--The big question is whether a high-profile program will swoop in and try to steal Al Golden from Temple -- as UCLA almost did. Golden has slowly and steadily built a winner on North Broad Street, something that most experts thought was impossible. At Temple, Golden went 1-11 in 2006, 4-8 in 2007, 5-7 in 2008 and 9-3 this year heading to the bowl game.

Temple will be hard-pressed to keep Golden. The defensive coordinator at the University of Virginia from 2001-05, Golden is rumored to be one of Virginia's top two candidates, along with Richmond's highly successful Mike London, to replace the recently fired Al Groh.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Temple, home to one of the best and most physical o-lines in the MAC (a jumbo-sized unit that includes a pair of first-team all-league performers in Darius Morris and Colin Madison and averages 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds from tackle to tackle), will rely on its two-headed tailback approach of freshmen Bernard Pierce and Matt "the Bug" Brown, who are now called "Bernie and the Bug" by their Owl teammates. The 6-foot, 212-pound Pierce has established himself as one the top ballcarriers in the country on his way to setting Temple freshman records with 1,308 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. Brown, all 5-5, 167 pounds of him, has risen steadily on the depth chart to become the chief backup for Pierce.

If UCLA packs the box with defenders to slow down "Bernie and the Bug", then Temple head coach Al Golden has shown that he isn't afraid to use Pierce as a decoy -- faking handoffs to him, freezing the defense and then punishing the Zips with a nice blend of play-action passes, reverses to speedy wideouts and some option runs by mobile quarterback Chester Stewart, who will be making just his fifth college start.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Temple enters the bowl game with one of the most stout rushing defenses (108.8 yards per game allowed) in the country. The strength of the Owls' defense is its front seven -- particularly potential future pros Andre Neblett, a disruptive force at nose tackle, and Adrian Robinson, a sophomore defensive end with 12 sacks this season. Neblett and Robinson routinely occupy multiple blockers, allowing Jaiquawn Jarrett (70 tackles), Dominique Harris (68 tackles) and the Joseph brothers, Alex (73 tackles) and Elijah (56 stops), to make plays.

MATCHUP TO WATCH
Temple's run defense vs. UCLA's running game Temple allowed just over a football field per game on the ground (108.8 yards per game). UCLA likes to run the football, so it'll be the Owls' front seven to slow down the ground game.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"After hearing the word never so many times -- you'll never play in a bowl, you'll never get the football program turned around -- it's really a great feeling to earn a bowl berth." -- Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw of the Owls' invite to the Dec. 29 EagleBank Bowl.

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