Fans, students and alumni had the opportunity to get their first look at Temple’s new scheme on both sides of the ball at the program’s annual spring game at Edberg-Olson Hall on Saturday — the first under new head coach K.C. Keeler and coordinators Tyler Walker and Brian Smith.
The roster likely won’t be the same when the season kicks off once another transfer portal window opens up on April 16. But Saturday showed a glimpse of who could make an impact when Temple starts its season this fall. There are still a lot of unknowns, but the Owls’ defense got the upper hand on the offense Saturday.
“The offense made some plays and then the defense did a great job,” Keeler said. “I think our defensive line is really good, they’re very physical. They can play six or seven or eight. So that is definitely the strength of this team.”
Temple has four quarterbacks on its roster but only Evan Simon and Tyler Douglas received game reps, switching off each drive. Simon had the better day of the two, going 16-25 for 138 yards while Douglas completed just four of his 15 attempts.
However, Keeler has made it clear since the start of the spring season that he’s looking to pick up another quarterback once the portal opens.
“I thought Evan had a really good spring,” Keeler said. “His leadership and his command of the huddle and taking charge of the clock going down. All those things are really exceptional.”
Walker plans to implement a run-heavy offense this season and it’s clear the Owls are still finding their footing in his scheme. Simon ran for 33 yards on the first play of the game but rarely used his legs after, aside from a rushing touchdown that Keeler called back to the five-yard line to see his offense in a short-yardage situation. The decision resulted in a goal-line stand, where running back Jay Ducker was stood up by defensive linemen Allen Haye and Sekou Kromah.
Ducker transferred to Temple from Sam Houston State and will likely be the team’s top option — he rushed for 66 yards on 21 carries and was unable to find the endzone.
“I love [getting] the ball,” Ducker said. “I think Coach Walker’s offense is definitely, as a running back, what you want to do and where you want to go and you gonna get it. Whether it be in the backfield, you seeing a lot of empty, just catching, just a lot of inner spaces, like as a running back this is where you wanna be. I’m excited.”
Simon had mixed results on his deep passes but tight end Ryder Kusch was the main beneficiary, racking up 55 yards on four receptions. One of Kusch’s bright spots came on a 32-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
The defense stood tall and denied multiple close yardage situations. Simon handed the ball to wide receiver Xavier Irvin in the fourth quarter when safety Javier Morton took him down at the three-yard line. Linebacker Curly Ordonez continued the defense’s momentum and tackled Ducker at the one-yard line to end the drive.
The secondary was also sound all game to continue the group’s strong spring. Cornerback Adrian Laing stepped in front of a pass from Douglas for an interception and safety Willy Love was right behind him and was in a position to pick the ball off if Laing was unable to.
Morton was the standout during the day, finishing with five tackles, including stuffing Irvin during the drive that resulted in a goal-line stand. He also stood up Ducker, which caused the entire defense to celebrate.
“Coach Smith puts us in the best position for the defense to always evolve,” said defensive end Cam’Ron Stewart. “We have great guys in the front end and also in the back end. It’s night and day compared to last year.”
The offense finally bested the defense on the final drive of the game which started at the 15-yard line. Simon faked a handoff to Ducker and gave it to tight end Peter Clarke instead. Clarke went four yards to the endzone to give the offense its only touchdown of the day.
The spring transfer window will likely shake up the Owls’ roster, and Keeler noted there are positions he plans to recruit once it officially does on April 16. Keeler has seen immense improvement from the start of the spring season, but he knows there’s still a long way to go, he said.
“We’ve improved so much, it’s been dramatic,” Keeler said. “But we have a long way to go. We’re not shooting for okay. If we’re shooting for okay, we’re pretty close to being okay.”
Be the first to comment