Yes, history will record the score: UCLA 30, Temple 21. And, yes, it was not a classic college-football atmosphere: wind chill in the teens, ice on the field, 23,072 in old RFK Stadium at the EagleBank Bowl. And, yes, eight of the nine wins this season came against teams with losing records. These are just facts, and they will work to keep the conversation and the expectations from getting too loud.
But to deny the place where Temple football stands today is to ignore a history of wandering around in the wilderness. To pretend that this isn't different is to mock what now is reality, and what this group of players and coaches has put forth.
"A lot of hard work," said defensive back Dominique Harris, who has seen plenty since 2005, when he was a redshirt freshman.
"Blood, sweat and tears," Harris said, reaching for a cliche to try to explain a phenomenon, a transformation. Because that is what has happened here. There is no reason to believe that this is a fluke, or a blip. After starting only six seniors against UCLA, there is every reason to believe that Temple is only going to get better.
Al Golden, who made his own personal meteorological/fashion statement by coaching the game in a white dress shirt and a necktie, was asked at one point to try to take a long view of the proceedings. He had already said he didn't want the loss to detract from what the seniors on his team accomplished, and that was right. He also had said that the direction of the program was positive, and that was right, too.
But the rest of the long view would have to wait. "It's going to take some time, because this was tough," he said.
