Tuesday 13 December 2011

Unstoppable force vs. very movable object



Wyoming has never seen anybody like Matty Brown, the Owls' No. 2 back.


And I'm sure Wyoming has never seen anything like No. 30.
Math professors would have a field day crunching the numbers produced by Wyoming and Temple this season.
Both teams finished 8-4.
Both teams had one marquee home game against a traditional  BCS powerhouse, with Wyoming getting blown out by Nebraska, 38-14, and Temple losing a heartbreaker against Penn State, 14-10.
Temple is ranked No. 7 in rushing offense and Wyoming No. 115 in rushing defense.
You can talk about all of those numbers all you want, but the numbers that strike me the most are 63-19 and 25-17.
Utah State, a team I feel has comparable talent to Temple (and I really think Temple has more talent) was able to beat Wyoming, 63-19. Air Force, a team locked in a life-and-death struggle with Army (before winning, 24-14), played a competitive game with Wyoming, losing, 25-17. Temple blew out Army, 42-14.
Of course, Wyoming fans can point to two numbers, 28-27, and 13-10.
Wyoming was able to beat Bowling Green, 28-27, and Temple lost to Bowling Green, 13-10.
Warmest TU Bowl
since 1934

Game-time temps:
1934: 62 degrees
1979: 40 degrees
2009: 11 degrees
2011: 43 degrees*
*forecasted

However, Temple was in the middle of a nighmarish quarterback situation at the time, when head coach Steve Addazio refused to remove Chester Stewart in that game despite a whole lot of three-and-outs and two injured running backs. Temple needed a quarterback who could make a play and finally found one in Chris Coyer, who can make a whole lot of plays. Stewart played admirably in relief vs. Kent State, but Coyer is a horse of a whole different fire department (to borrow a Bum Phillips' phrase).
With Coyer, Temple is able to maximize its running game by making explosive plays down the field on play-action passes.
To me, Saturday's game is quite simply Temple's unstoppable force (run game) vs. Wyoming's movable object (run defense).
The forecast right now calls for 43 degrees, snow showers possible but no storm, and that's good running weather.
I've crunched all of those numbers and variables and have come up with a sum total of 45.
Temple 31, Wyoming 14.
The over-under is 46.
I'd lay the 6 1/2 before taking the under.
I just hope none of the Owls drop the Native American Clay Pot, which is the very fragile trophy that goes to the winner and one I'm sure they'll be reaching for, ohh, about 5 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
Maybe they should put the hands' team in for the trophy-hoisting ceremony.

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