Shuffling off to Buffalo: A primer for Temple fans

By Mike Gibson
If you can't make Temple's opening football game at University of Buffalo Stadium (pictured) and are wondering where all those loud "LET'S GO TEM-PLE!!!" chants are coming from, chances are it will be Section 210, West Grandstand.
Or 209.
Or 211.
Or all three.
But the central area appears to be 210.
That's the general area, about the 10-yard-line behind the Owl bench, where the majority of the Temple fans will be sitting come the 7 p.m. kickoff.
A Temple fan named Ken Mayo has been working hard to get his fellow members of what Al Golden proudly calls "Owl Nation" to the University of Buffalo.
He's prodded, cajoled and set up buses for those interested in supporting the Owls.
He's set up an email network of those interested in going to the game and, within a couple of days of the call, said he received over 100 emails from Temple fans interested in supporting the first game of the new Golden Era.
Between the buses, full cars, trains and planes, Owl Nation could be represented by anything from a base low of 500 fans to an estimated one or two thousand.
Anything more would be a pleasant surprise.
Few expect anything less, particularly after an estimated 2,000 people turned out for Fan Fest on Wednesday, what Golden called an "encouraging sign."
Mayo is hosting a tailgate for $32 a person.
Many Owl fans will be hosting their own impromtu satellite tailgates as well.
Other items of interest for Owl fans:

• All seats in the stadium are $15. Plenty of tickets still available for the game. Good idea to ask for seats in 210, 209 and 208 sections, if purchasing at stadium ticket window.
  
• The stadium seats 29,013. No more than 20,000 fans are expected.
  
• The Temple football game will be on CN8, with Chris Carrino handling the play-by-play and Jon Ritchie the color and available on the internet in streaming video at CN8tv.com. The game will also be broadcast over 990 AM in Philadelphia, a 5,000-watt station that can be heard in 3 states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware) at night.
  
• It will also be the opening game for former Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill, the new UB head coach. Here is the UB roster. Tight end Chad Upshaw is probably the Bulls' best player. Defensive back Kareem Byrom is also outstanding.
  
• Golden is Temple's 24th head coach and the depth chart is expected to be released either today or tomorrow. Here is the Owls' current roster.
  
• If driving to the game, it's about a 7-hour trip from Philadelphia. Here are the directions from the Temple campus.