Tag: Temple

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

Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) rushes against Temple Owls linebacker Ty Davis (10) in the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

No. 13 Oklahoma stifles Temple, improves to 3-0 with lopsided win

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John Mateer threw for 282 yards and a touchdown and ran for 63 yards and another score to lead No. 13 Oklahoma to a 42-3 win over Temple on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Freshman running back Tory Blaylock also rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

The Sooners (3-0) outgained the Owls 515-104, holding Temple to just 27 yards rushing. Oklahoma had 30 first downs to just seven for the Owls.

The Sooners got off to a quick start, scoring on their first drive thanks to two long completions from Mateer to tight end Jaren Kanak.

Jovantae Barnes finished off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run and then Kanak hit Jacob Ulrich for a two-point conversion to make it 8-0.

After Oklahoma’s defense held Temple to a second consecutive three-and-out, the Sooners extended their lead on a 52-yard field goal by Tate Sandell.

Oklahoma then stretched the lead thanks to a pair of touchdowns by Blaylock just over two minutes apart early in the second quarter.

Temple’s only points came late in the first half after Ty Davis’ interception on a pass over the middle from Mateer.

Oklahoma receiver Keontez Lewis suffered an injury on the play after a hard collision with Davis.

The Owls’ offense lost yardage following the interception but Carl Hardin hit a 34-yard field goal to put Temple (2-1) on the board.

The Sooners led 28-3 at halftime, then extended their lead with two third-quarter touchdowns, the latter on Mateer’s 51-yard touchdown run with 5:04 remaining in the quarter.

Isaiah Sategna led the Sooners with seven catches for 97 yards.

Early in the third quarter, Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas was ejected following a booth-initiated review for targeting after initially being called for roughing the passer.

Barring a successful appeal, Thomas will have to miss next week’s SEC opener against Auburn.

Temple quarterback Evan Simon came into the game leading the nation in passing efficiency but was just 13 of 27 for 75 yards in the loss.

–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

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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

Sep 3, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats head coach K.C. Keeler watches warm ups prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Temple tabs K.C. Keeler to rebuild program

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Temple hired K.C. Keeler as its new coach on Sunday.

Keeler led Sam Houston State to a 9-3 overall mark and 6-2 in Conference USA play this season in the school’s second campaign at the FBS level.

“Coach Keeler has a track record of evaluating, recruiting and developing student-athletes into championship-level young men,” Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement. “His leadership, experience and the culture he establishes within programs are exactly what Temple football needs as we look to return to prominence in the competitive college football landscape.”

Overall, Keeler was 97-39 in 11 seasons at Sam Houston. His squad went 10-0 in the shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19 and won the FCS national championship.

Keeler, 65, also won a national championship in 2003 during an 11-year stint (2002-12) at Delaware. One of the players he coached during his time with the Blue Hens was Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco.

“I am beyond thrilled to be named Temple University’s next head football coach,” Keeler, a native of Emmaus, Pa., said in the news release. “I would like to thank Arthur Johnson and President John Fry for this incredible opportunity. Their shared vision and enthusiasm for returning this program to greatness has been contagious. I’m eager to get to work to bring that vision to fruition for the Cherry and the White. It’s a perfect fit and it feels great to be coming back home!”

Flacco is looking forward to seeing how his former coach fares with the Owls.

“Coach Keeler took a chance on me 20 years ago and I’ll never forget that,” Flacco said in the news release. “I couldn’t be more excited for him and his family. If you’re an Owls fan, I’d be excited. He has been a winner everywhere he’s been.”

Keeler will replace Stan Drayton, who went 9-25 in three seasons before being fired last month. Defensive coordinator Everett Withers coached the final two games — both losses — as Temple finished 3-9 overall and 2-6 in American Athletic Conference play.

–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

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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

Aug 30, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (6) celebrates with Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Spencer Brown (58) after scoring during the first quarter against the Temple Owls at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson Arnold (4 TDs), No. 16 Oklahoma defense dominate Temple

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Jackson Arnold threw four touchdowns and No. 16 Oklahoma’s defense forced five turnovers in a 51-3 win over in the teams’ season opener on Friday in Norman, Okla.

The game was Arnold’s home debut as a starter after he started the Sooners’ Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona in December.

Purdue transfer Deion Burks caught three touchdowns — all in the first half. It was Burks’ first career three-touchdown game.

While Arnold had a decent if not flashy performance, completing 17 of 25 passes for 141 yards, his Temple counterpart struggled from the jump.

Forrest Brock, making his first Division I start, missed on his first five pass attempts and his sixth went for a 2-yard loss. His seventh was intercepted by the Sooners’ Kani Walker.

Before his interception, Brock fumbled after a hit from Ethan Downs to give the Sooners the ball in Temple territory.

Five plays later, Arnold hit Burks for a touchdown to put Oklahoma up 14-0.

The Sooners got on the board with Arnold’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Bauer Sharp on their first offensive drive of the game.

Tyler Keltner hit three field goals, including a 50-yarder in the first quarter.

The Sooners didn’t convert on third down until Taylor Tatum’s 8-yard touchdown run with just more than three minutes remaining. Oklahoma was 0-for-11 on third down before the conversion.

The Owls lost two more fumbles in the second quarter, leading to 10 Sooners’ points.

The last of those first-half turnovers came with just more than a minute remaining before half, with Joquez Smith’s fumble giving Oklahoma the ball back at the Temple 6.

Brock finished 12 of 25 for 128 yards and two interceptions. The Sooners sacked Brock six times.

Jaren Kanak scored on a 21-yard fumble return following an Oklahoma punt early in the fourth quarter. The fumble was Temple’s sixth turnover of the night.

Oklahoma outgained the Owls 378-197, holding Temple to just 69 rushing yards.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold drops back pass during a University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners spring football game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, April 20, 2024.

No. 16 Oklahoma, QB Jackson Arnold, take aim at Temple

Posted on | by Field Level Media

There’s no doubt who will be starting at quarterback for Oklahoma in its season opener against Temple.

The Owls’ quarterback situation is much more up in the air.

The 16th-ranked Sooners will take on Temple on Friday night in Norman, Oklahoma, in the season opener for both teams.

Sophomore Jackson Arnold will start for Oklahoma, making his second career start after guiding the Sooners in their Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona after Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon.

Arnold threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns while completing better than 57% of his passes but tossed three interceptions and lost a fumble in the defeat.

“He’s put the work in,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Monday. “(He’s had a) level of consistency and growth and maturation and worked hard at helping everybody else around him get better. He has a broad set of shoulders to carry the heavy load.”

While Arnold has talent galore at wide receiver, led by returners Nic Anderson and Jalil Farooq and Purdue transfer Deion Burks, he’ll be protected by a group of newcomers up front that includes just one player – left guard Jacob Sexton – that has started a game for the Sooners.

USC transfer Michael Tarquin at left tackle, SMU transfer Branson Hickman at center, and North Texas transfer Febechi Nwaiwu at right guard are all new to the program, while right tackle Jake Taylor is expected to make his first career start.

“They’ve been mature, they’ve been focused, they care for one another,” Venables said of the line.

Temple, which has won just 10 games over the last four seasons, doesn’t figure to push the Sooners to the brink.

The Owls will be the first team to test Oklahoma’s defense under first-year Sooners defensive coordinator Zac Alley, who replaced Ted Roof. Alley had spent the previous two seasons in the same role at Jacksonville State and worked with Venables for several seasons at Clemson.

Temple coach Stan Drayton hasn’t named a starting quarterback for the game as Forrest Brock and Rutgers transfer Evan Simon have been neck-and-neck for the starting job.

Drayton said Sunday that he knew who the starter was going to be but that he would wait until the last moment to make the announcement.

Owls Daily reported Brock would start against the Sooners.

“Our guys are getting better because of the competition in the room,” Drayton said. “There’s a lot of respect that they have for one another that I just want to keep that going.”

Brock appeared in just one game last season, going 7 for 15 with an interception in a late October loss to SMU.

Whichever quarterback Temple goes with, it’ll have some playmakers available at receiver, including returner Dante Wright, who had 39 catches for 507 yards and four touchdowns last season.

“They have game-breaking speed,” Venables said. “They have some excellent wideouts, too, that can take the top off a defense.”

The game will be the first matchup between the programs since 1942. The all-time series is tied 1-1.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Temple Owls quarterback E.J. Warner (3) throws the ball during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Temple QB E.J. Warner to test transfer portal

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Temple quarterback E.J. Warner is entering the transfer portal.

The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner set single-season records in passing touchdowns (23) and 300-yard games (four) in 2023. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

“I am forever grateful to Temple University, Coach (Stan) Drayton, and Coach (Danny) Langsdorf for the opportunity they gave me to pursue my dream of playing college football,” Warner wrote Tuesday on Twitter. “Knowing the belief they had in me and wanting to help them bring back the winning ways of Temple football is what makes this so tough.”

Warner completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 3,076 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season. He has thrown for 6,104 yards with 41 TDs and 24 picks over the last two years.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Temple Owls safety Alex Odom (8) can t stop Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish Jr. (21) from scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lewis-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Van Dyke, No. 20 Miami blow past Temple

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Tyler Van Dyke tossed three touchdown passes and added the longest run of his college career, a 37-yarder, as the 20th-ranked Miami Hurricanes defeated the Temple Owls 41-7 on a rainy and windy Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.

Henry Parrish Jr. rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards on his 16 carries, as Miami (4-0) defeated Temple (2-2) for the 14th straight time.

The Hurricanes outrushed the Owls 323 yards to 11.

Xavier Restrepo caught two TD passes and fellow Hurricanes wide receiver Colbie Young made the most sensational play of the game, fully stretching his 6-foot-5 frame to catch the ball at the 3-yard-line and then stretching again to reach the end zone to complete a 28-yard score.

Te’Cory Couch intercepted two passes and Jahfari Harvey recovered a fumble for Miami.

The Hurricanes, who played their first road game of the season, are 4-0 for the first time since 2017.

Temple, which hadn’t played Miami since 2005, was led by quarterback E.J. Warner, who completed 22 of 39 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown. However, Warner, the son of former NFL star Kurt Warner, turned the ball over three times.

Van Dyke did not turn the ball over, completing 17 of 24 tosses for 220 yards.

Miami led 7-0 after one quarter, 24-7 at halftime and 38-7 heading into the fourth.

The Hurricanes, who scored on their first three possessions, made it 7-0 on Van Dyke’s 7-yard lob to Restrepo in the left corner of the end zone late in the first quarter.

Temple reached Miami’s 18 on its second possession, but Warner was pressured and his lob into the end zone was intercepted by Couch.

Miami extended its lead to 14-0 on a drive that featured Van Dyke’s long run. Then, on third-and-4, Van Dyke connected with Young on the sensational 28-yard touchdown.

The Hurricanes made it 17-0 on Andres Borregales’ 26-yard field goal. The highlight of that drive was a perfectly placed 39-yard pass to Jacolby George down the right sideline.

Temple had a clear shot at a touchdown with 6:03 left in the second quarter, but Warner overthrew an open Amad Anderson Jr. in the end zone. Then, after a sack by Leonard Taylor, Temple went for it on fourth down and threw incomplete.

Later in the second quarter, Miami added Parrish’s 13-yard TD run for a 24-0 lead.

Temple finally got on the board with two seconds left in the first half on Warner’s 9-yard TD pass to Reese Clark. Warner completed that throw under heavy pressure.

Miami, though, opened the third quarter with Parrish’s 3-yard TD run. The Hurricanes, who led 31-7 at that point, cruised from there.

–Field Level Media