Temple Winding Down Spring Practice
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Just one spring football practice left for the Temple Owls before their annual "Cherry and White" scrimmage which is Saturday at the Linc.
The last time we saw the Owls they were stomping Wyoming, 37-15, in the New Mexico Bowl back in mid-December. That capped off a 9-4 season.
Of course, Temple is getting ready for its first season back in the Big East after moving from the MAC and head coach Steve Addazio is happy with what he's seen from his squad the last few weeks.
"Well, I felt like we got a lot done this spring. Felt like we competed hard, we've got a great look at a lot of our younger players. We've put in a lot of scheme, so I felt like we got a lot accomplished."
Addazio talks about question marks he wanted to see get answered this spring.
"I think we're young on both sides of the ball, especially up front. So we worked real hard developing that youth. I like where we've come to . . still very concerned about our depth."
Addazio talks about the process of becoming a team that starts with these spring workouts.
"Developing your personality as a football team is important. Individually you want to develop with your fundamentals. But then you want to develop your personality as a unit and as a football team. That's the first step is in spring. Then you come back and you train and then you go from there and then you really, in preseason camp, have to nail it."
Being a young team means there is a lot of opportunity for players to make a name for themselves in the spring. Addazio says plenty of guys have taken advantage of their chance.
Listen to KYW's Matt Leon's interview with Steve Addazio:
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"Jalen Fitzpatrick on offense has really popped up as a hybrid guy that can play receiver/tailback and there's been a number of guys, young guys - (RB) Kenny Harper's increased his role. Like the development, our quarterback's are developing. On defense we're trying to develop some young linebackers. Ahkeem Smith seems like he's really taking a step forward. So I feel really good about that."
Temple opens the 2012 regular season on August 31st at the Linc, against Villanova.
