Thursday, August 28, 2014

Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville

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On Thursday, the Temple Owls will take their first step towards putting their two-win 2013 season behind them when they take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Most experts thought that Temple would have a losing season in 2013, but no one expected them to go 2-10 with a 1-7 record in the American Athletic Conference. They struggled all year on both sides of the ball and scored 24.9 points per game while giving up 29.8 points per game.

The Owls' main hope this season lies in sophomore quarterback P.J. Walker, who stepped in last season as a freshman to pass for 2,084 yards and 20 touchdowns. Temple will also have their 2013 trio of running backs in the backfield, so the offense should be quite a bit better this season.

Vanderbilt ended their 2013 season on a five-game winning streak to finish with a 4-4 record in the tough SEC and a 9-4 overall record. They capped their season with a 41-24 win over Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Unfortunately for the Commodores, it is very likely that they will move down in the SEC standings in 2014. The main reason for this is that they are only returning three of their starting defensive players from last season's team. Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Cunningham could step up to help the offense improve, but no one expecting Vanderbilt to finish in the top 25 again this year.

Injuries to Watch

Temple Owls

08/25/14 WR John Christopher Foot questionable Thursday vs. Vanderbilt
08/21/14 TE Colin Thompson Foot out indefinitely
08/11/14 WR Romond Deloatch Knee probable Thursday vs. Vanderbilt
08/11/14 WR Matt Eaton Knee questionable Thursday vs. Vanderbilt
08/09/14 DB Will Hayes Leg questionable Thursday vs. Vanderbilt
08/07/14 DL Brian Carter Ankle questionable Thursday vs. Vanderbilt
08/07/14 QB Frank Nutile ACL out for season
08/02/14 LB Rob Dvoracek Knee out for season
08/02/14 LB Buddy Brown Knee questionable Thursday vs. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Commodores

08/21/14 RB Jerron Seymour Undisclosed questionable Thursday vs. Temple

Tony's Pick: Take Vanderbilt

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