Temple Football: Smolik Settles in Against Navy, Eyes On Roster Continuity

Temple Football erased a 28-point first half deficit on Saturday, Nov. 7, tying their game with Navy 35-35 on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jaxon Smolik to Jayce Freeman with 5:35 to play. The Midshipmen promptly drove 75 yards downfield, taking the lead on quarterback Jackson Gutierrez’s fifth rushing touchdown of the evening and sealing Temple’s fourth consecutive loss.

After the game, Owls head coach K.C. Keeler said that although his defense did a good job of closing running lanes up the middle, Gutierrez’s ability to cut back inside on runs toward the perimeter burned Temple as they overpursued the play. Even so, Keeler noted the positives from the heartbreaking defeat. Three weeks into a coaching staff shuffle, he said his players are working together like he expects and learning to live in the moment while on the gridiron.

Lessons Learned

“They’re starting to understand the concept of playing just one snap at a time, not worrying about the last snap, not worrying about the next snap, just worry about the snap in front of them,” Keeler said.

“A much different team than I had earlier in the season, that team wouldn’t have battled back like this. We’ve fought through some growing pains, and the last two weeks I’ve been so proud of just every single snap they’re playing, they’re not worrying about the previous snap, just gonna play to the end and when it hits all zeroes, we’ll figure out if we’ve won or lost. Unfortunately, the last two weeks we haven’t won, but we have played really hard, and I can see the progress with the team.”

Smolik’s start at quarterback came as a result of Ajani Sheppard dealing with an injury; the pair traded snaps in the first two games of the season before an injury to Smolik pushed Sheppard into a major role. Now the pendulum has swung back the other way, and Keeler praised Sheppard for how he supported Smolik during the game.

“They played really hard with their teammates; Ajani was unbelievable trying to help Jaxon out and cheering Jaxon on,” Keeler said. “It almost felt like Ajani was on the field, just how emotional he was for Jaxon.”

After completing just three of nine passes for 42 yards and an interception in the first half, Smolik rebounded to complete nine of 17 attempts for 131 yards and three touchdowns out of the break, helping Temple race back into the game. Smolik praised his teammates for helping him settle in, describing how he adjusted to his first major game action in nearly two months.

Smolik Developing?

“I just need to trust myself. Trust myself, trust I know where the receivers are gonna be, because I do. I know where they’re gonna be, I just need to have that trust in myself that I can make all those throws,” Smolik said. “Towards the half I started to, and my team rallied behind me, and thank God those guys did. They had my back, and the defense had the offense’s back.”

Navy’s porous pass defense entered play allowing nearly 30 points per game and 9.54 yards per attempt, another point worth considering: Smolik didn’t hit that mark even in his much better second half. With three weeks left in the season, the Owls are at a crossroads. At 2-7, they’re almost guaranteed not to hear their name called for a bowl game. Smolik, a junior, has one year of eligibility remaining, and his ability to build chemistry with receivers and acclimate to the speed of Division I football could pave the way to a successful final season… but there’s no guarantee he sticks around in the era of the transfer portal. 

Keeler’s description of the way Temple is playing as a team, similarly, is a promising sign, but with roster continuity up in the air, they might be three games away from having to teach all those lessons again with a new group of players.