PREVIEW: Temple Opens 2019 Campaign with FCS Tuneup
College football is finally back!
Last week, Villanova kicked off the season for Philadelphia metropolitan schools with an impressive 34-14 rout over the 2018 Patriot Conference Champion Colgate. The win for Nova is a significant measuring stick, as the 13th ranked Raiders reached the Quarterfinals of the FCS playoff before falling to last year’s champion North Dakota State.
This week, Philadelphia’s FBS member Temple kicks off their season against another Pennsylvania school Bucknell. The Bison finished 1-10 last season and should be an easy tuneup for the Owls.
Another local college, the University of Delaware begins play on Thursday, August 29th. They will receive a visit from in-state rival Delaware State. The Blue Hens have never lost against DSU in football, and look to get back to the FCS playoff after a first-round exit in 2018.
Bucknell at Temple
The Rod Carey era should get off to a great start against Bucknell. The Owls have won at least seven games in each of their last four years and will be returning seven starters on an offense that averages 34 points per game, and over 400 yards a game. Defensively, the Owls will be strong as seven starters are returning. This should be a good game for Carey to get his feet wet before AAC play, where the Owls are very much a contender.
Prediction: Temple 41, Bucknell 9
Delaware State at Delaware
Separated by less than 50 miles, these two FCS programs have only met eight times. The Blue Hens have won all eight, and it hasn’t been close. Delaware finished the 2018 regular season at 7-4 and qualified for the FCS playoff for the first time since 2010 when they lost the National Championship. The Blue Hens were downed by CAA rival James Madison, however, 2018 was a good block for head coach Danny Rocco to build on. The Hornets won only three games last season, and likely won’t fare better against a Delaware team that is ranked No. 22 in the Stats FCS Poll.
Prediction: Delaware 30, Delaware State 18
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