Temple 37, Buffalo 13: A Can of Whoop, Err, Arse

There's a word radio sports jock Jim Rome likes to use.

Arse.

Like, they kicked arse.

Like, they whooped arse.

You get the idea.

I had to do a double take at the tailgate prior to the Buffalo at Temple football game on Saturday.

Somebody was wearing a blue University of Buffalo T-shirt that said: "Buffalo Football: A Can of Whoop Arse."

Only it didn't say arse.

For a second, I didn't know if he was referring to the Pitt game or the University of Central Florida game, both whoop, err, arse jobs.

Then I thought, oh, he meant Buffalo was going to whoop arse.

Never mind.

Sometimes you get the can and sometimes the can gets you.

Maybe the Owls will get to whoop some arse, like Buffalo did last year, after Saturday's 37-13 Temple win.

Maybe Temple will get to win the MAC championship, like Buffalo did last year.

One piece of advice to my fellow Temple fans: When we get good, and we will reach the Promised Land soon, never wear a shirt like that.

It's just bad Karma.

I thought the same thing when I read the pregame prediction thread on one Buffalo message board.

No one over there predicted the Owls would win. Few predicted a Buffalo win of less than 14 points.

Bad omen to get too cocky, especially against a Temple team many, including CBS Sportsline's Dennis Dodd and the New York Times, picked to dethrone Buffalo in the MAC East.

You would have thought last year's well-publicized Hail Mary pass that beat Temple on the final play, 30-28, would have taught them a little respect.

There was plenty of good Karma to go around at the post-game tailgate, thanks to what the Owls did the three hours it mattered on Saturday afternoon.

There's a great photo by Ryan Porter that accompanies this article, showing Zach Maynard about to throw an interception with the stands packed with Temple students in the background.

Great photo, great background.

Who knows if that kind of support in the stands led to what happened on the field?

Couldn't hurt, though.

Not one of those fans was sitting on his or her arse.