Temple expecting record crowd

The Owls-Penn State game is expected to draw a
sellout of 68,000-plus.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Temple expects a record to fall when Penn State comes to Philadelphia today.

A sellout crowd of 68,000-plus is expected to pack into Lincoln Financial Field, which would break the school’s single-game home attendance record by at least 1,400.

The odds that the rebuilding Owls can escape with a signature win appear much slimmer.

“There’s going to be a lot of people telling them they’re going to get killed and all that this week, but that’s part of the process,” Temple coach Al Golden said. “I just have to make them understand that the 70,000 people in the stands … will not make a difference in the game.”

It could still make for an interesting David and Goliath-type contest when the intrastate rivals play in Philadelphia for the first time since 1994, when Penn State won 48-21.

Bowl-bound Penn State (7-3) isn’t sure where it’s headed for the holidays just yet. Two more wins could land them in a New Year’s Day game in Florida or a late December bowl in San Antonio.

Temple (3-6) is like a little kid just looking for respect. The Owls already have more won games than last year (1-11), and their improving defense is giving up 28 points per game, 13 less than last season.

“The stats show we’ve come a long way since last year,” cornerback Anthony Ferla said. “But also mentally, we feel a lot closer as a group. It’s not just individuals, it’s a team.”

Yet the talent gap between the squads remains sizable. Penn State dominates Temple when it comes to recruiting the best high school players in the Philadelphia area, which is also home to a large contingent of Penn State alumni.

The biggest Philly-area name on this year’s squad is Dan Connor, Penn State’s career tackles leader (379) and a finalist for the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker. The senior from Wallingford has been swamped with ticket requests from friends and family.

“I loved to watch them. A couple guys from my high school played there,” Connor said about Temple. “It was definitely a school I had some interest early on in the recruiting process.”

At least until Penn State came into the picture. Once coach Joe Paterno got involved, it was no contest.

No one knows how influential Paterno can be more than Golden, who played tight end at Penn State from 1987-91 and coached linebackers and oversaw recruiting under Paterno in 2000.

In recruiting circles, Golden said he considers Penn State the “Cadillac on the East Coast.” An upset victory or, at least, a respectable showing Saturday might open eyes among local recruits.

“If there’s an opportunity to win one of these games somewhere along the line, it’s going to mean a lot to a lot of people,” Golden said.