The Big East field hockey tournament will come to Temple Sports Complex in November, but whether Temple will be playing in it remains up to the Owls.
After narrowly missing the four-team field last season, Temple entered this fall knowing exactly where it wanted to be by November. Entering Friday’s matchup against Delaware, the Owls are 5-4 and 1-1 in conference play.
For coach Michelle Vittese, having the conference tournament on Temple’s home field has made the pursuit of reaching the postseason difficult to ignore.
“Definitely a little fire, definitely a little bit of anxiety,” Vittese said. “There’s a pressure element to that.”
Vittese has tried to keep that pressure from becoming the Owls’ focus. Rather than measuring each result against whether Temple will qualify in November, she wants her team focused on improving enough to prove it belongs there.
“It’s about, can we provide an experience?” Vittese said. “Can we get to a place at which we hopefully prove that we deserve to be in?”
Temple recently won three straight games, which included a victory over Georgetown in its Big East opener, before Villanova ended the Owls’ streak on Sept. 25. The Owls sit fourth in the Big East standings.
Vittese said her team is still searching for consistency, which has led her staff to tinker with the Owls’ approach. Temple has shifted players between the forward and midfield line, altered its defensive penalty-corner setup, and emphasized increasing its work rate.
Michelle Vittese wants her team to “focus on ourselves” rather than standings or results in the Big East.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
Some of those changes came after Temple allowed Lafayette to score on three of its five penalty corners in a 4-3 loss on Sept. 4.
“We were constantly making adjustments every day,” Vittese said. “Every practice, every day, depending on the opposition, we [were] also make in-game adjustments based on what we’re seeing.”
Temple has also changed how it measures effort. The Owls previously reviewed data from their GPS tracking system after games, but the coaching staff has begun using the system during training to receive immediate feedback on players’ work rates.
“It’s a real-time information feedback system,” Vittese said. “It’s a lie detector. Like, are you working hard or are you not? And so you can say you are, but the numbers really tell a story.”
Goalkeeper Alex Lepore sees another area that needs improvement: how the Owls start games.
Lepore said Temple has often played its best field hockey after halftime.
“We’re very much a third-quarter, second-half team, which is great,” Lepore said. “We get back for the game, but we really need just to come out a little stronger, set the tone, and set the pace of the game early on.”
Vittese has emphasized the importance of connection and trust in practice, including how players react when a teammate makes a mistake. After noticing an instance when a struggling player received little encouragement during a game, Vittese challenged the Owls to become more deliberate about picking each other up.
“How relentlessly positive and empowering of our own teammates can we be?” Vittese said. “That’s actually been a practice point.”
Temple finished 3-4 in Big East play last season, the same conference record as Villanova, but the Wildcats claimed the fourth and final tournament spot.
Last year’s results have only motivated the Owls in 2026, says sophomore midfielder Lucia Magro.
“We always can do better,” Magrobut. “But we’re [feeling] really confident.”
Temple still has five Big East games remaining, including matchups against UConn, which is first in the conference’s standings, Old Dominion, and defending conference champion Liberty, before the tournament arrives at its home field.
And Vittese does not want her players consumed with where they could be in November.
“Thinking about anything other than what we can do excellently to be successful is a waste of time,” Vittese said. “We need to focus on ourselves.”
Temple’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will open American play on Dec. 30, with the men traveling to Rice and the women hosting Charlotte, as part of the Owls’ 18- game conference slate announced Wednesday.
Both programs will face six conference opponents twice, with three at home and three on the road. The Owls’ men’s and women’s teams each finished 8-10 in the American last season.
The American men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held in Tampa in March. Game times and broadcast information for Temple’s conference schedules will be announced at a later date.
The men will play their first two conference games at home against UTSA on Jan. 2 and UAB on Jan. 5. Temple will also host each of the American’s top three finishers from last season — South Florida, Wichita State and Tulsa — with defending regular-season and tournament champion South Florida visiting the Liacouras Center on Jan. 14.
Temple handed South Florida one of its three conference losses last season, beating the Bulls, 79-78, at the Liacouras Center on a Mohamed Keita tip-in with six seconds remaining.
The Owls will have a difficult road stretch midway through conference play. Beginning Jan. 31, Temple plays four of five games away from home, traveling to UAB, North Texas, Florida Atlantic, and South Florida in between a Feb. 7 home matchup with East Carolina.
Temple will return home to face Wichita State on Feb. 21 and Tulane on Feb. 24 before visiting East Carolina on Feb. 27. The Owls will play their conference home finale against Memphis on March 4 before ending the regular season at UTSA on March 7.
Women’s schedule
The women begin conference play with two home games, following their opener against Charlotte with a Jan. 2 matchup against Rice. The Owls will get an immediate test against the defending American regular-season champions, who went 17-1 in conference play last season.
Temple will host each of the five teams who finished above the Owls in last season’s conference standings — Rice, East Carolina, South Florida, Tulsa, and North Texas — at the Liacouras Center.
After opening January at home, the Owls will play four of their next six games on the road, including trips to Memphis, UAB, South Florida, and Wichita State. Temple closes the month at Tulane on Jan. 30 before traveling to UTSA on Feb. 6.
The UTSA game will be Temple’s first meeting with the Roadrunners since they eliminated the Owls from last season’s American tournament. UTSA beat Temple, 59-51, in the second round before going on to win the conference tournament and earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
Temple then begins a three-game homestand against Tulsa on Feb. 9, followed by Wichita State on Feb. 13 and Florida Atlantic on Feb. 17. The Owls’ final home game is against South Florida on Feb. 27 before they close the regular season at Florida Atlantic on March 6.
Three weeks after Temple’s season-opening win, the Owls find themselves on a three-game losing streak.
The last two stung the most. The Owls fell at Toledo in overtime after leading by 14 and then lost to Army on the final drive. Now, Temple (1-3, 0-1 American Conference) goes back on the road to face South Florida (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPNU).
The Owls have been plagued with late-game breakdowns. But the chance to prove themselves and put those losses behind them excites coach K.C. Keeler.
“The bad news is, we have to go play South Florida coming off a brutal loss like this,” Keeler said. “The good news is, we get a chance to go play South Florida after a brutal loss like this, because the only thing that gets you right is getting out there and beating a good football team.”
The Owls’ running back group is headlined by Sam Brown V, whose three touchdowns against the Rockets was tied for second-most in a game in the conference. Temple is ranked 24th nationally in rushing. Keveun Mason ran for a career-high 158 yards in Week 1.
South Florida’s D.J. Crowther has displayed impressive figures as well, having topped 100 rushing yards in each of the last two games. Crowther averaged 12.6 yards per carry (eight carries for 101 yards and three touchdowns) in the first contest vs. Delaware State before carrying the ball 23 times for 143 yards and a TD in the second vs. Bowling Green.
Sam Brown V runs the ball during the first quarter against Army Black on Sept. 25.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Keeler knows how strong the Bulls’ ground game is, and his staff usually reviews rushing footage from the week before to prepare. But that wasn’t a focus in practice Monday, simply because Army was a different beast.
“Typically today would be a corrections day for [the defense] — they sort of moved on,” Keeler said. “After an Army or Navy game, you don’t get a lot out of that video … there’s not a lot of crossover for what would help today.”
Sheppard still in shotgun
Jaxon Smolik started as Temple’s signal-caller against Penn State and Toledo after splitting the job with Ajani Sheppard against Rhode Island. When Smolik went down with an injury after his first throw against the Rockets, Sheppard stepped in and recorded three touchdowns. He continued to impress with 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns against Army.
Keeler is impressed by what he’s seen in Sheppard’s deep passing and explosiveness. Sheppard may get to showcase his talents in Tampa, Fla., as Smolik’s health is still in question.
“I really haven’t talked to Tyler [Walker] because we’re kind of waiting for someone to say Jaxon is 100%. I don’t think we’re there yet,” Keeler said. “I think he’ll progress this week, but I think we’ll know a lot more during the course of the week than we know right now.”
Fine-tuning details
Keeler has drilled one word into the minds of his players: details.
Temple hasn’t lacked energy through the past three weeks, but its failure to execute in the final minute has cost them games. The Owls weren’t far from being 3-1, Keeler said.
Special teams coordinator Brian Ginn and head coach K.C. Keeler yells against Army on Sept. 25.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
This weekend, however, Temple can’t afford to leave any boxes unchecked.
“I can’t ask them to work any harder in practice, except the mental part of it,” Keeler said. “We better really look ourselves in the mirror and say, ‘Are we doing everything we can? Is it looking at your tip sheet? Is it watching an extra video?’ … Let’s really worry about those details.”
K.C. Keeler called Temple’s 21-17 loss to Army on Friday at Lincoln Financial Field a sign of growth. Six days after a collapse at Toledo that left him questioning his players’ preparation and the team’s culture, it was a striking judgment to make after another loss.
“I thought we grew up a little bit today, even though we lost the game,” Keeler, the Owls’ coach, said. “Last week was brutal — not only because of the loss, but because we panicked. This week was totally different with the preparation and the energy they brought into the game. They were excited to play.”
There is evidence for his view. Army entered averaging 394 rushing yards a game, and Temple held it to 279. After the Black Knights scored on their first possession, the Owls forced three consecutive punts. They answered Army’s long scoring drives with a 78-yard catch-and-run by Sam Brown and a 67-yard touchdown pass to Colin Chase. Those responses gave Keeler the evidence he wanted after Toledo.
Eric Stuart saw a difference from the field. Asked whether Temple’s defense was more cohesive than it had been a week earlier, the redshirt senior linebacker answered, “Yeah, 100%.”
The offense offered its own reasons for optimism.
With quarterback Jaxon Smolik sidelined by a foot injury, Ajani Sheppard threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 48 more yards, and committed no turnovers. Brown gained 96 yards on 10 carries in addition to his 78-yard reception.
Temple ran for 217 yards against an Army team accustomed to controlling games on the ground.
For all of that, the Owls scored 17 points. Their two touchdown plays accounted for 145 of their 459 yards. The other six possessions yielded one field goal. Temple had enough explosiveness to quickly erase deficits, but it struggled to turn sustained movement into points.
Three possessions got within Army’s 25 and ended empty. The first stopped on fourth-and-4 at the 23. On the other, holding and a false start against center Grayson Mains turned a second-and-10 at the Army 30 into second-and-25 at the 45.
Sheppard helped recover much of the lost ground, only for Carl Hardin’s 42-yard attempt to strike the upright. Later, an 88-yard march from Temple’s 1 produced a 29-yard field goal. The Owls reached the red zone only once all afternoon as their final drive stalled at the Black Knights’ 24.
“When we look at the film, we’re going to feel like we did a lot of good things, but they only give you so many opportunities,” Keeler said. “We needed to make one more play.”
Army made that problem especially costly. The Black Knights held the ball for just over 38 minutes, giving Temple eight possessions. Keeler said he avoided an early field-goal attempt because of the shifting wind, which is why the Owls went for fourth down on their first drive. Hardin’s miss changed what Temple needed at the end, yet the Owls still gained 8.8 yards per play and scored on only three drives.
Temple was more cohesive defensively, by Stuart’s account, and kept Army well below its rushing average. But the Black Knights still had 20 rushing first downs. Their three touchdown drives consumed more than 23 minutes, and Temple could not force a single pass on the go-ahead 12-play, 75-yard possession.
“You need to create negative plays against them because they’re excited when they get 3 yards,” Keeler said. “That’s what they want.”
Instead, Army converted third-and-2 and third-and-1 in the red zone on its winning drive. Keeler rejected the idea that his defense had been worn down, but Stuart described what changed at the line of scrimmage.
“I think we just kind of had a little lull,” Stuart said. “They got off the ball and fired off better than we did on that last drive. I think they just got some push.”
Army quarterback Cale Hellums (left) runs the ball as Temple’s Orel Gray defends during the first quarter. Hellums led the Black Knights on a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.Getty Images
That distinction matters to the question Keeler raised after Toledo.
A more cohesive defense can still lose a physical matchup. A composed offense can still waste the few possessions Army permits. Temple did not panic after falling behind or when Sheppard got the ball back with 1 minute, 41 seconds remaining. He moved the Owls to Army’s 24 before his fourth-down pass fell incomplete. The failure to finish was different from the collapse at Toledo, but it went into the standings the same way.
There are reasons to think the Owls can improve. Sheppard made enough plays to keep them competitive without Smolik.
Brown has supplied a jolt to the running game. And Keeler expects left tackle Giakoby Hill back in roughly three weeks. Yet the line remains unsettled: left guard Eric King has struggled to push off his injured foot, forcing more rotation than Keeler planned.
“I told our guys going into the season that we’re a dramatically better football team than last year in terms of our talent, but there are still going to be a lot of 50-50 games,” Keeler said. “That’s this conference.”
Temple has lost two of those games in six days. It heads to South Florida at 1-3 and 0-1 in the American and needs five wins in its final eight games to reach the six wins for bowl eligibility. Friday gave Keeler reasons to believe his team is better. The missed points and the final Army drive gave him areas to improve.
Temple lost its second straight game on Friday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Temple returned to Lincoln Financial Field on a short week following its collapse to Toledo last week. However, the Owls opened American Conference play with a 21-17 loss to Army on Friday.
The Black Knights scored on quarterback Cale Hellums’ 3-yard touchdown run with 1 minute, 41 seconds left to give his team the four-point lead and cap a 12-play drive.
The Owls tried to respond on their final drive, but a fourth-and-3 pass from quarterback Ajani Sheppard to Jayce Freeman fell incomplete at Army’s 23-yard line with 29 seconds remaining.
“They made one more play than we did,” Temple coach K.C. Keeler said. “I just thought the kids battled all day long, and even when [Army] scored there at the end, our guys battered a drive. We just had to make one more play, and we didn’t make that play.”
After receiving the opening kickoff, Temple (1-3, 0-1) secured two first downs on its first three plays. Running back Keveun Mason and wide receiver Colin Chase combined for 36 yards in that stretch before running back Sam Brown added a first down of his own.
The Owls’ drive stalled out after Army (2-1, 1-0) made a fourth-down stop on a Brown run.
The Black Knights took over on offense and used their option attack for moderate gains on the ground to move into Temple territory. Hellums and Samari Howard consistently exposed holes in Temple’s defensive line.
After Army entered the red zone, Hellums capped the 12-play drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to give the Black Knights a 7-0 lead.
Sam Brown (5) got Temple on the scoreboard with a 78-yard receiving touchdown.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
The Owls quickly tied the score. Sheppard connected on a play-action pass with Brown, who fled from the pack and scored a 78-yard touchdown to put Temple on the board.
“I think they had like two guys over top of Peter [Clarke], which left me open, and Ajani gave me a shot,” Brown said. “At that point, it was just beating the safety.”
On its next possession in the second quarter, Temple ended its series with a missed a 42-yard field goal from Carl Hardin with 8:20 left in the half. Over the next five drives between the two teams, neither team scored again before the halftime break.
Big gains
After halftime, Army found itself with a fourth-and-1 on its own 27-yard line, but a Hellums 2-yard rush extended the drive. That quick rush proved consequential for Temple.
Army used runs of 8 and 11 from Howard and Jake Rendina, respectively, to reach Temple’s 38-yard line. Its final three plays of the drive combined for 40 yards and a touchdown. Hellums capped off the series with a quarterback keeper, faking a handoff to burst to his right and score from 12 yards out to give Army a 14-7 lead.
In similar fashion to the first quarter, the Owls quickly responded. Sheppard found Chase deep on the fourth play of the drive for a 67-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 3:43 left in the third quarter.
“The corner was low so I knew Ajani was going to give me a shot,” Chase said. “So I kept my angle skinny, and fully over the defense and got the perfect ball.”
Colin Chase (1) scored a 67-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
After stalling Army’s next drive, Temple used a 47-yard Brown run and a 22-yard Ryder Kusch reception to reach field goal territory before the drive stalled. Hardin buried the kick to give Temple a 17-14 lead with 7:38 left in the game, which preceded Army’s late score.
Brown finished as the team’s leading rusher (10 carries, 96 yards) and receiver (78 yards), while Sheppard finished 11-of-20 for 212 yards and two touchdown passes. Hellums led Army with 104 yards on 22 carries.
Temple outgained Army on offense, 459-315.
Up next
Temple will hit the road to face South Florida next Saturday (7:30 p.m., ESPNU).
Temple released its men’s and women’s basketball nonconference schedules on Wednesday.
The women’s team opens its 13-game slate at George Mason on Nov. 2, while the men will play 10 of their 14 nonconference games in Philadelphia. Both will host Villanova on Dec. 1.
Here’s a look at the rest of the games.
Women’s schedule
After it’s nonconference opener on Nov. 2, the women’s team returns to the Liacouras Center to host Navy on Nov. 7. George Mason is one of Temple’s three opponents that reached last season’s NCAA Tournament. Temple will also host Ball State on Nov. 24 and face Sweet 16 participant Ole Miss at the West Palm Beach Classic on Dec. 20.
Temple shares a Big 5 pod with La Salle and Villanova. The Owls visit the Explorers on Nov. 11 and host the Wildcats on Dec. 1. Those results will determine whether Temple plays for first, third or fifth place in the Dec. 6 tripleheader at the Palestra. The women’s Big 5 Classic will be held there for the first time during the arena’s 100th anniversary season.
Between its Big 5 games, Temple will visit George Washington on Nov. 17 and host Georgetown on Nov. 22 before facing Ball State two days later. The Georgetown and Ball State matchups give the Owls two home games in three days before they meet with Villanova.
After the Big 5 Classic, Temple hosts Binghamton on Dec. 8, visits St. John’s on Dec. 13 and welcomes Cheyney on Dec. 17. The Owls finish in West Palm Beach, Fla., facing Ole Miss on Dec. 20 and North Dakota State the following day.
Men’s schedule
Six of Temple’s games in Philadelphia are at the Liacouras Center, two are at the Palestra, one is at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and one is on the road at La Salle. Temple opens against Central Connecticut State on Nov. 2 before facing Richmond at the Palestra on Nov. 8 as part of the arena’s 100th anniversary season.
The Owls host Charleston on Nov. 11 and visit La Salle on Nov. 15 for their first Big 5 game. Their first trip outside Philadelphia comes five days later, when they open the three-game Paradise Jam against Middle Tennessee in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Temple will play either Indiana State or Stephen F. Austin next, with its final opponent determined by the tournament results.
Temple returns to the Liacouras Center to face Villanova on Dec. 1. It will be the Wildcats’ first visit to North Broad Street since the 2022-23 season, when the Owls beat Villanova, 68-64. On Dec. 5, Temple will face Drexel, Penn or St. Joe’s in the Big 5 Classic at Xfinity Mobile Arena, depending on the pod results.
The Owls host Cheyney on Dec. 9, bringing together two programs once led by the late John Chaney. He won the 1978 NCAA Division II championship at Cheyney before taking over Temple in 1982. Temple then faces former Atlantic 10 rival St. Bonaventure at the Palestra on Dec. 12, the programs’ first meeting since 2013.
The final home games are against Dartmouth on Dec. 16 and Wright State on Dec. 19. Dartmouth has not faced Temple since the Owls beat Big Green in the 1958 NCAA Tournament on their way to the Final Four. Wright State won the Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles last season. Temple closes its nonconference schedule at Princeton on Dec. 22.
Game times, along with the full American Conference schedules, have yet to be announced.
Ajani Sheppard is taking all of Temple’s first-team quarterback reps ahead of Friday’s game against Army, and coach K.C. Keeler isn’t planning on rotating quarterbacks.
The decision comes as the Owls face a short week to prepare for Army’s triple-option offense and correct the missed assignments that contributed to their late collapse at Toledo.
Sheppard replaced Jaxon Smolik after Temple’s opening possession in Saturday’s 49-48 overtime loss to Toledo and led three consecutive touchdown drives. Smolik, who left the game with a foot injury, moved around at Monday’s practice, but Keeler said he hopes the quarterback could do more Tuesday.
“Our mindset right now is to get Ajani ready to go,” Keeler said. “He’s getting all the first-team reps. Let’s get Jaxon back as soon as possible, and then we’ll figure it out.”
Sheppard’s next test
Sheppard passed for 164 yards and three touchdowns against Toledo, and added a score on the ground. But his two-point conversion pass in overtime sailed out of bounds, beyond Peter Clarke’s reach, and sealed the Owls’ loss.
Keeler said Sheppard needed to give the 6-foot-6 tight end a chance to make the catch. He also noted both quarterbacks will improve with game experience.
Colin Chase praised Sheppard’s performance. “He had that fire,” the receiver said Monday. “He went hard for the team every single play.”
Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard threw three touchdowns against Toledo.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Sheppard will have a healthier backfield around him Friday. Sam Brown scored three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving — in his season debut at Toledo after missing Temple’s first two games. Keeler said Brown grew more patient and explosive as the game went on, and Sheppard’s running ability gives defenses another threat to account for.
“The run game is going to be important for us the rest of the season,” Keeler said. “It gives our defense a chance to get off the field, catch its breath, and regroup.”
Preparing for Army
Temple has little time to process its second loss of the season. Keeler said the Owls began preparing for Army’s triple-option in the spring because they knew the game would come on a short week after a road trip. Army is coming off a bye week.
“We couldn’t be installing how they run their motion or block a scheme then,” Keeler said of Sunday’s walkthrough. “That stuff had to be in before Sunday’s walkthrough.”
Chase said Temple’s offense may have fewer chances with the ball against Army than it had at Toledo, so sustaining drives will be important.
“We just got to make the most of every opportunity when we have the ball,” Chase said.
Getting back to assignments
Temple’s defense faces a different test after allowing Toledo to erase a 14-point deficit late in regulation. Linebacker Eric Stuart said the problems went beyond the final minutes.
“You’ve got 10 guys doing something one way, and then you’ve got somebody doing something a different way — it’s not going to work,” Stuart said. “Everybody’s got to be on the same page.
“Army is a very physical team. We’re very physical up front, so I think we match up there. But mentally, knowing our assignments is probably our biggest thing this week.”
Keeler said Monday’s practice offered an encouraging response.
Temple linebacker Eric Stuart said “assignments is probably our biggest thing this week.” Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
“[Stuart] and [Curly Ordonez] were coaching the backup linebackers, helping them with their alignments and how to handle the motion,” he said. “They were getting mental reps themselves, reinforcing it for the other players, and bringing energy to practice.
“It was encouraging to see the kids bounce back and understand that every snap and every detail matters.”
TOLEDO, Ohio — Temple’s 14-point fourth-quarter lead had disappeared. Its first road game had stretched into overtime. Yet after Ajani Sheppard escaped a sack and ran 25 yards for a touchdown, the Owls stood one play from taking it all back.
K.C. Keeler kept the offense on the field for a two-point conversion that would decide the game. Sheppard’s pass sailed over Peter Clarke in the back corner of the end zone, allowing Toledo (2-1) to complete a 49-48 comeback victory over Temple (1-2) Saturday at the Glass Bowl.
The failed conversion capped a reversal that began after Sam Brown’s third touchdown gave Temple a 42-28 lead with 6 minutes, 43 seconds remaining. Toledo scored, recovered the ensuing onside kick, and scored again to force overtime, where Connor Walendzak’s touchdown left the Owls chasing the game once more.
Keeler entered the week expecting Jaxon Smolik to direct most of Temple’s offense, with Sheppard appearing when his mobility suited a particular package. That plan lasted one possession.
Smolik opened the game with a three-and-out. Sheppard entered after Jaylon Joseph forced a fumble on Toledo’s first offensive snap, although Temple failed to gain a first down and settled for Carl Hardin’s 40-yard field goal. Smolik later went to the locker room and eventually returned to the sideline, but Sheppard remained behind center.
Temple’s Jaxon Smolik missed a portion of Saturday’s game after suffering an apparent leg injury. Matt Slocum
“Jaxon went out with a foot issue,” Keeler said. “By the time he was ready to come back in, we were in the throes of things. We put a lot of points on the board with Ajani, and he did a good job.”
Sheppard rewarded that decision by throwing touchdown passes to Joey Schlaffer and Brown before delivering his most emphatic response. His fourth-quarter fumble gave Toledo possession at Temple’s 32-yard line and led to Walendzak’s touchdown reception, which put the Rockets ahead, 28-27. On Temple’s next possession, Sheppard answered with a 69-yard touchdown pass to Colin Chase and a two-point conversion to Clarke.
The rotation was over. For better and, ultimately, for worse, Temple’s offense belonged to Sheppard.
Sam Brown: A monster of the Midwest
Brown did not ease into his Temple debut. His first two carries gained 15 yards, immediately giving the Owls another powerful option alongside Keveun Mason. His receiving ability also provided Sheppard with an outlet when Toledo crowded the line of scrimmage.
Brown scored once as a runner and once as a receiver before halftime, but his biggest contribution came with Temple protecting a seven-point lead. He broke through Toledo’s defense for 50 yards, carrying the Owls to the Rockets’ 15-yard line, then finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. His third score appeared to put Toledo on the brink.
Instead, the Rockets erased the deficit before regulation expired.
After Brown’s third touchdown, Temple needed to protect a 14-point lead for 6:43. Instead, Toledo attacked the weakness the Owls had spent much of the afternoon surviving.
John Alan Richter found CJ Miller in the flat for a touchdown, and Toledo recovered the ensuing onside kick. A completion to Terrel Crosby moved the Rockets to Temple’s 22-yard line before Richter connected with Daryl Barnett Jr. for the tying score. Given 50 seconds to answer, Temple had a potential 50-yard completion to Chase ruled out of bounds before Sheppard was sacked as regulation expired.
Temple’s Saboor Karriem, seen here in a game earlier this season, and the Owls, saw a lead slip away against Toledo on Saturday. Matt Slocum
Toledo then needed two plays to score in overtime, with Walendzak following Sam Lee’s gain to the 1-yard line with a touchdown run.
“We definitely didn’t play very clean defensively,” Keeler said. “There is some improvement that needs to be made on the defense. We can’t let up that many points.”
Temple forced Toledo to punt for the first and only time with 10:41 remaining. The Owls never stopped the Rockets again.
After Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht’s pass whizzed past Andrew Rappleyea’s head and incomplete on fourth and goal from Temple’s 2-yard-line in the first quarter last Saturday, Owls safety Saboor Karriem pointed at the Nittany Lions tight end and gave him a piece of his mind on the way back to the sideline.
Temple’s defense withstood a turnover deep in its own territory and forced a goal-line stand, adding yet another highlight to a strong start for a unit that ranked toward the bottom of Football Subdivision in points allowed, rushing yards, and total defense last season.
Karriem, one of Temple’s single-digit players, awarded to the team’s toughest players on and off the field, is one of several new faces helping the Owls’ defense look much improved in Year 2 under coordinator Brian L. Smith. And it starts with Karriem’s energy on the field.
“I like the mentality that we play with,” said Karriem, an Illinois transfer who grew up in North Jersey. “It’s different than what I had played [in] previously. I had played a lot more zone coverage, eyes on the quarterback when they drop back, catch and rally type of defense. But we [at Temple] are more aggressive in our mindset.
“I really get more excited if my teammates make plays, but at the same time, energy is contagious. Guys feed off that, and when we make plays, we celebrate, but we got to focus. And I think that’s something that I tried to preach to them.”
Temple’s Saboor Karriem against Penn State on Saturday.Matt Slocum
Though the Owls could not keep pace with Penn State in the second half last weekend, Temple has another tough test, this time a road matchup against Toledo on Saturday (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
With the quarterback battle continuing for another week, the defense will be relied on for another strong showing and is tasked with slowing down a Toledo offense that is averaging 41.5 points through two games.
And it starts with a mentality Smith has instilled in the unit since he joined K.C. Keeler’s staff 20 months ago.
“Our mantra is FPC: We want to play fast, physical, and clean, and not beat ourselves,” Smith said this week. “We want to eliminate the mental errors and try to prevent the big plays, but also get after the quarterback, stop the run, and create turnovers. And the guys are bought in to that philosophy.
“We’re playing a lot of guys. We’re rotating a lot of guys in, and trying to keep guys fresh in the fourth quarter. The guys have done a good job buying in to the system.”
Simplifying the defense
Smith, a Wilmington native whose father taught in Chester, brought his NFL roots to the college level, first at Michigan from 2015-16, then at Rice for seven years before joining the Owls. His time in the New York Jets organization from 2007 to 2014 in various roles primarily under Rex Ryan, he said, helped shape his defensive philosophy.
He also credits Don Brown, for whom he worked at Massachusetts, his alma mater, and Michigan, for developing a defensive system that he calls “multiple.”
Temple defensive coordinator Brian L. Smith at practice in 2025.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
“We’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to attack as much as possible,” Smith said. “We can pressure blitz up front. We can have movement stunts up front, and again changing up the looks. … [We’re] trying to attack and be aggressive. We want to stop the run, try to make a team one-dimensional, and get them in the passing situations. And then on third down, we’re going to do multiple [things] and try to get after the quarterback.
“[During] my time at Michigan and UMass, Don Brown … played a lot more man-to-man, so we adopted a little bit of that philosophy. We don’t play probably as much man in hand as he played, but we try to mix it in.”
Last season, in his first year at Temple, Smith’s unit ranked 91st in total defense (396.8), 100th in points allowed (29.7), and 123rd in rushing yards allowed (197.3), but that rushing total was still down from the Owls’ 226.1 yards per game allowed in 2024.
Through two games this year, Temple has improved in each category. It ranks 65th in points allowed (20.5), 76th in rushing yards allowed (122.5), and 86th in total defense (354 yards).
Smith points to one key change he and his staff made this offseason.
Quarterback Rocco Becht and Penn State beat Temple, 27-9, on Saturday.Matt Slocum
“I think we simplified things this year for the players as much as possible,” Smith said. “That’s something that we do every year. You go back and evaluate what things work, what things didn’t work, and just with the players that we have, the amount of players that we’ve gotten from the transfer portal. … You’re better off trying to simplify things rather than trying to add a lot more because we’ve got the talent to play with a lot of people, and so we don’t want to beat ourselves.”
‘Grittiness’
One of the few returning contributors to the defense is Curly Ordonez, who transferred to Temple before the 2025 season from Independence Community College. The linebacker, who leads the team with 20 tackles, has noticed fewer miscommunications with the unit this season.
The reason? Ordonez said the defense made key strides in the spring and at captain’s practices this summer that is now showing up on the field.
“We switched up a couple things [on defense], but really new guys coming into the new system, and actually get all those mistakes out, the misunderstandings, and really understand [the system] throughout the spring,” Ordonez said. “We just came out of [the] summer, and it was like, ‘Oh, everybody playing fast.’ … then we just continued to build from there. Summer was a great [starting] point where we just knew what our defense was [at] and we just had to show it.”
Temple’s defensive improvement starts with the front four on the defensive line, Ordonez said. His reads from his linebacker spot have been cleaned up because “those guys up front are dominating, eating up two [blockers], taking on blocks.”
On Saturday, it’ll be a homecoming for one of those defensive tackles. Kevin Hornbeak Jr. is a Toledo native who transferred to Temple from Division II Tiffin. One of his first varsity games at Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, was at the Glass Bowl, and several family members will be in attendance, Hornbeak said.
Rocco Becht looks to pass against Temple on Saturday.Matt Slocum
Like Ordonez, Hornbeak said he appreciates Smith’s approach to “attacking the offense.”
“I love the four down [front alignment]. Love how much we blitz. It’s [an] amazing defense,” said Hornbeak, who had a sack in Temple’s season-opening win over Rhode Island. “When you got a coach that believes in you and wanting us to go attack the offense, you can’t ask for nothing better.”
While Smith acknowledges there is still a long way to go the rest of the season, he’s pleased with how his defense has “handled adversity well,” and agreed with Keeler’s sentiment earlier this week of the defense having a “more talented group.”
The defense is playing with more confidence and an edge compared to last season. The defensive coordinator credits the “tough-minded” makeup of Temple’s players, especially on defense for the improvement year over year. They’ll need it to carry over once American Conference play opens up in a few weeks in the program’s quest for bowl eligibility for the first time in seven seasons.
“This is home for me,” Smith said. “We got a different group of kids here. It was a lot of Texas kids and West Coast kids that I had at Rice. Here, we’re a little more gritty … [with players from] Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland. So I love the grittiness that our team has.”
Added Karriem: “I was in just a different mental space being away for so long, and coming home and just allowed me to enjoy the game again. … I don’t feel like I’m coming to work every day. I know I’m going to work, but I’m having fun at work.”
Two weeks into the college football season, Temple has learned little about itself.
But Saturday’s matchup (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network) at Toledo serves as an opportunity to build off what worked in Temple’s season-opening win against Rhode Island and what didn’t in its Week 2 loss to No. 14 Penn State.
Here’s what this game could reveal for the Owls.
Temperature check
The Owls (1-1) split their first two games in expected fashion.
Temple dismantled an established FCS program, 38-14, before falling to a Big Ten powerhouse, 27-9. Given the competition, neither result revealed much new information about the Owls.
But this weekend, Temple will finally receive a temperature check.
Toledo stands where Temple is building toward. The Rockets made a bowl game for the last five years and haven’t won less than eight games in a season during that stretch.
The Owls will face a big challenge against a well-rounded Rockets roster, but it should be the season’s first competitive game.
“[Toledo’s quarterback is] athletic, he has a strong arm,” said head coach K.C. Keeler after practice Monday. “Their wideouts are really talented. … Their defense is really impressive and I think their quarterback is getting more confidence as time goes on.”
Toledo did most of its damage through the air in its first two games. In a 30-20 loss to Michigan State, Toledo gained 196 of its 273 total yards in the passing game. Wide receiver Adjatay Dabbs finished with 101 yards and was a key factor in the Rockets’ near-upset over the Spartans (Toledo led 20-19 in the fourth quarter).
Video: Sights and sounds from Temple vs. Penn State at the Linc
In Toledo’s 63-10 win over Central Connecticut State, John Alan Richter tallied 252 passing yards and three touchdowns. One of several highlights included wide receiver Rico Bond’s 85-yard touchdown.
Temple guard Eric King and tackle Kevin Terry are expected to return, as well as running back Sam Brown for his season debut.
Quarterbacks working together
The seemingly never-ending question regarding who is Temple’s starting quarterback is getting closer to an answer. Though, it’s still not clear.
Jaxon Smolik was the starter against the Nittany Lions, but Ajani Sheppard scored Temple’s only touchdown.
Keeler still expects to mix playing time between the signal callers in Week 3. CBS Sports analyst and former Rice University quarterback Taylor McHargue, who will be commentating the game on Saturday, says both Smolik and Sheppard have shown promise.
Temple assistant coach Tyler Walker talks to quarterback Ajani Sheppard during Saturday’s game against Penn State.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
“You probably have a role for both of them all season,” McHargue said. “For Sheppard especially, you’re seeing his ability in the red zone where he comes in and he’s very comfortable. … Against Toledo, I’d be very surprised if we just saw one or the other.”
Keeler made it clear that Penn State would be an outlier for Temple. When Smolik threw an interception in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions excelled in crowding his receivers and picked off a good pass.
Smolik will still be handling the majority of the snaps, but the second-year coach envisions specific packages where Sheppard will be under center on Saturday.
“It’ll be very similar to what you saw this week,” Keeler said. “It depends on where we are on the field. Then maybe we’ll lend it more to getting Ajani on the field more. . … It’s going to be more situational than anything else.”
