Not even 24 hours after Temple notched its third win of the season against Florida Atlantic last Saturday, head coach Stan Drayton was let go. Now defensive coordinator Everett Withers takes control of the program for the final two games.
The timing of Drayton’s dismissal took many by surprise after the Owls victory. The Owls (3-7, 2-4 American Athletic Conference) will attempt to put the hectic weekend behind them when they travel to take on Texas at San Antonio (5-5, 3-3 AAC) on Friday night.
“We talked to the entire team yesterday,” Withers said. “I’m proud of the way guys came to practice today. They were early for practice. They had a lot of energy. They were very inventive on your job descriptions in practice.”
Here is all you need to know before Temple kicks off against UTSA on Friday at 7 p.m.
NEW COACH, NO QUIT
Withers steps in as head coach looking to get the Owls on the right track in their final two games despite their bowl game hopes being over. He is also tasked with keeping his squad together after Drayton’s dismissal in what could be considered a lost season.
Before being let go, Drayton raved about how his team never gave up on the season during the Owls’ 52-6 thumping against Tulane on Nov. 9. That statement was put to the test against FAU when the defense gave up eight points in the final minutes to send the game to overtime. Temple was eventually able to pull out an 18-15 overtime win.
That mentality will have to persist in the weeks to close out the season for Temple to end the year on a high note. Withers mentioned how morale wasn’t down during his first practice as head coach on Monday and the team’s leadership council has emphasized that same sentiment.
“Our job is just to win,” said single-digit captain linebacker D.J. Woodbury Sr. “That’s been a mindset all week. No matter who we play, no matter where it’s at, we just wanna win. We want to get a win on the road. We’re going to leave distractions in Philadelphia and just keep moving forward.”
COMING OUT OF THE WOODS
With Withers moving to interim head coach, he has handed defensive coordinator duties off to linebackers coach Chris Woods. The Owls’ defense played well against FAU, giving up just 15 points, but Temple’s defense struggled as a whole under Withers.
Temple has given up 35 points per game, the 120th worst in the country. The unit played well early in the season and showed signs of its old form against FAU. The Owls forced two turnovers on downs and collected two crucial sacks in overtime.
Now, the Owls’ defense has a chance to build on their performance against FAU behind Woods. The linebackers, which was Woods’ unit, have been the focal point of the defense all season and are led by Woodbury and East Carolina transfer Tyquan King.
ON UTSA
UTSA enters Friday’s game red-hot, having scored more than 40 points in back-to-back wins against Memphis and North Texas. The Roadrunners have won three of their last four games and have been built on the back of a high-octane offense.
The Roadrunners average 31 points per game and have scored more than 40 points in their last three. Quarterback Owen McCown has been one of the best in the AAC, throwing for 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions. McCown does a solid job spreading the ball around, as six different players have more than 20 catches on the season. Wide receiver Willie McCoy has been the top target, racking up 484 receiving yards.
UTSA also has a strong run game, averaging 149 rushing yards per game behind running backs Robert Henry Jr. and Brandon High Jr. The duo has rushed for 528 and 319 yards, respectively, and a combined nine touchdowns.
Despite the offensive firepower, UTSA has struggled defensively. They give up 32 points per game and defending the pass has been an issue, giving up 287 yards per game. The Roadrunners boast a solid pass rush that is tied for first in the AAC in sacks with 30. Outside linebacker Jimmori Robinson has 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Inside linebacker Martavius French leads UTSA in tackles with 61.
SPOILER ALERT
Ryan Mack, Sports Editor: “Temple has a chance to get some momentum in Withers’ first game as head coach but I cannot fathom a scenario where that happens on Friday. The Owls’ defense had a bounce-back game last week but has struggled as of late, and I think McCown will have his way against a lowly secondary. I don’t think Temple’s offense will be able to combat that and it will be yet another road loss.”
UTSA wins 42-13.
Colin Schofield, Assistant Sports Editor: “There are cases where teams fire their head coach and catch fire. I do not think Temple is an example. The Roadrunners’ offense is red-hot and the Owls’ defense still looked questionable at points. Combine that with Temple’s continued road struggles and I think the first game of the post Drayton era is a loss.”
UTSA wins 45-17.
Sienna Conaghan, Assistant Sports Editor: “Temple has momentum coming off a win but the Owls are facing a much stronger team this weekend. For the past couple weeks, Temple has struggled quite a bit on defense and UTSA is coming into the game scoring a lot in its past three games. That mixed with a different coaching setup, I don’t think the Owls will be able to pull out a win.”
UTSA wins 48-14.
Jaison Nieves, Sports Social Media Manager: “Temple struggled beating one of the worst teams in the AAC in FAU last week and I don’t think they showed enough to beat a much better team in UTSA. Add in Temple’s first game without Drayton and a poor record on the road, and it makes an uphill battle for the Owls that I don’t think they are capable of pulling out.
UTSA wins 38-15.
Be the first to comment