A possible All-American JUCO QB for Temple

GARRETT BARNAS, Harper Junior College _ Has offers from Iowa and Syracuse, but could probably be talked out of those by showing him the Chester Stewart game film against Western Michigan and the promise of immediate playing time.
Last year, I wrote that Temple needed three things to improve for the 2008 season: a big-time kicker, a big-time running back and a big-time fullback.
We got one of the three, a big-time running back, but wasted that acquistion by playing him at cornerback for five games. I'm loving the depth at that position with Ahkeem Smith and Eric Reynolds doning redshirts.
I also wrote that if the Owls didn't get those three pieces to the puzzle, Al Golden would pay in terms of bottom-line wins and losses.
I feel the same way this year about a big-time, ready-to-play, no excuses, quarterback.
Right now, we have two quarterbacks, Vaughn Charlton and Chester Stewart, who put up a total of six points in two games as starters against Western Michigan.
It doesn't exactly engender a whole lot of confidence in either one of those guys turning next year's scoreboards into adding machines.
I'm tired of people, especially fellow Owl fans, excusing such performances like Stewart's 10-for-20, 50-yarder against Western Michigan by saying, "well, that was just his first game."
All over the country I see backups stepping into the quarterback position for the first time and performing at a high level.
Temple fans should expect no less. That's what I mean by no excuses.
So, just as a stopgap, even fallback, measure it would be advisable for Al Golden to get a big-time JUCO in here, a guy who can run and make plays with both his feet and arm.
They are out there, searching for D1A schools who can offer a reasonable chance for immediate playing time.
Temple is in a unique position to do just that for the right young man in a major-market city.
Barnas appears to be just such a young man.
Barnas threw for 24 touchdowns last year and rushed for 601 yards and nine more touchdowns. Completed 54.5 of his passes for 2,889 yards. Now that Greg Robinson has been released by Syracuse as of today, Barnes might turn his eyes toward another large Eastern university with an excellent communications program.