On the eve of the college football season, the dramatic turnaround of the Temple football program is attracting national and regional media attention. It helps that the Owls have their first legitimate Heisman Trophy contender — sophomore running back Bernard Pierce — in more than two decades. "The Owls were traditionally among the worst teams in college football, until [head coach] Al Golden arrived on the scene five years ago," wrote one columnist. "In that brief period of time, Golden has turned Temple from an afterthought into a team that is receiving votes in the top 25 polls and, in sophomore running back Bernard Pierce, has a player good enough to push for the Heisman."