Pregame Prep and Book Preview

Joe Paterno, if you read his Tuesday media transcript below, loves Adam DiMechele. He recruited the talented quarterback, but discovered DiMechele's first love (baseball) would push the youngster south.

When DiMechele decided to again pursue college football, Penn State's quarterback stock was full. Still, Paterno heaped nothing but praise on the Temple signal-caller, and rightfully so.

He isn't over tall (6-foot-1) or big (202), but he's athletic (signed a baseball contract to play with the Toronto Blue Jays) and savvy. DiMechele rarely hurts himself, makes intelligent reads and leads his experienced offense by example.

That sounds a lot like his head coach, Al Golden, the captain of Joe Paterno's 1991 Nittany Lions. Another player on that '91 squad, Mark D'Onofrio, is Golden's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

This marks Golden's first trip back to Beaver Stadium in a playing or coaching capacity since his playing days. Matt Rhule, a member of that same Penn State team and a State High alum, is another member of Golden's staff.

It's a family affair, until the whistle blows and Penn State's speed and strength on both sides of the football wear down a game Owls squad over 60 minutes. I expect the game to remain close early -- maybe even a seven-point lead or so at halftime -- before the Nittany Lions put on the burners in the third and wear down the Owls over the final 15 minutes.

Prediction: Penn State 31, Temple 13

To celebrate this family reunion, I include an excerpt or two from the upcoming PSU book:

45: The number of points (45) Penn State scored in a victory over Temple in the first night game at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions won the season opener, 45-15, on September 6, 1986 behind four total touchdowns from John Shaffer.

803: The month and year (8, '03) that Penn State opened their season against Temple. The August 30th match-up was televised by ESPN Plus and another 101,553 PSU crazies watched the game from University Park as the Lions beat the Owls, 23-10.

Chapter 10: Linebacker U's Never-Ending Story

"The star-studded list of famous ‘backers extends longer than the line at the Waffle House on a weekend morning (really, really long). LaVar Arrington was a two-time All-American with a vertical leap on full display during a highlight reel play against Illinois in 1998. Brandon Short was the substance to Arrington’s style, manning the middle of Penn State’s defense for three of his four seasons. Brian Gelzheiser and Mark D’Onofrio were steady stalwarts, while Andre Collins, Trey Bauer, and Shane Conlan were All-Americans and national champions."