When the Temple football team began preparing on Friday for its final regular-season game at Miami of Ohio Tuesday night, running back Bernard Pierce and linebacker Elijah Joseph did not participate.
Both players, who were all-Mid-American Conference first-teamers in '09, were injured during Temple's 31-23 loss to visiting Ohio on Tuesday. The defeat knocked the Owls out of contention for the league championship, which preseason polls had the Owls winning.
Pierce appeared to have pulled a hamstring at the end of a 67-yard run - which was negated by an illegal-procedure penalty - on the game's first play from scrimmage. Joseph went out with 2 minutes, 21 seconds left in the second period due to a knee injury.
Neither returned to the game.
"I really don't have any further details on them," Temple coach Al Golden said about the availability of Pierce and Joseph for the Miami game. "We'll decide as we move the week along."
Golden had just put his squad through its first intense practice session since Ohio eliminated Temple from the hunt to reach the MAC title game.
"We went in helmets today for the first time ever," quarterback Mike Gerardi said about Friday's practice. "It was a fast practice. We wanted to work on tempo. And it was a productive practice. It's tough bouncing back from a loss like that, but I thought everybody's demeanor today was positive. I'm looking forward to a big game on Tuesday."
Temple, which entered the Ohio game in a three-way tie in the MAC East Division with the Bobcats and Miami, is 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the league. Miami is 7-4 and 6-1.
At the end of last season, the Owls and Bobcats went down as East Division cochampions with 7-1 records. But after Ohio defeated Temple on the last day of the regular season, it won the tiebreaker that put it in the MAC championship game.
If the Owls defeat Miami, and Ohio falls at Kent State Friday, the current front-runners each will own a piece of the division crown with 6-2 records. Under that scenario, Ohio would represent the division in the title game again by virtue of its victories over Miami and Temple.
It appears that all three teams will receive bowl bids. Temple could finish with 10 wins for the first time in 30 years by downing Miami and winning in the postseason.
Last year, the Owls fell to UCLA, 30-21, in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington.
"We're out there to win," Gerardi said. "I heard that we could spoil it for Miami, but that's not something we're focused on. We're focused on us and the process.
"We want to win out and get to 10 wins. We had nine wins last year and [have] eight wins this year. [Ten wins] is something that hasn't been done in a long time around here. That's what we want to accomplish."
Both players, who were all-Mid-American Conference first-teamers in '09, were injured during Temple's 31-23 loss to visiting Ohio on Tuesday. The defeat knocked the Owls out of contention for the league championship, which preseason polls had the Owls winning.
Pierce appeared to have pulled a hamstring at the end of a 67-yard run - which was negated by an illegal-procedure penalty - on the game's first play from scrimmage. Joseph went out with 2 minutes, 21 seconds left in the second period due to a knee injury.
Neither returned to the game.
"I really don't have any further details on them," Temple coach Al Golden said about the availability of Pierce and Joseph for the Miami game. "We'll decide as we move the week along."
Golden had just put his squad through its first intense practice session since Ohio eliminated Temple from the hunt to reach the MAC title game.
"We went in helmets today for the first time ever," quarterback Mike Gerardi said about Friday's practice. "It was a fast practice. We wanted to work on tempo. And it was a productive practice. It's tough bouncing back from a loss like that, but I thought everybody's demeanor today was positive. I'm looking forward to a big game on Tuesday."
Temple, which entered the Ohio game in a three-way tie in the MAC East Division with the Bobcats and Miami, is 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the league. Miami is 7-4 and 6-1.
At the end of last season, the Owls and Bobcats went down as East Division cochampions with 7-1 records. But after Ohio defeated Temple on the last day of the regular season, it won the tiebreaker that put it in the MAC championship game.
If the Owls defeat Miami, and Ohio falls at Kent State Friday, the current front-runners each will own a piece of the division crown with 6-2 records. Under that scenario, Ohio would represent the division in the title game again by virtue of its victories over Miami and Temple.
It appears that all three teams will receive bowl bids. Temple could finish with 10 wins for the first time in 30 years by downing Miami and winning in the postseason.
Last year, the Owls fell to UCLA, 30-21, in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington.
"We're out there to win," Gerardi said. "I heard that we could spoil it for Miami, but that's not something we're focused on. We're focused on us and the process.
"We want to win out and get to 10 wins. We had nine wins last year and [have] eight wins this year. [Ten wins] is something that hasn't been done in a long time around here. That's what we want to accomplish."
