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Not bowled over by the occasion

Karamo Dioubate, left, and №72, has appeared in 10 games for the bowl-bound Owls.

Photo courtesy of Temple University Athletics

Throughout his incredible gridiron career at Prep Charter High School, which included 40 sacks over his junior and senior seasons, Karamo Dioubate, though knowing each game offered multiple chances to make statements, never needed to calm his nerves, feeling he had prepared enough to face any foe. As a freshman defensive lineman for the Temple University Owls, the 19-year-old has maintained that commendable composure and will call on it Dec. 27 when his 23rd-ranked squad meets Wake Forest University in the Military Bowl.

“No matter the occasion, you can’t get carried away,” Dioubate said Tuesday following practice. “I know this has extra significance because of what’s on the line, but we have to stay focused and approach it as we would everything else, with total belief in ourselves.”

He and the Owls have generated resolute regard for their talent during a seven-game winning streak that has run their record to 10–3. The Demon Deacons have become a collegiate version of the Philadelphia Eagles, losing six of eight after having raced to a 4–0 start. The clubs will battle at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, with Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium as the setting. The Annapolis, Md.-situated destination has already proven productive for the North Broad Street constituents, who, on Dec. 3, crushed Navy, last year’s titlist, 34–10 to win the American Athletic Conference Championship, the program’s first crown since 1967.

“It’s nice having that recent success, but next week is going to be about taking on a new challenge,” the 6-foot-4 athlete said. “We have to keep our level of play really high to come back home with a win.”

If the Owls return to campus as the conquerors, they will do so as automatic icons in the institution’s history, as no Temple football team has enjoyed an 11-triumph campaign. They will look for that historic victory with Ed Foley as interim coach following the Dec. 6 resignation of Matt Rhule, who left to become the head man at Baylor University.

“No matter who is putting us on the field, we’re going to take everything we’ve learned and achieved and continue to make our supporters proud,” Dioubate said. “We’ve worked hard to make it to a bowl game, so the intensity has to be there on every down. That’s our mindset — be responsible on each play and do your job.”

Until January, it appeared as if the young man would be tackling tasks for the Penn State University Nittany Lions, having picked the Big Ten Conference constituents from a number of renowned suitors on Aug. 16, 2015. He decommitted from the James Franklin-led unit, which will play the University of Southern California Jan. 2 for the Rose Bowl championship in Pasadena, at the start of the year and made the Owls his very happy replacement the next month.

“It feels comfortable to be here,” Dioubate said of joining the school that showed its initial interest in him following his sophomore year. “It just felt right to choose Temple, and the atmosphere has been enjoyable.”

Before enrolling there to pursue personal and athletic growth, the intimidating presence proved himself a stern adversary for Public League offensive lineman. His exceptional skillset helped him to earn three All-City and All-League commendations as well as two All-State honors.

“That was also a great place for me to understand the depth of this game,” he said of his stint at the West Passyunk secondary education haven, with his success leading observers to deem him the 12-best defensive tackle in the country and the fifth-ranked player overall in the Keystone State. “When I graduated, I was ready to take all of that hard work and make it pay off at the next level, knowing, too, that I’d learn so much more under this coaching staff.”

The transition has been a relatively easy one for Dioubate, who has enjoyed not only remaining in the city but also becoming an affable roster member fond of fraternizing with his teammates, especially his peers on defense.

“We all root for one another,” he said of the camaraderie among the offense, defense, and special teams units. “That’s a big part of what has carried us lately, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”

Indeed, the Owls have been tireless predators in pursuit of the pigskin and have yielded only 20 points in their last four contests, including road shutouts of Connecticut and Tulane. Dioubate has appeared in 10 games and has tallied four solo tackles, including one for a loss, an assist and a forced fumble.

“The transition has been a great process because you need to be better in every area than you were in high school when you play college ball,” he said. “I have the dedication that I hope is going to pay off every time I put on this uniform.”

While their bowl game is only five days away, one could easily start looking ahead to next season when Geoff Collins, the former defensive coordinator for the University of Florida, takes over the sideline, but Dioubate is taking one day at a time.

“I can’t speculate on what the situation is going to be like because that’s not our focus right now,” he said. “We’re thinking about Wake Forest, and that’s it.” SPR

Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com.

Karamo Dioubate, left, and №72, has appeared in 10 games for the bowl-bound Owls.

Photo courtesy of Temple University Athletics

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