Independence for Temple?

PHILADELPHIA — Last year at this time, the Temple Owls were just trying to avoid a winless season. Now they’re chasing a bid to the Independence Bowl.

Bowl officials will be watching Saturday when the Owls (5-4) play host to Rutgers (3-7), Temple’s only victim last year in coach Jerry Berndt’s first season.

“I was obviously delighted to think that we could go from winning one game in one year to even having a chance to be invited to a bowl,” Berndt said Wednesday. “A year ago at this time there were a lot of vultures out there picking at our bones telling us we didn’t belong in Division I-A. And now here we are having a possiblity of going to a bowl game.”

Temple hasn’t been to a bowl game in 11 years, but Independence Bowl selection chairman Dr. Brant Goyne confirmed his interest to the Philadelphia Daily News.