Saturday 22 August 2009

Charlton gets the starting nod


Vaughn Chartlon was strong in the pocket against PSU two years ago.
By Mike Gibson
Al Golden said it was a good problem to have.
"We have two Division I quarterbacks that's the hardest thing to find in college football," he said. "I really don't know who we're going to pick at this point. The competition is that close."
You would assume that Golden was talking about Vaughn Charlton and Chester Stewart.
No, that quote was about Vaughn Charlton and someone else.
Chris Coyer?
No.
Mike Gerardi?
Try again.
The young man Golden was talking about was named Adam DiMichele.
About this time two years ago, Golden agonized and agonized and finally gave the nod to DiMichele.
"That doesn't mean Vaughn isn't going to play," Golden said at the time. "We have two really good options so this isn't bad, it's good."
The rest became history.

Don't miss the beginning of The Vaughn Charlton Era at Temple. Click on the game logo above for really cheap tickets
Yesterday, Charlton completed a second knock-down, drag-out, battle for the quarterback job, this time with Chester Stewart and this time he came out on top.
The announcement will be made on Tuesday at Fan Fest, but you read it here first.
Yesterday, Charlton was seen leaving a meeting with the coaches and Stewart, with a big smile and shaking hands.
It's been well-documented here that DiMichele was my favorite player at Temple, maybe in the last 20 years. He deserved to go to a bowl game, but injuries robbed him of that opportunity. There were so many intangibles to like about DiMichele. It seemed every time the Owls had a 3d and 8, DiMichele would will those sticks to move by ducking out of a rush and picking up nine yards.
There's much to like about Charlton, too. Maybe there will be less 3d and 8s with Vaughn because he'll move the sticks at first and second downs.
Let's hope so.
People forget that Vaughn was thisclose to putting a whole lot of points up on the board against Penn State two years ago. He got one TD pass dropped, another called back on a bogus holding call and a third fouled up due to a dropped double-reverse.
None were his fault.
(Heck, add to that dropped INTs by Alex Joseph and Omar McDonnnaugh-Hales in the PSU offensive backfield and Temple might have won that game.)
People forget how close that competition was with DiMichele two years ago.
Vaughn has already proven to be a terrific team leader who has taken freshman sensation Chris Coyer under his wing.
"He's a great athlete and just a another example of a tremendous quarterback Temple is bringing in," Charlton said. "I'm going to be his roommate and I look forward to getting to know him."
He comes from a great family, has a super and supportive dad who sits behind me in the lower bowl and cheers with the rest of us (unlike those people who sit on their hands in the club seats).

The maturity and team leadership in that quote was staggering.
He comes from a great family, has a super and supportive dad who sits behind me in the lower bowl and cheers with the rest of us (unlike those people who sit on their hands in the club seats).
I like how eager Vaughn is to take over this time.
"You're The Man next year," I said to Vaughn in the parking lot after a game last year.
"I can't wait, sir," Vaughn said, shaking my hand.
Vaughn and Temple fans will now have only a few days to wait before he finally takes over.
Here's one guy who hopes Vaughn turns that Lincoln Financial Field scoreboard into an adding machine.

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