Temple is on the way up

"It's possible" is the slogan Temple coach Ron Dickerson adopted when he took over the Owls football program last year. Although defeating the fourth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday at Franklin Field was highly improbable, if not impossible, turning Temple's beleaguered football program around may just be possible. Although the Owls were destroyed by the Nittany Lions, 48-21, there were many positive signs for a program that has a 26-75 record since 1975, and has only one winning season during those years. Coming off last season's dismal 1-10 performance, the Owls (2-2) have already shown improvement this year. Dickerson, who replaced former Penn coach Jerry Berndt, is a former assistant of Penn State's legendary Joe Paterno. He was the Nittany Lions' secondary coach from 1985-90. Dickerson hopes to return the Owls to their 1979 glory, when they won the Garden State Bowl II and finished the year ranked 17th in the nation. "Ron is a pupil and a friend of mine, and he's doing an outstanding job with his team," Paterno said. "They are very young, but they're doing the right things. That program is definitely on the right track." Football is a sport that has long been overshadowed in North Philly by John Chaney's perennial powerhouse basketball teams. However, if Temple wants to remain on the gridiron in the Big East Conference, it is going to have to show it can compete with teams like Penn State. Since national powerhouses like Miami, Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Boston College are in the upper echelon of the Owls' conference, league officials have discussed the option of replacing Temple if the program does not improve. Dickerson, who has worked not only under Paterno, but Colorado's Bill McCartney and Texas A &M;'s Jackie Sherrill, is making sure the Owls improve -- and fast. "Temple football is a sleeping giant," Dickerson said. "The future of this program is endless. Philadelphia is hungry for a winner in the college ranks, and we believe Temple can be that winner." Although the Owls did not win Saturday, there were clear signs Temple is a program on the rise. The Cherry and White dominated Penn State in the first quarter on both sides of the ball, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on the strength of two field goals. During the opening period, Temple moved the ball almost at will while holding an explosive Nittany Lion offensive scoreless. Eventually, Penn State proved too fast, too strong and too talented for Temple. Paterno's boys rang up 48 points in the next two quarters. Dickerson was pleased his team was not awed by a Penn State squad that is a national-championship contender. Despite getting burned defensively on several occasions, the Owls were able to move the ball all day. "We weren't intimidated," Dickerson said. "All day long, the coaches were looking in the players' eyes to see if they were scared. They weren't. They were bound and determined to play hard and they sure did." Sure, Temple knew they were underdogs. But like Dickerson has preached, the Owls felt a win was possible. Despite the apparently lopsided score, Temple gave Penn State its second-closest game of the year. Not bad for a contest analysts had described as possibly the most lopsided matchup in all of Division I this season. If Dickerson does a solid job teaching the game, if he recruits well in the Philadelphia area and if he continues to get his young Owls to play to the best of their abilities, Temple could soon be a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. To Dickerson, anything is possible.