So there I was, watching the Temple band form the tunnel that the Owls were about to run though, watching the crowd file in and the student section try to form a genuine atmosphere.
It certainly felt like a step forward for this program, so often the butt of jokes tossed across the college football landscape. So what if the upper deck and most of the middle deck were empty.
Yet it seemed to go like this all night: a step or two forward, then a step back, or sideways.
The Owls won the coin toss and elected to receive. The ball came to Travis Shelton, the one guy on the field in cherry and white you knew could really do something, at the goal line. He got 21 yards on the return; it would be his longest of the night.
Adam DiMichele lined up under center. His first pass was incomplete. His second was a completion to freshman Daryl Robinson, the other guy for Temple getting a lot of buzz. Robinson was able to get a few good-looking yards after the catch, and the crowd roared. The play came back because of a holding penalty.
DiMichele completed his next pass for eight yards, but Temple punted. Navy went down the field and scored a touchdown.
On the next drive, DiMichele threw a nice pass to Matt Balasavage for a 20-yard game. Big roar for that one... and an illegal touching penalty on Balasavage to cancel it out. Temple would punt again, and Navy took two plays to score another touchdown.
In the second quarter, Temple's Anthony Ferla forced a fumble on a carry by Navy's Zerb Singleton. John Haley just about tripped over another Temple player before finally grabbing the ball and taking it 25 yards the other way to the Navy 12-yard line.
The very next play, Marcell Grigsby got nailed on a carry six yards behind the line of scrimmage.
But that was followed by DiMichele finding Robinson for a screen pass, and Robinson scampered out wide and into the end zone. The extra point made it 14-10, and we had a ballgame on our hands.
Then, in the fourth quarter. Temple with the ball at the Navy 23. Balasavage is wide open near the left hash at around the 15, with literally no Navy players within five yards of him. DiMichele throws the ball towards him, but a bit high.
Balasavage reaches up, and it seems for just a moment like he's going to bobble the ball and not pull it in. But he grabs it, tucks it under his arm, and starts rumbling towards the end zone. Six-foot-four, 240 pounds, a bunch of Navy players starting to give chase, and for a moment it feels like he's carrying the entire Temple student section on his back to the 10-yard line, the five... and into the end zone. 27-19, and we have a game again.
But on the extra point attempt, Temple's young players can't quite get lined up right. Al Golden doesn't want to waste a timeout, so he lets the play clock expire and eats the five yards.
The extra point attempt is blocked. Navy goes down the other end and hits a field goal, and that does it.
Golden talked after the game about how disappointed he was that the team didn't win, about how he wanted to get the feeling of winning in his players, about how much the team had worked hard and improved since losing at Navy last season.
It was noted that despite giving up 361 rushing yards, Temple had the majority of the time of possession. Golden didn't seem to take any solace.
No, they didn't win. A city that demands winners probably paid a bit more attention than usual last night, given the primetime lights and the Phillies being out of town, and didn't get the result.
But this city also demands effort. It certainly got that. Next weekend is another game, surely a more winnable game against Buffalo. A revenge game, even, given that Temple lost to the Bulls last year.
Perhaps the boulder will be a bit easier to move up the hill then.
