Temple University football could surely use some normalcy this season.
The Owls finished their 2020 season with a 1-6 record, and 13 players left the program and entered the transfer portal. Some of them included quarterback Anthony Russo, who is now at Michigan State University, and linebacker Isaiah Graham Mobley, who is now at Boston College.
But, Head Coach Rod Carey has a different outlook this season, after the team spent two weeks of training camp at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, New York City, and welcomed several new transfers. Temple fans can expect a whole new team at their season opener on Sept. 2.
The Owls will compete in 12 games this season – here’s The Temple News’ sports editors’ predictions of the outcome for each of those games.
Temple vs. Rutgers University
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Rutgers finished 3-6 in the Big Ten last season, pretty close to Temple’s 1-6 record, but I still believe Rutgers will beat Temple in the season opener. I’m more optimistic with University of Georgia transfer D’Wan Mathis at the starting quarterback position. However, I question the Owls’ ability to work together with the new transfers and the younger guys still adapting. In this case, I would say more time could lead the Owls to success, but they’re starting off the season 0-1.
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The last time Temple played a Big Ten school was in 2019 when they defeated then-ranked No. 21 Maryland. Rutgers is on the rise in this premier college football conference, and Temple’s defense may not be able to contain a school of that caliber like they did that Saturday afternoon against Maryland. With Greg Schiano back at the helm, Carey’s players are not able to compete with the Scarlet Knights’ improved offense, losing this game and beginning the year 0-1.
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Though Temple has brought in many new players this season, I don’t believe preseason camp has given them enough time to gain that much needed chemistry with the newcomers. With a handful of new transfers expected to take starting positions, that chemistry is crucial. Rutgers, even with their record for the 2020 season closely resembling Temple’s, will take the win for the season opener, leaving the Owls 0-1 to start.
Temple University vs. The University of Akron
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Akron didn’t start their season till Nov. 4, and they finished with a 1-5 record. I could see Temple’s defense shutting down Akron’s offensive unit. I think this game will highlight some of the team’s new defensive transfers, like Will Rodgers, Keyshawn Paul and Cameron Ruiz. I’m giving this one to Temple and advancing their record to 1-1.
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Finishing 5th in the Mid-American Conference East division last season, Akron won only one game, a 31-3 victory over Bowling Green State University. The Zips gave up 58, 69 and 56 points in three different showings. The Owls have the offensive firepower behind Mathis’ arm to take this game, bringing their record to .500.
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The Owls last played Akron in 2011, taking home a 41-3 win. Both teams have changed drastically since then. Akron went 1-5 last season, scoring under 15 points in several of their games and giving up as many as 69 points in one of their mid-season games. With Temple’s promising new starting quarterback Mathis, the Owls take this one, making Temple 1-1.
Temple vs. Boston College
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Boston College played against Clemson and lost by a touchdown last season. Since Temple has a whole new group of players, last year stats seem insignificant. However, executing in the red zone was a struggle for the Owls last season. Temple totaled 17 touchdowns, while Boston College had more than double that amount. Not finishing in the red zone could be a recurring problem against the Eagles and result in a loss for the Owls.
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Playing their second Power 5 school in three games, the Owls are back at Lincoln Financial Field for the home opener against a sleeper Boston College team. Phil Jurkovec has the quarterback position solidified in Boston, and the Eagles under Jeff Hafley, have improved each season. In 2018, Boston College defeated Temple by 10. Expect this game to be more heavily swayed in the Eagles’ favor as Temple falls to 1-2.
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Temple fell to Boston College by 10 points in 2018. Since then, Boston College has kept a solid offense with no trouble putting points on the board. After quarterback Phil Jurkovec joined the Eagles in January 2020, he brought them to a 6-5 record for the 2020 season and is expected to continue to perform as a potential NFL draft prospect. The Owls fall once again to the Eagles, leaving Temple 1-2.
Temple vs. Wagner College
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Wagner didn’t compete until the spring last season and finished with a 0-2 record. Wagner had a crew of players leave the program last season, and I think this will be a game where Mathis can show off his quick feet and movement for deep passes to redshirt-junior Jadan Blue or graduate student Randle Jones.
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The Owls should win this game easily. The Seahawks played two games and lost both last season, putting up a combined seven points. Temple moves to 2-2.
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Last year, Wagner finished 0-2 during their spring season, and though this shouldn’t mean much given the complications that the pandemic caused, the Seahawks went 1-11 in their 2019 season as well. This game will give Temple a chance to showcase the team’s abilities and secure another win for the season. The Owls are 2-2.
Temple vs. The University of Memphis
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It’s officially here, the first conference game of the season. The Owls will have four games under their belt and a 2-2 record going up against Memphis. Last season, Temple lost by 12 points against Memphis, who was ranked at No. 5 in The American Athletic Conference preseason rankings. Although I could see Temple competing with Memphis, I don’t believe it’ll be enough for a win, especially looking back at last season’s game, where the Tigers ran a pass-heavy offense and the Owls’ defense couldn’t keep up.
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With Brady White gone for the Tigers, I have the Owls in this game the whole way. Losing by 12 points last season, and with an improved outlook this year, the Owls can rely on Blue outplaying receiver Calvin Austin III as Temple’s passing attack outpaces the Tigers. Temple wins this close battle on their homecoming day and improves to 3-2.
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The Tigers defeated the Owls 41-29 during their last faceoff in 2020. With Memphis maintaining a strong record over the last few years, there is no doubt they will continue that success into the 2021 season. The Owls will put up a fight, but in the end will fall to the Tigers, making Temple 2-3.
Temple vs. The University of Cincinnati
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It’s going to be a rough weekend for the Owls as they head into a two game losing streak. Cincinnati is ranked No.1 in AAC preseason rankings, where Temple is ranked No. 10. The Bearcats totaled 2,353 rushing yards last season, and Cincinnati’s senior quarterback Desmond Ridder totaled a team high of 724 of those rushing yards and added 12 touchdowns. With Cincinnati’s strong run game, the Owls will be over matched, resulting in a loss.
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Cincinnati enters the season ranked No. 8 in the nation. Temple was lucky not to have faced the Bearcats last season, and wound up winning their matchup in overtime two years ago. The game looks like it should be a blowout on the surface, but do not rely on Ridder lighting up the Owls’ secondary for too many yards. With transfers Ruiz and Paul at cornerback, and the Owls facing the Bearcats six days after they play Notre Dame, Temple will lose a close one.
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With the game against Cincinnati cancelled last season, the Owls didn’t have a chance to redeem themselves from their 15-13 loss in the 2019 season. The Bearcats are ranked in a number of postseason top-10 rankings and are expected to have a great season with 16 of their starters returning and their roster including 40 local players. The Owls will have a tough loss against the Bearcats, making them 2-4 for the season.
Temple vs. The University of South Florida
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Temple is going to break their losing streak after playing South Florida. USF was Temple’s only win last season, which ended 39-37, so it wasn’t a huge deficit. Temple will have to fix their errors, like sloppy play on special teams, from the last time they played the Bulls, but they were also able to dominate on offense. Jones, Blue and possibly redshirt-sophomore wide receiver transfer Amad Anderson Jr. could be key assets against USF’s defense.
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Temple’s only win last season came against the Bulls, and former Clemson University co-offensive coordinator and current USF head coach Jeff Scott faces a tough schedule throughout this season. With key pieces of the Bulls’ team moving in and out, and a Temple team fired up after the Cincinnati game, the Owls should walk out of South Florida with a sizable victory. Temple moves to 4-3 on the season.
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Last year, Temple won by two points against USF, which was the Owls only win of the season. The Bulls went 1-8 in 2020, winning only their first game against The Citadel. Looking for ways to switch things up after a tough loss against Cincinnati, the Owls will defeat the Bulls, making them 3-4.
Temple vs. The University of Central Florida
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Central Florida runs a similar offense to Memphis, which is why I think Temple will take a hard loss to UCF. Last season Temple lost to UCF 38-13. Part of their loss was due to consistent execution from the Knights from the start of the game and resulted in UCF going into the second quarter with 21 points and Temple with nothing.
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UCF finished last season as the No. 2 ranked team in terms of yards accumulated, and new head coach Gus Malzahn is on a mission to prove he and quarterback Dillon Gabriel have what it takes to bring UCF back into college football notoriety. The Owls lose this matchup as the Knights’ high-powered, up-tempo offense proves to be too much to handle. The Owls head to East Carolina University with a 4-4 record.
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UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel is ranked among the highest players in ESPN’s 2021 rankings, finding himself at number 33 and the highest-ranked player in the state of Florida. He ranks sixth-all time in UCF with 7,223 career passing yards. The Owls fell to the Knights 38-13 last season and with Gabriel returning, the Owls will take a loss. Temple goes 3-5.
Temple vs. East Carolina University
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A chaotic game last season for the Owls, Temple went up against East Carolina dealing with multiple injuries, COVID-19 complications and starting freshman quarterback Matt Duncan’s pre-game suspension. However I’m optimistic, I think if there was a conference team Temple would beat, it would be ECU. Temple is about halfway through the season, and Mathis should find easy connections with his receivers by this point. Also Temple’s defense could shine against ECU with junior BUBO Kwantel Raines having some playing time under his belt, his versatility as a player could greatly impact the Owls’ defense.
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The East Carolina defense spent last season clawing for some life every snap, and the offense couldn’t convert in important moments of games as the Pirates went 3-6, and 3-5 in The AAC, last year. Holton Ahlers and Rahjai Harris helped lead ECU to a 28-3 victory over Temple last time out, but that was when Temple was at their weakest. Expect an opposite outcome this season with a consistent Owls lineup as Temple moves to 5-4
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The Owls last played ECU while dealing with COVID-19 complications, and the Pirates took advantage of these weaknesses at the time to take the win over the Owls. With Temple going into the 2021 season with a stronger team overall, and using previous games to master their playing style and communication, the outcome could be quite different when Temple goes up against ECU this season. Temple takes the win on this one and goes 4-5.
Temple vs. The University of Houston
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Temple didn’t play Houston last season and, even though I see the Cougars beating the Owls, I would bet it is a close game. Houston is ranked No. 4 in the AAC preseason rankings, and even though I think Temple will perform better at this point in the season than when they played Memphis, Houston has some key veterans and freshmen joining the program this season, like three star recruits defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo and safety Mark Wilson.
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The Cougars better hope for some consistency from quarterback Clayton Tune this season if they expect to catapult back into the top 25. I believe Head Coach Dana Holgorsen finds his rhythm, though, and the Cougars win this one. The Owls last played Houston in 2018 and won 59-49. The Cougars are simply the better team and will be fighting for the AAC throne once again. Temple is 5-5.
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Houston’s last matchup with Temple resulted in a 10-point loss for the Cougars, but with Houston ranked No. 3 in the AAC preseason rankings, this could wind up being a close game. Even with Temple’s new three and four star recruits bringing much needed skill to the table, the Owls will fall to Houston, since the Cougars can maintain consistency on offense and go 4-6.
Temple vs. The University of Tulsa
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Temple will finish their second to last game of the season with a 4-7 record. At this point Temple is looking like a whole new group, which is why I think this game could be very close. Tulsa runs a 3-3-5 defense, which consists of three down linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. Temple will look to run the ball, but I believe they’ll struggle to gain yardage, especially as they approach the red zone.
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The Golden Hurricane defense, although now without Butkus Award runner-up Zaven Collins, is still elite. With several draft prospects on that side of the ball and a receiving core that will be able to light up the AAC’s best defenses, I think this game will be pretty lopsided. Tulsa will run the same schemes that kept them close in every game last year will be too much for the Owls to handle. Temple falls to 5-6.
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The Tulsa Golden Hurricane last faced off against Temple during the 2018 season, which resulted in a 14-point win for the Owls. Tulsa finished off their 2020 season 6-3 and had one of the best defenses in the conference, a barrier that will be hard for the Owls to get past, resulting in another loss for the Owls, making Temple 4-7.
Temple vs. The United States Naval Academy
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I’m sure Carey will feel a sign of relief for making it to this point. However, I’m going all in on Temple. Last season, the Owls lost by two points in their game against Navy. Now, the Owls could be looking for redemption and come out fired up. If Temple can score first, they’ll have the momentum to maintain the pace for the rest of the game. With that being said, Temple will finish their 2021 season with a 5-7 record.
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The final game of the season will be interesting as Temple should be in a position for a bowl game here, or just on the bubble. Either way, a win over Ken Niumatalolo and Navy will be key to their January hopes. It can be expected the Midshipmen will pound the rock early and often. Expect Carey and Temple’s revamped defensive line to avenge their two point loss in last season’s opener. The Owls finish the regular season 6-6.
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The Owls lost to Navy 29-31 in a close game during the 2020 season. Even with the win against Temple, Navy finished 3-7 for the season. With Temple’s added transfers, including Ruiz and Anderson Jr., the Owls will rise to the occasion for their final game of the season to defeat Navy, leaving Temple with a 5-7 record for the 2021 season.
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