gunner Kiel upright. That’s it. That’s the game. If he’s sacked at the rate of Christian Hackenberg last week, UC probably doesn’t come out of this one with a win. However, if the offensive line does what they’ve done for the last couple of years, namely keep their quarterback clean, we should be sitting pretty when the clock hits zero at the end of the fourth quarter.
The same diligence has to be at the running back position as well, as Temple will undoubtedly sending blitzers from the second and third levels that Hosey Williams, Tion Green, and Mike Boone will need to pick up. Otherwise, UC’s coaches will be picking up scattered pieces of Gunner Kiel after this game.
2) Start Fast To Apply Pressure
In a perfect world Cincinnati scores a touchdown on their opening possession and the Owls are forced to play catch up from the get go. Temple’s offense is so overly reliant on the running game and P.J. Walker’s feet that they simply can’t get into shootouts with opposing teams. That doesn’t tend to happen thanks to that defense but the Bearcats going up a touchdown or two early on the Owls will put pressure on them to change their gameplan and throw it more, which isn’t in Walker’s wheelhouse. Keeping the ball out of Jahad Thomas’ hands, arguably Temple’s biggest offensive threat, means making them air it out.
3) Spy Walker And Mind The Gaps!
A two-pronged approached to stopping Temple’s offense in its tracks is keeping a linebacker spied on P.J. Walker, as to minimize the damage he causes with his legs, while at the same time keeping the gaps crowded with Bearcats. Temple will try to run the read-option to death on Saturday, trying to either spring Walker outside or create big lanes up the middle for Thomas. Regardless, Cincinnati must be aware of both of them at the same time on any given play. If they can contain both Walker and Thomas, UC will go a long way to keeping the Owls out of the endzone on Saturday.
4) Stay Patient
Unlike against Alabama A&M, this game probably won’t be won by the first quarter or even halftime. Expect the Bearcats and Owls to slog their way well into the fourth quarter before a champion emerges. For Cincinnati, while I would certainly like them to throw touchdown passes on each of their first two drives, that’s probably unrealistic. They’ll be scratching and clawing their way for yards and points against Temple. So if UC happens to settle for field goals or dump offs to running backs as opposed to long touchdown passes to Chris Moore, they mustn’t get impatient. It’s a four quarter, 60 minute game for a reason. The Bearcats just need to chip away, stick to their gameplan, execute, and they’ll be fine.
5) Play As Perfectly As Possible
Against Alabama A&M the rust of not playing for nine months showed in the form of a blocked Sam Geraci punt, because Tyler Cogswell picked up the wrong man, and tight end D.J. Dowdy dropping a soft pass in the flat. Hopefully that’s shaken off for this Saturday. Again, Cincinnati doesn’t need to be overly spectacular on offense or defense to beat Temple. They simply need to do the little things correctly, such as blocking the right defenders and catching easy passes. I don’t want to envision a scenario where the Owls manhandle the Bearcats solely because they’re playing the game of football better than them.