When Kyle Flood coached the Hofstra offensive line in the late 1990s, he held Steve Addazio in high regard. So when Flood had the chance to visit Syracuse and meet Addazio, who was coaching the Orange offensive line at the time, he couldn’t pass it up.

“I think everybody admired the physicality, and the effort and the passion with which his players played,” Flood said. “I spent nine hours in their film room in Syracuse, and I certainly took it with me everywhere I went after that as a line coach.”

Now in his first season as Scarlet Knights head coach, Flood squares off against Addazio and Temple on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. The game marks Temple’s first conference matchup with Rutgers since leaving the Big East after the 2004 season, in a battle between two early Big East leaders.

When Saturday’s game gets underway, it could mark the rebirth of a geographical rivalry that was broken apart eight years ago.

“What I’ve said all along is that college football is at its best when it’s regional,” Flood said. “For us, Temple is exciting to have in the conference because it’s a regional game.”

The two schools play just more than 69 miles apart, often competing for the same recruits. Temple currently holds 24 players from New Jersey, Rutgers’ central recruiting base, on its roster. The Scarlet Knights have 51.

Many Temple players are familiar with their Rutgers counterparts from before college, and the connection serves to make Saturday’s matchup more personal, Addazio said.

“We do have a lot of New Jersey guys on our roster, and of course there’s always extra meaning,” Addazio said. “When they talk about geographical games, Rutgers is right down the road, and a lot of guys know a lot of guys. During the recruiting process, some were recruited, and some weren’t.”

Adding to this week’s matchup is both teams’ early success. Temple has quickly impressed in its Big East return, winning its first two conference matchups over South Florida and Connecticut in a 3-2 start overall. Rutgers has taken it further, winning its first three conference games in a 6-0 start and No. 15 position in the initial Bowl Championship Series standings.

The similarities between the coaches run deep, too, each tutoring offensive linemen on his way up the ranks. After leaving Hofstra in 2001, Flood spent four years as offensive line coach at Delaware and six at Rutgers before taking over the Scarlet Knights head role. Addazio also coached linemen at Notre Dame, Indiana and Florida before spending two years as Florida offensive coordinator and then landing at Temple in 2011.

The respect between the coaches is clear, with Flood stressing Addazio’s ability to instill intensity in his players.

“I think Steve is one of the finest coaches in the country,” Flood said. “(His players) play with tremendous effort, tremendous effort. … He’s brought that kind of passion everywhere he’s been, and I think you see his players play with it.”

Addazio is also impressed with Flood’s early work at Rutgers, particularly regarding an area both coaches know well.

“They’ve got a tremendous offensive line,” Addazio said. “I’m just watching this team on offense and saying to myself, ‘Wow, outstanding.’ I’m watching their tape and it’s like, ‘Am I watching Rutgers or the New York Giants here?’”

With the recent Big East upheaval, rivalries like the return of Rutgers-Temple can rise to the forefront of college football in the Northeast. Connecticut head coach Paul Pasqualoni coached at Syracuse through the 1990s and early 2000s, and remembers enjoying rivalries with the likes of Boston College and Pittsburgh.

With BC gone, and Syracuse and Pittsburgh joining the Atlantic Coast Conference for 2013, Pasqualoni looks for new Big East rivalries to lead the way.

“Football in the Northeast loses a little bit when we lose people like Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh,” Pasqualoni said. “Temple-Connecticut, Temple-Rutgers, Connecticut-Rutgers, hopefully those games have a chance to really become rivalry-type games.”

When a matchup features two teams within reasonable driving distance of each other, traveling to road games becomes possible for many friends and family. With Temple’s return to the Big East, the Temple-Rutgers game becomes a yearly travel opportunity for the visiting school.

For Flood, it’s an exciting prospect.

“It’s a game that regardless of who the home team is, the other team’s fan base can drive down to the game that day,” Flood said. “They can be a part of the game-day atmosphere and cheer the players on. I think those are the things that, when possible, can make college football really special.”

Big East gains rankings respect

In the preseason polls, Louisville was the only Big East team to be ranked in the Associated Press poll, at No. 25. No Big East team made it into the preseason USA Today poll.

That changed quickly. This week’s AP poll includes three Big East teams, with Louisville leading the way at No. 16.

Rutgers is No. 19 and Cincinnati checks in at No. 21.

All three teams are undefeated, tying the Big East with the Southeastern Conference for most undefeated teams in Football Bowl Subdivision.

Perry breaks out

In his first full season as a regular offensive player for Louisville, Senorise Perry has quickly demonstrated the ability to contribute to the Cardinals’ ground attack.

Saturday against Pittsburgh, Perry’s game saw a new level. Perry took full advantage of 12 carries, rushing for 101 yards and four touchdowns, including a 59-yard score to ice the game late in the fourth quarter.

On the season, Perry has rushed for 559 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry — not bad for the junior who had rushed for 27 career yards before 2012.

Published on October 16, 2012 at 11:52 pm

Contact Kevin: kmprisei@syr.edu