Eaglebank Bowl

As Temple's football team celebrated the program's most successful season in 30 years at a banquet at the Sheraton Hotel in Center City last night, the Owls' opponent for the Dec. 29 EagleBank Bowl was being decided at Lincoln Financial Field. About 90 minutes into Temple's banquet, it was announced that Navy had defeated Army, 17-3, dropping the Black Knights to 5-7 and making them ineligible to play Temple, or anybody else, in a postseason game. A big roar and then applause filled the hotel dining hall, because the Army-Navy outcome meant that the Owls (9-3)

After guiding the team to its best season in 30 years, Temple football coach Al Golden will have to replace some of his staff. The Owls will lose defensive line coach Randy Melvin, who is taking a similar position at Rutgers, and wide receivers coach Kevin Gilbride, who is leaving Temple to work as a quality control assistant for the New York Giants, where his father, also named Kevin, is the offensive coordinator. In January, former Temple linebackers coach Jared Backus was hired as the defensive coordinator at Princeton.

The Temple athletic department would like the football team to play in the Military Bowl, according to multiple sources. Bowl bids will be announced Sunday night in a nationally televised show, although the Owls could learn their bowl fate as early as late Sunday morning. The Military Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl are the most likely destinations. Things could change, as the Owls could get placed in one of the eight bowls linked to the Big East, which has only five teams with the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.

On Dec. 6, 2005, former Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden was introduced as the head football coach at Temple at the university's Liacouras Center. Yesterday, exactly four years to the day, Golden was back at the same location to learn the Owls' bowl destination. With about 300 boosters, alumni, fans and friends of the program on hand, Temple learned that it would play either Army (5-6) or UCLA (6-6) in the EagleBank Bowl Dec. 29 at Washington's RFK Stadium. If Army defeats Navy on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, the Black Knights will get the berth.

In the end, Penn State's home loss in September to Iowa cost the Nittany Lions a chance at a BCS bowl appearance. Instead, the Lions (10-2) settled last night for a spot in the Capital One Bowl, to be played Jan. 1 in Orlando, against Louisiana State of the Southeastern Conference. Meanwhile, Temple found out it would play its first bowl game since 1979 at the EagleBank Bowl Dec. 29 in Washington. The Owls (9-3) will play Army (5-6) if the Cadets defeat Navy on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, or UCLA (6-6)

Temple announced Tuesday night that it will launch a national search for a new football coach after losing Al Golden to Miami on Sunday. The university was expected to consider Mark D'Onofrio, Golden's defensive coordinator and longtime friend, seriously for the position. But it appears that D'Onofrio is following Golden to the Hurricanes. Golden did not name his assistants on Monday at his news conference in Miami. Over the last two seasons under Golden and his staff, the Owls enjoyed their biggest success since 1979 and tied a school record with 17 combined wins over two seasons.

Vaughn Charlton, Temple's starting quarterback when the Owls lost to UCLA, 30-21, in the EagleBank Bowl on Dec. 29 in Washington, has been switched to tight end. Charlton, a redshirt senior who sat out his junior year to position himself as the team's starting quarterback after the departure of Adam DiMichele in 2008, was behind center at the beginning of eight Temple games last season. Charlton completed 107 of 213 passes for 1,390 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Temple has officially named junior Chester Stewart as its starting quarterback. Stewart started four games last season and three games in 2008. "We will continue to cultivate an organization where competition exists at every position, and the quarterback is no exception," coach Al Golden said. "However, it's apparent to the staff and perhaps more significantly his teammates, that after 2 weeks of training camp, Chester has unmistakably distinguished himself as the starting QB both on and off the field.

A Temple source close to the situation has confirmed an ESPN.com report that Owls football coach Al Golden has withdrawn his name from consideration for the opening at Cincinnati. Golden was out recruiting last night and could not be reached for comment. The source said Cincinnati had spoken with Golden on Sunday night, and Golden told the university he didn't want to be interviewed. Earlier this month Golden had talked with Notre Dame, which eventually hired Cincy's Brian Kelly.

Sean Boyle is finally healthy, and that's a good thing for Temple's football team. The Owls are counting on Boyle, a 6-foot-5, 324-pound center, and right tackle Martin Wallace to anchor an inexperienced offensive line. Wallace is the lone returning starting offensive lineman from last season's squad. Boyle, on the other hand, has had four shoulder surgeries and was sidelined the last two seasons. But you wouldn't know that by his performances at this spring's practices.

No one inside the Liacouras Center lobby grumbled. That's because after last season's snub, Temple realizes playing in any bowl game feels much better than the alternative. While their athletic department hoped to play in the Military Bowl, the Owls celebrated their Gildan New Mexico Bowl invite during Sunday night's bowl selection party. Temple (8-4) will face Wyoming on Dec. 17 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. The ESPN televised-game will be the first of the bowl season.

The Temple athletic department would like the football team to play in the Military Bowl, according to multiple sources. Bowl bids will be announced Sunday night in a nationally televised show, although the Owls could learn their bowl fate as early as late Sunday morning. The Military Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl are the most likely destinations. Things could change, as the Owls could get placed in one of the eight bowls linked to the Big East, which has only five teams with the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.

At 8:30 p.m. Dec. 12, Al Golden walked into a meeting room at Edberg-Olson Hall to tell his Temple football players that he had accepted the coaching job at Miami. The news was not a complete surprise to many of the Owls, who had heard the rumors and seen Internet postings about the possibility. "They were silent," said a source who was at the meeting. "Al said his piece. He said, 'I love you guys, and I love this place. And I want to thank you.' " Mark D'Onofrio, who is headed to Miami with Golden after serving as Temple's defensive coordinator, also spoke during the 10-minute meeting.

It was a week ago that Al Golden decided to leave Temple for greener pastures, a day everybody who is connected to Owls football knew was coming. He officially took over as head coach at Miami on Monday, but Golden left his mark on a Temple program that was at the very bottom of Division I when he took over in 2005. The Owls went 8-4 this year after going 9-4 in '09 for the program's first winning season since 1990. But the Owls dropped their last two games this season and fell short of the Mid-American Conference championship, which they were favored to win. Temple was then shut out of the postseason after playing in the EagleBank Bowl last year.

Temple announced Tuesday night that it will launch a national search for a new football coach after losing Al Golden to Miami on Sunday. The university was expected to consider Mark D'Onofrio, Golden's defensive coordinator and longtime friend, seriously for the position. But it appears that D'Onofrio is following Golden to the Hurricanes. Golden did not name his assistants on Monday at his news conference in Miami. Over the last two seasons under Golden and his staff, the Owls enjoyed their biggest success since 1979 and tied a school record with 17 combined wins over two seasons.

Coach Al Golden turned around Temple's football program, taking a cellar dweller and making it a Mid-American Conference contender. Now he will get the chance at a higher-profile rebuilding job with the University of Miami. Golden was offered the Hurricanes' job on Sunday, and the 41-year-old coach accepted. Temple acknowledged Golden's hiring in a news release Sunday night. He will be officially introduced as coach in a news conference in Miami on Monday. Golden replaces Randy Shannon, who was fired after a 7-5 finish this fall.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Temple football coach Al Golden is a leading candidate to become the head coach at the University of Miami. Miami was believed to have narrowed its options to Golden, Connecticut coach Randy Edsall, and Marc Trestman of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. According to the source, Golden interviewed with Miami in New York early last week. When Golden was approached at the Sheraton Hotel on Saturday before the Temple football banquet and asked the about his involvement with the Hurricanes, he laughed and responded, "Oh yeah?