Tag: Owls

Oct 31, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Rice Owls quarterback Chase Jenkins (4) is sacked by Memphis Tigers defensive lineman Pooda Walker (99) in the first quarter at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

No. 25 Memphis runs all over Rice in road rout

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Frank Peasant tallied three of Memphis’ five rushing scores, the defense held Rice to 212 yards, and the No. 25 Tigers kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive Friday with a 38-14 Halloween night rout of the Owls in Houston.

Peasant, who entered with three total touchdowns on the year, found paydirt three times in the first half as two-TD favorite Memphis (8-1, 4-1 American) led by 24 at halftime and was never challenged by the Owls (4-5, 1-4).

The second-place Tigers still have matchups against Tulane next Friday, at East Carolina and versus conference-leading Navy on Nov. 27 in their chase for the CFP, which releases its first rankings on Tuesday night.

Quarterback Brendon Lewis went 18 of 22 for 225 yards. He carried the ball 12 times for a game-high 87 yards and a score but left with an injury in the fourth quarter. Cortez Braham Jr. had three receptions for 66 yards.

Defensive back Omarion Cooper grabbed an interception, his first in three seasons.

Memphis’ defense held Rice to seven drives of three plays or less, had 11 tackles for loss and limited the Owls to 3-of-15 on third-down conversions.

Rice quarterback Chase Jenkins was 11 of 16 for 100 yards, a TD and a pick. Aaron Turner caught the lone score as part of his 29-yard showing.

After producing a three-and-out on Rice’s first series, the visitors took over, and Lewis had a big third-down conversion with a 30-yard pass to Braham. Lewis broke three tackles on an 18-yard rambling TD.

Defensive back Kamari Wilson forced and recovered a fumble on a backwards pass that was originally called incomplete but overturned on review. Memphis soon made it 14-0 on Frank Peasant’s 2-yard run at 2:34 of the first quarter.

Peasant added a second short score at 12:25 of the second quarter before notching another with 7:54 left in the half to make it 28-0.

Turner put Rice on the board with a 12-yard catch from Jenkins, but Gianni Spetic’s 37-yard field goal left Memphis with a commanding 31-7 edge at the break.

Greg Desrosiers Jr. had Memphis’ fifth score in the third, and Rice’s Tyvonn Byars (43 receiving yards) notched his first career TD on a short run with 3:28 left.

–Field Level Media

Memphis' Brendon Lewis (2) throws a pass during the game between USF and Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on October 25, 2025.

No. 25 Memphis heads to Rice in CFP driver’s seat after USF upset

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The first set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released next week, and Memphis is offering a convincing case for inclusion, especially if it can become the American Conference champion.

The 25th-ranked Tigers attempt to follow up their win over South Florida with another strong performance Friday night when they take on Rice in Houston.

Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American) trails Navy by 1 1/2 games for the conference lead, and the two schools end the regular season against each other on Nov. 27. The Tigers also trail Tulane by a half-game and visit the Green Wave next Friday.

Memphis is projected to be the 12th seed in the playoff by winning the conference title, but knows it must take care of business after overcoming a 14-point deficit in last week’s 34-31 win over South Florida, which was previously undefeated in conference play.

“Immediately on a short week, we have to turn the focus to Rice,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. “Great focus on a great opponent on the road on a Friday night.

“This game is the most important game of the season. I want our guys to sense that.”

Memphis was able to get the win thanks to Brendon Lewis, whose 307 passing yards were a career high. Lewis also tied the team lead with 35 of the Tigers’ 129 rushing yards, his stellar performance coming after he exited the 31-24 loss at UAB on Oct. 18 with a leg injury.

Rice (4-4, 1-3) snapped a three-game losing streak by outlasting UConn for a wild 37-34 double-overtime win last week. Friday begins a tough final four-game stretch in which Rice plays Memphis, North Texas and South Florida, who have a combined 20-4 record.

The Owls have the second-worst scoring offense in the conference (21.6 points), and average 103.6 passing yards (134th out of 136 FBS teams), but also can give opponents trouble with a triple option offense similar to Navy’s.

“That’s a challenge, especially when you’re playing this type of offense,” Silverfield said about Rice. “You’ve got to keep the guys in the right mindset, keeping those guys in rhythm, understanding the ebbs and flows of the game.”

Last week, Quinton Jackson ran for 168 yards, caught three passes for 80 yards and scored four touchdowns, including the game-ending 23-yard score in double overtime.

Jackson also had a 73-yard TD run and 75-yard TD catch, becoming the first player in program history with a 70-plus yard rushing and receiving score in the same game.

Rice scored its second-most points this season after being held to a combined 47 points during its three-game skid. Jackson had his third 100-yard rushing showing after being held to 6 yards in a 61-13 loss at UTSA on Oct. 11.

“It’s a great feeling,” Jackson said. “We’ve been through a lot of hardships the last two, three, four weeks, so it really feels good to see that celebration. We haven’t had that feeling in a very long time.”

Chase Jenkins also returned after getting hurt in the loss to UTSA, completing 17 of 22 passes for a season-high 191 yards to go along with 57 rushing yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) runs for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Byrum Brown, No. 19 South Florida surge past Florida Atlantic

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Byrum Brown had another all-around performance and quick-tempo No. 19 South Florida subdued the visiting, high-flying Florida Atlantic Owls 48-13 in an American Conference matchup on Saturday night in Tampa, Fla.

Brown, who came into the day with 14 total touchdowns in his last three games, continued his dominant play completing 14 of his 24 passes for 256 yards and three TDs. He added 111 yards rushing and another TD on the ground.

Jeremiah Koger also showed out as he electrified the crowd with a 60-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap off a four-catch, 90-yard showing.

South Florida (6-1, 3-0 American), known for its high-tempo offense, had just one of its scoring drives go longer than 3:15. The Bulls outgained FAU (3-4, 2-2) 522-312.

After South Florida was held without a touchdown on four straight drives, Brown found Wyatt Sullivan on fourth-and-1 for a 24-yard catch-and-run that pushed the lead to 31-13 with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

The Bulls followed that up with Brown’s 60-yard connection to Kroger to make it 38-13 with 13:39 left, putting the game firmly out of reach.

South Florida added a touchdown — a 2-yard rush by Nykahi Davenport — and a 28-yard field goal later in the fourth.

FAU’s Caden Veltkamp was 35-of-50 passing with 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Asaad Waseem hauled in eight catches for 56 yards.

Brown opened the game with a designed run up the middle, going untouched 22 yards for the quick 7-0 lead a little more than three minutes into the game. The Owls responded with a 45-yard field goal by Garrison Smith with 5:53 left in the first.

After a missed field goal, the Bulls scored on a 19-yard hook up between Brown and Jonathan Echols to push the lead to 14-3.

After recovering a surprise onside kick after the score, the tricks didn’t stop for the Bulls. They went with 325-pound backup right guard Cole Skinner from 1 yard out to make it 21-3 with 9:40 left in the half.

A field goal right before the break, and a 3-yard pass from Veltkamp to Michael Kirch on the Owls opening drive of the second half made it 21-13.

Nico Gramatica made a 41-yard field goal with 8:20 left in the third before the Bulls’ second half eruption.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Temple Owls in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech improves to 4-0 behind balanced attack vs. Temple

Posted on | by Field Level Media

ATLANTA — Haynes King threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a score on the ground, helping No. 18 Georgia Tech post a 45-24 victory over visiting Temple on Saturday in Atlanta, Ga.

Jamal Haynes ran for 107 yards, Malachi Hosley rushed for 59 yards and two scores, and Georgia Tech (4-0) began the year with four straight wins for the first time since 2014.

Evan Simon completed 13 of 32 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown for Temple (2-2), which dropped its second straight. Backup quarterback Gevani McCoy threw a 4-yard touchdown to Xavier Irvin with three seconds left.

Leading by 14 at halftime, Georgia Tech coughed up the game’s only turnover as King fumbled on the Yellow Jackets’ second play from scrimmage in the third quarter. Two plays later, Temple cut its deficit to 21-14 on Simon’s 28-yard touchdown pass to JoJo Bermudez.

Georgia Tech quickly answered with Hosley’s 34-yard rushing score to push the margin back to 14 with 11:47 left in the third.

The Yellow Jackets tacked on two drives later, as Haynes’ 47-yard rush led to Hosley’s 2-yard rushing score to extend the lead to 35-14. After Temple’s turnover on downs, Aidan Birr’s 32-yard field goal gave Georgia Tech a 24-point edge.

Temple’s Carl Hardin’s 41-yard field goal was followed with Daylon Gordon’s 41-yard rushing touchdown — the first of his career — to push the lead to 28 and seal the win.

King put the Yellow Jackets on the board first with a 17-yard rushing score at the 11:37 mark of the first quarter.

Following Temple’s punt, Georgia Tech doubled its lead with a five-play, 63-yard drive — stamped with King’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Malik Rutherford.

The Yellow Jackets answered Temple’s third punt with their third touchdown in as many drives, as King connected with Isiah Canion for a 37-yard score through the air with 2:38 left in the first.

Temple finally found its offensive rhythm on the ensuing drive, as Simon found Tyler Stewart for 18 yards, before the Owls quarterback scrambled to Georgia Tech’s four-yard line. The visitors cracked the scoreboard with 12:29 left in the first half, as Jay Ducker ran in a 2-yard score.

Georgia Tech’s offense stalled in the second quarter, punting on each of its three possessions.

Hardin came up well short on a 61-yard field goal attempt as time expired, and Georgia Tech took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

— Jack Batten, Field Level Media

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Georgia Tech place kicker Aidan Birr is congratulates by teammates after scoring the winning the field goal against Florida State at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via Imagn Images

No. 18 Georgia Tech hopes to avoid trap against visiting Temple

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Fresh off a field storming and one of the program’s biggest wins in recent memory, No. 18 Georgia Tech will look to avoid a letdown Saturday against visiting Temple in Atlanta.

Georgia Tech (3-0) soared into the Associated Press Top 25 after its dramatic 24-21 victory over then-No. 12 Clemson. A week after Aidan Birr’s 55-yard field goal as time expired sent Yellow Jackets fans into a frenzy that resulted in a $50,000 fine for the program, the team’s next challenge awaits against the Owls.

“We’ve got to continue to stay the course, continue to improve every day,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said. “We’re happy that we got a win last week, but at the same time, we have a long way to go.”

After a brief appearance as a ranked team last year, the Yellow Jackets are as highly ranked as they have been since 2015, when they peaked at No. 14. Squarely in the hunt in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship race and a potential dark horse for the College Football Playoff, Key’s team knows it can’t take its foot off the pedal, even as heavy favorites Saturday.

“Coach Saban used to tell us, more people die on the way down from Mount Everest than on the way up,” said Key, who served as Nick Saban’s offensive line coach at Alabama from 2016-18. “You can’t relax. You have to be just as prepared every single week. Our goals before the season were not just to win Game 3 or 4. Our goals are a lot bigger than that. Our expectations internally are a lot bigger than that.”

Temple (2-1) followed easy wins over UMass and Howard with a 42-3 home setback against then-No. 13 Oklahoma last week. The road won’t get any easier for first-year Owls head coach K.C. Keeler, whose team will see consecutive AP ranked opponents for the first time since October 2019, when Temple faced off against No. 23 Memphis and No. 19 SMU. The Owls’ 30-28 victory over Memphis marks the program’s last ranked win.

“We’ve got another big test against Georgia Tech coming up,” Keeler said. “It’s another top 20 opponent we have a chance to play. This time, we’re going on the road. The focus is really more about us. For us to be in that game at all last week, we needed to play a lot cleaner, and we didn’t. Let’s get that cleaned up.”

Through three games, second-year starting quarterback Evan Simon has thrown for nine touchdowns and no interceptions but was held to just 75 passing yards in the loss to Oklahoma.

Totaling just 105 yards last week, Temple’s offense will have to take a giant step forward to hang with the stout Yellow Jackets front.

“Defensively, they obviously did a great job against Clemson,” Keeler said of Georgia Tech. “You evaluate where we went wrong last week, but you’ve got to let that one go and move on to Georgia Tech.”

In the schools’ only meeting, Temple won 24-2 in 2019 in a game that featured former Temple and then-Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins.

-Field Level Media

Oklahoma's John Mateer (10) greets following the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooner and the University of Michigan Wolverines at the Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.

No. 13 Oklahoma won’t take Temple lightly after knocking off Michigan

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After its win over Michigan last week, No. 13 Oklahoma is putting an emphasis on not having a letdown when it faces Temple on Saturday in Philadelphia.

“I think they’ve scored 50 in back-to-back games, so we’re looking at this (as) our national championship,” Sooners safety Peyton Bowen said of the Owls.

While that might seem like hyperbole coming from a player in a program like Oklahoma, Sooners coach Brent Venables spoke about the way his team struggled to handle success in 2023 when it started 7-0 before dropping three of the last six games.

“We got to take these guys seriously or we’re going to their house and we’re going to (mess) around and find out,” Bowen said. “We can’t take them lightly for sure.”

The Sooners beat Temple 51-3 to open last season and the Owls went on to finish 3-9.

But Temple has opened its first season under K.C. Keeler with a bang, outscoring opponents 97-17 through two games.

The Owls (2-0) beat Howard 55-7 last week after opening with a 42-10 win over UMass.

Keeler has emphasized the need for improvement this week if his team is going to be successful against the Sooners.

“When we looked at the tape, it was definitely like, ‘OK, we did some really good things, but these things aren’t going to fly against Oklahoma — the little details,” Keeler said. “We have to do all the little things. Because they have full grown … men. They do.

“Those little things, where we might have been able to get a completion, now we’re going to get a sack. Because that extra tick isn’t going to happen against Oklahoma.”

The quarterbacks figure to be front and center in this one.

The Sooners’ John Mateer has thrown for 662 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions and has run for 98 yards and three scores.

In last week’s 24-13 win over Michigan, the Washington State transfer threw for 270 yards and a touchdown and ran for 74 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.

Venables said the Sooners (2-0) wouldn’t lean as heavily on Mateer in the run game every week as they did against the Wolverines, but that Mateer’s running ability would continue to be a valuable asset for the offense.

“He’s got to do a good job of not taking too many shots,” Venables said. “He’s built strong and is really compact so he can absorb some big hits. It’s a real weapon.”

Keeler said the Owls must put pressure on Mateer often if they want to pull off the upset.

“When they want to get a yard or they need to make a play, they put the ball in his hands,” Keeler said. “I think that’s a combination of his talent but also the comfortableness that the O-coordinator has with him. That’s his guy.”

Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, like Mateer, joined Oklahoma this offseason from Washington State.

For Temple, Evan Simon has emerged as the starter after sharing time with Oregon State transfer Gevani McCoy to begin the season.

Simon has completed 77.1 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, which helps to equate to a national-best 263.28 passing efficiency rating.

Saturday’s meeting will be the fourth all-time between the programs. Oklahoma leads the series 2-1. Temple’s win against the Sooners came in 1942.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2024; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls head coach Tom Herman walks on the field before the game against the South Florida Bulls at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Reports: FAU fires coach Tom Herman in 2nd season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida Atlantic has fired head coach Tom Herman in just his second season, multiple outlets reported Monday.

Associate head coach Chad Lunsford will be named interim head coach for the Owls’ final two games.

Herman finishes with a 6-16 record in Boca Raton, Fla.

The news comes two days after the Owls lost to Temple in overtime, 18-15. The loss dropped FAU to 2-8 and 0-6 in the AAC. Temple fired head coach Stan Drayton on Sunday.

Herman, 49, is owed a buyout of more than $4 million, according to the USA Today database.

FAU hired Herman in 2023. He went 32-18 in four seasons at Texas but was fired after a 7-3 stint in the 2020 COVID season. Herman led the Longhorns to a bowl win in each of his four seasons.

Herman went 22-4 as head coach in Houston from 2015-16. He is 5-1 in bowl games overall, though not at FAU.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Temple Owls head coach Stan Drayton watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Temple fires third-year head coach Stan Drayton

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Temple football coach Stan Drayton was fired Sunday after nearly three seasons on the job.

The move comes one day following the Owls’ 18-15 overtime victory against FAU.

Drayton, 53, guided Temple to a 3-7 record overall (2-4 in the American Athletic Conference) on the season and 9-25 overall (4-18 AAC) since he took over the program in 2022.

Defensive coordinator Everett Withers has been named the team’s interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

“I would like to extend my appreciation to Coach Drayton for his commitment to Temple University, our student-athletes and the football program over the past three years,” Owls athletic director Arthur Johnson said.

“… With the changing landscape of college football and the playoff format, the opportunity for Temple football has never been greater. Our expectation is to compete for American Athletic Conference titles, appear in bowl games consistently, and build a program that our fans, alumni, and students can be proud of in the classroom and on the field. I am confident that our fans will rally around our student-athletes and support them as they always have.”

The Owls visit Texas-San Antonio on Friday and host North Texas on Nov. 30 to conclude their season.

–Field Level Media

Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon on the sidelines during the football game against Middle Tennessee at MTSU, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon steps down from program he created

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Brian Bohannon, who started the Kennesaw State program, stepped down on Sunday as head coach in his 10th season following a 1-8 start to the Owls’ first campaign at the FBS level, the school announced.

Bohannon, who turns 54 next month, has a career record of 72-38, including 5-6 in the ASUN Conference in 2022, and 3-6 in a transition season as an independent in 2023. The Owls have the losing record this year as a new member of Conference USA, which led to media reports that he was in danger of being fired.

The Owls’ lone victory came at home Oct. 23 against previously undefeated Liberty, 27-24. Kennesaw State has lost two games since then, including a 43-35 double-overtime loss to UTEP on Saturday in El Paso, Texas.

“Coach Brian Bohannon informed me this morning that he has decided to step down as our head football coach,” Kennesaw State athletic director Milton Overton said. “I want to express my sincere appreciation to Coach Bohannon and his family for their dedication to Kennesaw State University and our football program over the past 11 years.

“Coach Bohannon led Kennesaw State into the football era, poured his heart and soul into this program, and represented our university with the highest standards of professionalism and character.”

Chandler Burks, the co-offensive coordinator and a former star quarterback for the Owls, will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season. The Owls have home games on Saturday against Sam Houston and Nov. 23 against FIU before visiting Louisiana Tech in Ruston on Nov. 30.

Kennesaw State hired Bohannon in March 2013 to launch an FCS program, which made its debut in 2015 and quickly enjoyed success, going 49-10 from 2017-21. His teams won three Big South Conference titles and made four FCS playoff appearances.

He was twice selected the Big South Conference Coach of the Year and was the 2017 FCS national coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association.

A former wide receiver at the University of Georgia (1991-93), Bohannon was an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb (1996), Georgia Southern (1997-2001), Navy (2002-07) and Georgia Tech (2008-12) before he was hired to start the program at Kennesaw State in 2013.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Jim Mora watches from the sideline as they take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

UConn builds 27-point lead, rolls over Florida Atlantic

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Nick Evers rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another to fuel UConn to a convincing 48-14 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday in East Hartford, Conn.

Evers completed 9 of 14 passes for 88 yards and added a career-high 78 yards on the ground as the Huskies (2-2) breezed to a win in the opener of their stretch of six straight home games.

Durell Robinson had 16 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Mel Brown rushed for 156 yards for UConn, which benefited from a dominant ground attack. The Huskies carried the ball 66 times for 421 yards to enjoy a decisive edge in time of possession.

Florida Atlantic’s C.J. Campbell Jr. rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Cam Fancher completed 9 of 15 passes for 87 yards and rushed for 71 yards for the Owls (1-3), who shot themselves in the foot with 12 penalties for 93 yards.

The Huskies led 3-0 before igniting a pair of 12-play scoring drives to take a 17-0 advantage into halftime.

Evers connected with an unmarked Brown in the flat for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11:32 remaining in the second quarter. That capped an 80-play drive that spanned 6:46 of playing time.

Robinson rushed to his right before making one cut and rumbling eight yards for a touchdown to complete a 91-yard drive with 1:50 left in the second quarter.

UConn essentially put the game away in the third quarter.

Evers capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown before a deflected pass resulted in Jayden McDonald reeling in an interception. That drive bogged down before Chris Freeman kicked his second field goal to extend the Huskies’ lead to 27-0.

Campbell’s short-yard score was answered by Evers putting his shoulder down on a 2-yard touchdown to begin the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media