When Temple head coach Stan Drayton went to the American Athletic Conference’s annual media day in Arlington, Texas this summer, he spoke about the optimism he had for the season following another disappointing showing the year prior.
Drayton’s Owls were picked to finish dead last in the conference for the second consecutive year. But when Drayton talked to reporters, he was confident his team would improve and was determined to prove the doubters wrong.
“When we talk in terms of what ‘Temple TUFF’ is, we’re not trying to find excuses,” Drayton said. “We’re also not looking through the rearview mirror. We’re setting some standards that are really high. We expect to do some really good things in terms of proving us right, so we’re not paying attention to the polls.”
Halfway through the 2024 season, the only thing Drayton has proved to voters is they were right. The Owls limped into their bye week with a 1-5 record and are dead last in the AAC — just as predicted.
Resurrecting the season might be out of the question, but Temple has shown flashes of being a good football team. They just haven’t been able to put the pieces together simultaneously.
Here is a comprehensive look into where the team stands halfway through another disappointing season.
OFFENSE
Temple’s biggest question mark entering the season was who would be quarterback E.J. Warner’s replacement. The former starter transferred to Rice and Temple had the option of starting Forrest Brock or Rutgers transfer Evan Simon.
Drayton tapped Brock as the starter but that quickly changed after just two weeks. The Owls averaged just seven points in the first two games before Brock was hurt. Simon took his spot and the offense took a step forward.
Simon threw for nine touchdowns during his three-game stint — the third most in the conference. Temple also scored 79 points during the stretch and gave the illusion that it had turned a corner. It also seemed like Drayton was finally ready to make Simon’s status as the starter permanent after an impressive showing against Utah State on Sept. 21.
“[Simon is] exactly what we need right now,” Drayton said following Temple’s first win of the season.
But the following week against Army, Temple was held to just 14 points and Simon was injured on one of the final plays of the game. Brock filled in against UConn and the offense was dormant yet again.
The Owls find themselves at the bottom of the conference with 293 yards a game and can very rarely sustain drives. Most of Temple’s possessions fizzle out before they really get started and the team is unable to overcome those setbacks, converting just 39% of third downs.
Many of the Owls’ problems come from looking one-dimensional for much of the game. Outside of Temple thumping Utah State on Sept. 21, the running game has been essentially non-existent. Temple ranks in the bottom 20 in rushing yards this year with just 542 through six games.
Running back Antwain Littleton flashed for 79 yards against Coastal Carolina but hasn’t made much noise since. Fellow back Terrez Worthy has been the team’s most efficient runner but his touches have been sporadic. He has gotten just 19 carries all year but he has 160 rushing yards — just 13 fewer than Littleton who has 32 more carries than him. Drayton has hinted at unleashing Worthy more in the second half of the season to unlock the running game.
“We want to be a run-first football team, and we got the backs that can do it,” Drayton said. “I think this is an identity that we will continue to build upon.”
The Owls’ main source of offense comes through wide receiver Dante Wright. The grad student ranks 29th in the country in yards with 517 and is 12th in catches with 42.
Wright had four straight games of 90 receiving yards or more earlier this season and had a pivotal 91-yard touchdown reception to give the Owls life in their only win of the season.
“I’ve just been taking it day by day with practice,” Wright said. “It’s been really intentional, trying to get my body working throughout the week. I can really go out there and be myself and that’s what has clicked for me.”
No one else in the receiver room has come close to matching Wright’s production — something that will have to change if Temple wants to jumpstart its offense. Wide receiver Antonio Jones is second on the team in receptions with just 11 and only 89 receiving yards. Wright has 400 more yards than the next-highest receiver and the Owls have just two other 100-yard receivers — Littleton and Ashton Allen.
The offense looks restricted when Wright isn’t on the field. Simon found five different players for scores against Utah State, but none of them have been able to find the endzone more than once all year.
The Temple offense has displayed signs of life throughout the year, but the unit hasn’t been able to maintain the momentum. The team has to be able to shake the funk off after the bye week with just one loss left to remain bowl-eligible.
“We’re just going to continue to trust the staff and do what they tell us,” Simon said. “ At the end of the day, it’s the players. It’s not the coaches. It’s the little details that we’re not able to do all the time, that’s leading us to losing by four scores.”
DEFENSE
Defensive coordinator Everett Withers changed the defensive scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 before the season started and the talent on defense made it look primed for a step forward.
Halfway through the season, the Owls’ defense has been extremely inconsistent. They have flashed signs of potential, but have also had games where they looked lost.
Looking at the numbers, things don’t look pretty for Temple. They are giving up 36 points per game which ranks 123rd in the country. But if the blowouts to nationally-ranked opponents Oklahoma and Army were removed, the stats aren’t nearly as bad.
The root of Temple’s struggles can be traced back to its inability to stop the run. The Owls give up 233 rushing yards per game which ranks near the bottom of the country. Temple was completely gashed on the ground against triple-option offenses like Army, Navy and Coastal Carolina. The Owls gave up 297 rushing yards to Navy and 417 to Army.
But Temple showed encouraging signs against UConn, another top rushing team in the nation. The Owls held the Huskies to less than 100 yards, showing they do have the pieces to stop elite rushing attacks if the defense is at its best.
The Owls also failed to force a turnover in their first three games, but have forced four in their last three. The two games where they did force turnovers, against UConn and Utah State, were Temple’s two best defensive performances of the season, again showing the potential the unit holds.
“We have a great defense,” said linebacker D.J. Woodbury. “I’ve been saying that before the season started, I’ve seen that we have a great team and great defense. And we just try to be hungry, you know. We try to fly around to the field and fly around to the ball.”
Woodbury was named a single-digit captain before the season and has been the best defensive player by a large margin through the first six games of the year. Woodbury has racked up 55 tackles on the season, the 22nd most in the country. Fellow linebacker Tyquan King has also been a key piece, recording 53 tackles which is 31st in the country.
The Owls’ secondary, which struggled mightily last season, has also been a bright spot for the team. Safety Andres Keaton has led the unit, totaling 42 tackles and been the focal point of the secondary. The Owls secondary as a whole is only giving up 168 yards per game through the air, a vast improvement from last season.
Things have not gone Temple’s way on either side of the ball this season, leaving much to be desired. Temple’s shot at a bowl game is undeniably finished, but Drayton still thinks his team has a lot to play for down the stretch.
“I believe in this football team because they come to work every single day,” Drayton said. “They try to flush it, they try to learn from their mistakes, and it’s going to pay off. I really do believe that this football team is going to pay off at some point.”
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