Temple Football Preview: Which Version of the Owls Will Appear Against Army?

Temple Football has a chance to snap their two game losing streak when they host the Army Black Knights at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 in their American Conference opener. The Owls (1-2) blew a 14-point lead in the waning minutes of their 49-48 overtime road loss to Toledo last week, but head coach K.C. Keeler and his players said that the quick turnaround in preparation for Army’s triple option offense helped them turn the page.

Even so, Temple enters as a slight home underdog, listed at +130 on the money line at DraftKings Sportsbook. The point spread sits at -3, while the over/under is set at 47.5; ESPN Analytics see the Owls winning in 46.4 percent of their simulations.

Army blew out Bryant 59-3 in their season opener, then dropped a 28-24 home duel with USF last week, giving up a pair of touchdowns in the final four minutes. As such, both teams will have plenty of motivation to bounce back in this nationally televised matchup on ESPN.

Despite the defensive woes, the Owls finally found their footing on offense against Toledo, picking up 261 yards on the ground. Sheppard completed 12 of 22 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns, the best game any Temple quarterback has had so far this season: he also ran for 66 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. While the passing volume still isn’t there, their ability to find the end zone was a marked improvement after just one touchdown through the air during their first two weeks.

Scouting the Black Knights

Army, as always, puts a premium on discipline and execution with their grinding triple option offense. Starting quarterback Cale Hellums has just 19 pass attempts through two games this season, completing 13 of them for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Hellums also has 25 carries for 142 yards and a pair of scores, while wide receiver Zach Mundell leads the way on the ground with seven carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns after breaking loose for a gain of 66 yards against Bryant.

Tailback Godspower Nwawuihe leads the Black Knights in carries with 31, picking up 147 yards and two touchdowns. They don’t stop with the top three, however, as anyone is a threat to run in Army’s offense: they’ve mixed in another 45 carries between 12 different players, adding 329 yards and three scores.

Senior receiver Samari Howard leads the way in the passing game with five catches for 62 yards, and Mundell (three catches for 47 yards and a score) is another threat to watch. With eight tackles for loss and two sacks through two games, Army’s defense isn’t quite where one might expect up front, but their ability to hold on to the football and shorten games should keep them fresh. They’ve broken up eight of the 53 pass attempts they’ve faced, so Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard — expected to get the majority of snaps with Jaxon Smolik nursing an injury — will need to be careful with the football.

Scouting Temple

Temple’s ground game got a boost from the return of senior running back Sam Brown V, who picked up 109 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against Toledo. Sophomore Keveun Mason (49 carries for 283 yards and two scores) took the bulk of the handoffs in Brown’s absence, and could provide the Owls with a dangerous 1-2 punch as they continue to work out the kinks in their offense.

Senior receiver Colin Chase leads the way through the air with six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown; Jayce Freeman (three catches for 83 yards and a score), JoJo Bermudez (seven catches for 74 yards) and tight end Peter Clarke (six catches for 31 yards) give Temple’s quarterbacks a variety of explosive targets, but they’re still syncing up. As conference play begins in earnest, their ability to get on the same page could be the difference between a successful season and a seventh straight year below .500.

The Owls also have a physical defense, rotating as many as nine players on the defensive line. Curly Ordonez has 22 solo tackles (32 total tackles) through three weeks, while safety Saboor Kariem and linebacker Tyree Alualu, who returned an interception for a touchdown in the season opener, are also players to watch.

When Temple’s defense is at their best, they should match up well against the Black Knights… but as last week’s result shows, they’re a work in progress.