Temple Owls College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Temple Owls Biggest Key: Offense
Crank the passing game up. With no due respect, if you struggled throwing the ball against East Carolina and UCF last season, you had an issue.
Temple’s offense had plenty of issues.
The passing attack worked early on, but it got progressively worse, and then it fell off the map. The Owl O that threw four touchdown passes against USF and Memphis managed just two in the final four games, none in three of those four, and couldn’t get anything working down the field.
That’s mainly because starter Anthony Russo was done after the first three games and Temple couldn’t find the right solution. If Mitchell can settle in, or if D’Wan Mathis can be the answer, the receivers are there to make it all go.
Temple Owls Biggest Key: Defense
The pass defense has to be better. It did a decent job of holding most teams from getting into a groove – it allowed teams to hit just 57% of their passes – but it gave up way too many big plays.
The D came up with just three picks, struggled with third down stops, and after the rough year and combined with 2019, it has yet to come up with more than one interception in any game in the Rod Carey era.
The Owl defense two seasons ago gave up ten yards per throw to UCF. That was the only time it allowed more than 8.5 yards per pass, and it gave up an average of 6.3 per pass on the year.
2020? The D gave up 9.2 yards per pass and allowed over 8.3 yards per throw in every game but the win over USF.
Tulane, SMU and UCF combined for over ten yards per throw, and only Navy – the run only team only threw two passes – failed to throw two touchdown passes or more.
Temple Owls Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Kevin Robertson, Sr.
And/or former North Carolina transfers Lancine Turay and Xach Gill, and/or a slew of freshmen who need to rise up in the middle of the Owl defense.
The offense is experienced and will be better – the passing game will be stronger. The defensive back seven returns enough veterans to be fine, and the ends are good enough.
Now Temple has to rebuild the front wall after losing the top tackles to the transfer portal or graduation, and it’s going to be a battle.
At 6-2 and 300 pounds, the former JUCO transfer has the size the Owls need, he has a few games under his belt, and now he – and a few other parts – have to be factors.
Temple Owls Key Game To The 2021 Season
Memphis, Oct. 2
Temple will be 2-2 to start the season. It’s almost certainly going to lose to Rutgers and Boston College and beat Akron and Wagner. If there’s an upset against either of the Power Fivers, great.
And then the American Athletic Conference season kicks off with a bang. Beat Memphis at home, or it’s going to be a rough run with a trip to Cincinnati to follow, kicking off a run of three road games in four dates.
The Owls and Tigers are 2-2 in the last four meetings.
– Temple Owls Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2020 Temple Owls Fun Stats
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 82 – Temple 26
– Time of Possession: Temple 32:15 – Opponents 27:44
– Fumbles: Opponents 18 (lost 9) – Temple 8 (lost 3)