Temple Football Preview: Owls Need to Take Care of Business Against Charlotte

Temple Football will try to make it above .500 in American Conference play when they host moribund Charlotte (0-6, 0-2 American) in what is essentially a must-win game. If the Owls (2-4, 1-1 American) want to play in a bowl game this season, they’ll need to take care of business against the 49ers, who have been outscored by an average of 26 points per game this season and are allowing an average of 467 yards per game this season, 184 of them on the ground.

Needless to say, Temple enters this game as an overwhelming favorite, listed at -1800 on the money line; the point spread sits at 21 points, while ESPN Analytics simulations have the Owls winning 92.3 percent of the time. After last minute losses against Toledo, Army and UConn, however, Temple should know not to take any win for granted. Here’s what to watch for as they host the Owls on ESPN+ at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Scouting the 49ers

Fifth-year quarterback Cole Gonzales (79-of-127 for 802 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions) leads Charlotte in passing but hasn’t managed to hold on to the football this season. He’s not much of a threat to run either: despite a pair of rushing touchdowns, his longest carry of the season was just 11 yards. The 49ers have a solid offensive line, allowing an average of two sacks per game.

They also do a good job of run blocking, with Khamani Alexander (46 carries for 216 yards and a three touchdowns) and Henry Rutledge (35 carries for 208 yards and a touchdown) both boasting a solid number of yards per carry… but with how quickly the 49ers tend to fall behind, they haven’t had much of a chance to establish the run. Gonzales’ struggles make it difficult for them to play from behind, even with solid receivers like Jaden Barnes (35 catches for 343 yards), Derrick Eley (14 catches for 268 yards and two scores) and Jaylen Hampton (20 catches for 224 yards and two scores) at his disposal.

On defense, the 49ers have nine sacks and four forced turnovers. They’re capable of making plays against the run, recording 32 tackles for loss, but they’re giving up yardage on more plays than they manage to bottle up their opponents.

Scouting Temple

Temple head coach K.C. Keeler continues to tease a return to action for quarterback Jaxon Smolik, who has missed most of the past four games due to injury. Ajani Sheppard (59-of-97 for 891 yards and seven touchdowns; 314 positive yards and three touchdowns on the ground) has made a solid case for the Owls’ starting job, but Keeler says he still wants to give Smolik another shake under center.

Either way, Temple’s ground game is the engine of their offense. Despite a flurry of injuries at running back and on the offensive line, players like Keveun Mason (81 carries for 449 yards and two touchdowns), prospective starter Sam Brown V (25 carries for 205 yards and two touchdowns; four catches for 105 yards and two scores) and even third-string back Hunter Smith have all starred when called upon.

Brown has managed just two games to injury but could be due for a return; otherwise, expect Mason to handle the bulk of the carries. Sheppard’s top target is Colin Chase (12 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns), while Jayce Freeman (12 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown) and 6-foot-6 tight end Peter Clarke (12 catches for 142 yards and a score) could both see a larger share of targets with JoJo Bermudez nursing an injury suffered against UConn last week.

Temple’s defense has shown flashes but is also prone to giving up big plays, allowing nearly 400 yards per game. After a brutal showing in the first half against UConn, expect that unit to be a point of emphasis.