Two games into the season, Temple’s identity is beginning to take shape.
The Owls’ defense kept No. 14 Penn State within reach, but Temple managed just nine points in an 18-point loss while continuing to split quarterback duties between Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard.
With several offensive players nearing returns and the defense’s emergence, here are three takeaways from Monday’s practice as the team prepares for a nonconference road matchup against Toledo on Saturday (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
K.C. Keeler has not formally declared a winner of Temple’s quarterback competition, but the division of responsibilities between Smolik and Sheppard is becoming clearer.
Smolik started against Penn State and completed 10 of 16 passes for 59 yards with an interception, while adding 71 rushing yards. Sheppard completed 3 of 6 passes for 48 yards and scored Temple’s only touchdown on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Keeler expects the arrangement to remain the same against Toledo, with Smolik directing most of the offense and Sheppard entering when his mobility fits a situation.
Ajani Sheppard (13) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a Temple’s only touchdown on Saturday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
“I still think we feel we have two quarterbacks who can win in this league,” Keeler said, referring to the American Conference. “It just depends on how we’re going to deploy them.”
Sheppard could receive more snaps this weekend, particularly when his running ability could force Toledo’s defense to crowd the line of scrimmage. Keeler also wants the Owls to counter that expectation by allowing Sheppard to attack favorable matchups through the air.
Smolik remained first in Temple’s quarterback order during Monday’s practice. Keeler defended his performance against Penn State, noting that the Nittany Lions’ tight coverage and pressure against a depleted offensive line limited passing opportunities.
“It’s tough to play quarterback when your receivers aren’t open,” Keeler said. “I thought he did a good job managing the offense, pulling the ball down and making plays when he had to.”
Offense awaits reinforcements
Temple rushed for 176 yards against Penn State, but an inability to turn that production into points underscored how much the offense missed its injured starters.
Video: Sights and sounds from Temple vs. Penn State at the Linc
Running back Sam Brown practiced in full pads Monday after missing the Owls’ first two games. Keeler said Brown could have played against Penn State if it were Temple’s final game of the season, but he did not clear the training staff’s return-to-play protocols.
Keveun Mason will continue receiving most of the work while Brown, who is expected to return vs. Toledo, eases into the rotation. Mason rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries against Penn State.
“We’re hoping a healthy Sam Brown, along with what Keveun can do, gives you a great one-two punch with your run game,” Keeler said. “We definitely want to get him involved, but we’re going to be smart enough not to give him 30 carries.”
Mason said he is prepared for any distribution of the carries and believes the running backs bring different elements to the offense.
The offensive line may also receive reinforcements. Keeler expects guard Eric King and tackle Kevin Terry to be available, although their workloads will depend on their progress this week.
Defense setting the standard
Temple’s defense demonstrated its resilience in its Week 2 loss. After Smolik’s first-quarter interception set up Penn State at Temple’s 5-yard line, the Owls made a goal-line stop four plays later.
Temple also held Penn State scoreless in the first quarter and allowed just 10 first-half points before the Nittany Lions pulled away. In the season opener, the Owls forced three turnovers and returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Rhode Island.
Temple linebacker Eric Stuart (left) pushes back Penn State tight end Andrew Rappleyea during Saturday’s game.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
“They’ve improved so much from a year ago,” Keeler said. “It’s dramatic. Part of it is that I think we’re putting our kids in a little bit better position to be successful. The other thing is we’re more talented.”
Defensive tackle Kevin Hornbeak Jr. credited the unit’s progress to a deep rotation that has kept the defensive line fresh through two games.
“All of our group is one,” Hornbeak said. “Anybody can get thrown out there. I’ve got all the faith in our room.”
At halftime Saturday, Temple honored the standard it has spent nearly a decade trying to reclaim.
Members of Temple’s 2016 conference championship team returned to Lincoln Financial Field during the Owls’ 27-9 loss to Penn State and gathered in an end zone for a halftime recognition.
The reunion celebrated the defining accomplishment of Temple’s modern era while recalling the toughness, resilience, and brotherhood that transformed an uneven start into a conference title.
Nearly a decade later, those qualities offer a blueprint for a program that is attempting to recapture its former success in its second season under coach K.C. Keeler.
Former Temple quarterback P.J. Walker says it’s a thrill to be honored for the successes during his time with the program.
“It means everything [being recognized],” said P.J. Walker, quarterback of the 2016 team. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the guys to get back and understand the value of the success we had while we were there playing and the appreciation we received.”
Temple entered 2016 carrying expectations created by the previous season, when the Owls started 7-0, defeated Penn State, 27-10, at Lincoln Financial Field, and reached the conference championship game. Their return trip did not follow the same path.
The Owls opened with a loss to Army and fell to 3-3 after losing at Memphis. With their hopes of an undefeated season gone, Walker said the team narrowed its focus to the goal still within reach.
“We were finally able to settle in and focus on what was important, and that was winning the conference,” Walker said. “One thing led to another and led to us being able to play in the conference championship and win it.”
Temple did not lose again during the regular season. The Owls won their final six conference games before defeating then-No. 20 Navy, 34-10, in Annapolis, Md., to complete a seven-game winning streak and capture the championship of the American Athletic Conference (now the American Conference) .
The turnaround was rooted in lessons learned before 2016. Walker arrived during coach Matt Rhule’s first season in 2013, when Temple finished 2-10, and developed alongside players who eventually formed the core of consecutive 10-win teams.
“We were battle-tested,” Walker said. “The resiliency we showed day in and day out — we were pushed by Matt Rhule at a high level. When I say pushed, we were pushed, and we respected that. We knew the work we put in was a lot, and we weren’t going to let that work not pay off when it came to Saturday.”
That standard had become embedded within the locker room by 2015. Former Temple offensive lineman Kyle Friend and defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, leaders on the team that preceded the championship group, said players became responsible for maintaining it.
Players from Temple’s 2016 championship team say that the standard created by former Owls coach Matt Rhule (pictured) was at an all-time high.
“We pushed each other to the point where the coaches didn’t need to push us,” Ioannidis said. “We were harder on ourselves than the coaches could have been on us. We held each other accountable, and we stuck together in the tough games.”
Saturday illustrated the distance Temple still must travel and the possibility of beginning that climb. The Owls entered as considerable underdogs against Penn State but kept the game competitive throughout the first half before the Nittany Lions pulled away after halftime.
The loss on Saturday dropped Temple to 1-1, but its ability to remain within striking distance of a ranked team offered a glimpse of the toughness its predecessors considered essential.
However, doing so has become more complicated in a college football landscape reshaped by the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness compensation. Friend and Ioannidis were developed from lightly recruited prospects into NFL players, a path that defined Rhule’s Temple teams but has become increasingly difficult for subsequent Owls teams to replicate.
“It’s exciting to have a new coach who has a good track record,” Friend said. “I think it’s an interesting dynamic with NIL. That has changed the game drastically.”
Former Temple players believe that, like Rhule, Owls’ current head coach, K.C. Keeler, has the tools to bring success back to the program.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
For Walker, however, the foundation of Temple’s success was not dependent upon the era.
“I think the brotherhood meant more than anything,” Walker said. “The way we went out there and fought for one another and battled for one another made a huge difference during those 2015 and 2016 seasons.”
Walker believes Keeler can restore that culture by recruiting players willing to compete for opportunities and commit to one another. And, while the former Owls returned Saturday to celebrate their own achievement, Walker said their role now is to support the players attempting to create the program’s next successful era.
“I think Coach Keeler is a great coach,” Walker said. “I think he’s the right coach for this program. To see those guys continue building that legacy and building who they are as a unit — it’s awesome to see. I think they are doing it the right way.”
Penn State walked into Lincoln Financial Field for the first time in over a decade as heavy favorites over Temple and left having satisfied expectations in a 27-9 win on Saturday.
While the Owls scored first and continued to run stride-for-stride with No. 16 Penn State, they came back to earth in the second half. They faltered under Penn State’s Big Ten pressure and lost to a ranked opponent for the 13th straight time.
“All in all, I thought our kids battled all day long against a good team,” Temple coach K.C. Keeler said. “I told them it was more about us playing clean than anything else, and we didn’t play clean enough.”
On the first play from scrimmage, Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht went long to Koby Howard for 56 yards, good for the team’s longest pass this season. Suddenly, the Nittany Lions stood 9 yards away from six points.
After a Carson Hansen rush brought the visitors 4 yards closer, Penn State was flagged for an illegal forward pass. On third-and-9, Becht was sacked for a loss of 6 yards. Penn State then missed a 33-yard field goal attempt.
Temple quarterback Jaxon Smolik (14) runs the ball during the second quarter.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
After a three-and-out, the Owls’ second possession ended when Tony Rojas picked off Jaxon Smolik and returned it 13 yards to Temple’s 5-yard line. The Nittany Lions were in prime position, but they gained just 2 yards before Becht decided to throw on fourth-and-goal. The Owls closed all windows and forced an incomplete pass at their front door.
“We almost knew every play they ran and kind of knew what was coming,” Temple linebacker Curly Ordonez said.
The scariest close call came at the start of the second quarter. Becht launched a rocket to Chase Sowell in front of the end zone. Temple cornerback Adrian Laing broke up the pass, and Penn State settled for a 31-yard field goal.
But the pressure in the red zone dwindled as the second quarter rolled around.
Becht settles in
Becht completed just one of three passes in the opening quarter — that 56-yarder in the first minute. The Nittany Lions largely kept the ball in Hansen’s hands for their 11 first-quarter plays on offense.
But Becht, the Iowa State transfer, looked more comfortable in the next 15 minutes, and it translated to the score sheet.
With the game tied, 3-3, Penn State began its final drive of the first half at its own 17-yard line with 1 minute, 57 seconds remaining. Becht completed four straight passes as the Nittany Lions marched to Temple’s 44. After a 12-yard rush by James Peoples, Becht took back over and connected with Benjamin Brahmer from 23 yards out to take a 10-7 lead.
The drive lasted 1:49, so Temple didn’t have much time to respond, and Penn State scored all 27 of its points unanswered. Backed by a cagey offensive line, Becht looked calm and comfortable in the pocket and finished 268 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing. Brahmer, a senior tight end, was Penn State’s leading receiver with five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht finished with 268 passing yards.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Jaxon Smolik takes the reins
In last week’s 38-14 win over Rhode Island, Smolik and Ajani Sheppard split reps, and neither created much separation in coach Keeler’s eyes in the battle for the starting role.
But on Saturday, Keeler went to Smolik to start and stayed there. While Temple went three-and-out on its first drive, Smolik connected regularly on short passes once he settled in. He tallied 59 yards on 10-16 passing.
Against Rhode Island, Sheppard held a clear edge on the ground, but Smolik flipped that on Saturday. He managed to create positive plays on scrambles and squeak past linebackers for 71 rushing yards on seven carries.
Temple even ran a bootleg play for him, which he executed perfectly. After faking a handoff to Hunter Smith, Smolik burst to his left for 47 yards while most eyes followed his partner.
Sheppard took the field with Temple down, 27-3, and 7:48 left. He made the most of his time and scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 1:56 left.
But to Keeler, the competition is ongoing.
“Probably midway through we decided to give Jaxon the ball for the snaps, and Ajani was going to be more of a package guy,” Keeler said. “We’ll evaluate the tape.”
Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard scored the Owls’ lone touchdown on Saturday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Up next
Temple hits the road for the first time this season to face Toledo on Sept. 19 (3 p.m., CBSSN).
“We are” chants rang throughout Lincoln Financial Field, replacing the Eagles’ chants that would take over in less than 24 hours, and the stadium that typically would be engulfed in midnight green was temporarily blanketed in white as No. 16 Penn State made the trip to Philadelphia to face Temple.
Saturday’s game was the first time the teams faced off in a decade, renewing a 95-year-old rivalry. In their last meeting in 2016, the Owls lost by seven at Beaver Stadium.
This time around, Temple suffered a similar fate — losing, 27-9, as Penn State improved its all-time record against the Owls to 41-4-1.
From a Penn State takeover to a Meek Mill appearance, here’s everything you might’ve missed on Saturday at the Linc:
Meek Mill leads Temple out of the tunnel
The familiar sounds of Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” track was heard throughout the Linc as Temple made its way onto the field. From the Jumbotron, fans could see the Philadelphia rapper front and center, leading the Owls out of the tunnel as red smoke and pyrotechnics covered one side of the field.
This came just a few days after the North Philly native partnered with the university to welcome high school seniors and Temple students to the Dream Chasers Summit, at the Liacouras Center.
Although the record against the Owls leans heavily in Penn State’s favor, Temple did shock the world in 2015 — the teams’ last matchup at the Linc. Temple’s defense dominated a game in which Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked 10 times.
The Owls entered that game as a seven-point underdog and beat the Nittany Lions, 27-10, in front of a crowd of mostly blue and white. Temple alumnus Ron Fries attended the game, and after the upset, Fries, 55, knew he had to become a season-ticket holder.
Temple players celebrate the last time they beat Penn State, a 27-10 victory in 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field.DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer
“I went to that game and a couple other games that year, but being at that game and just the energy — the Penn State energy left and the Temple energy that was there, which was outnumbered a lot,” Fries said. “But the folks that stayed, it was tremendous, and that’s why I became a season-ticket holder.”
An upset wasn’t in the cards this time around, but a lot of fans were optimistic beforehand.
”I’m hopeful that they’re able to produce something positive,” Fries said. “I would be ecstatic if they won like they did 11 years ago, but if they don’t, I just want to see something positive come out of them against a big program like Penn State.”
Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas (left) reacts after a first-quarter interception against Temple on Saturday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Beaver Stadium East
Like the Penn State-Temple game in 2015, Temple fans were outnumbered at home.
”It looks like it’s been a pretty big whiteout here in the parking lots,” Penn State alum Joe McGoldrick, 26, said before the game.
Penn State flags were plentiful at tailgates in the sports complex parking lots, and fans in blue and white jerseys were out in droves through Lots D to M as students from State College were being bussed in. Shrines to the Nittany Lion could be seen at every turn — including at “Ernie’s Tailgate,” a tradition dating to 1977, when Tim Ernst was a freshman at Penn State.
Ernst, who graduated in 1981 and got his master’s in 1993, started the tradition from his dorm room. Since then, he said he’s attended every Penn State home game, and he isn’t thinking of stopping anytime soon.
“We’re excited for the new coach; we’re excited for our new team,” Ernst said. “Rocco Becht, our quarterback, we’re very excited to have him on board. College football is challenging with all the transfers taking place and all that, but we’re going to have a very good year this year.
“I think we’re going to make the playoffs, and we’ll see where it goes from there. And I don’t want to say any bad words about [James] Franklin but it was time to make a change. [Penn State coach Matt] Campbell has been saying all the right things. He believes in the [Joe] Paterno way where education is important, making these young boys into men is important. And that’s what Joe Paterno always emphasized.”
The Penn State takeover continued inside the stadium, as thousands of fans traveled to see Campbell improve his record to 2-0 as Penn State’s coach after a 45-0 win over Marshall in Week 1.
”Penn State isn’t coached by James Franklin anymore, thank God,” McGoldrick said. “I was there at the game last week, they looked very good against Marshall. I think they’re just going to do the same thing they did last week. I think they’ll have a home-crowd environment. So, that’ll help too.”
A neighborhood rivalry
As the ocean of blue and white jerseys swarmed the tailgating lots, one Temple fan, Michael Kiedaisch, wasn’t worried.
“The sea of red is on the way,” Kiedaisch said.
Kiedaisch, whose 18-year-old son, Brian, attends Temple, made the trip down from Newtown, Bucks County, with his family to watch the game and cheer on the Owls — but there was one issue. Kiedaisch’s neighbor, Art Krysko, also made the trip. And his family — including his 19-year-old daughter, Madelyn, and 21-year-old son, Joey, who attend Penn State — were cheering for the rival team.
“We had kids,” Krysko said. “And they went to different schools. And we’re a little [ticked] about it.”
Temple Owls quarterback Jaxon Smolik (14) runs upfield during the second quarter in Saturday’s game against Penn State at the Linc. Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
The competition between the two started as soon as they left their neighborhood.
“When we left the neighborhood, he blew the stop sign and tried to lose me on the drive down because I’m supporting Temple and he’s supporting Penn State,” Kiedaisch said. “So that’s how the day started. But we’re set up and ready to go now.”
However, if Penn State took an early lead, Michael’s brother, Carl Kiedaisch, had a backup plan.
“We have Penn State shirts at halftime to put on in case it gets ugly,” Carl said.
Penn State led, 10-3, at halftime but vibes still were high on the main concourse for Temple fans as the band performed near the student section. Fans bobbed their heads, talked to friends, and cheered along as they prepared for the second half.
And as soon as the third quarter started, “[Expletive] Penn State,” chants erupted from the crowd.
The band put on a show at halftime.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
However, it was short-lived after Penn State scored another touchdown, putting them up, 17-3. From then on, Penn State ran away with the 27-9 win — leaving many Nittany Lions fans happy.
“I thought the stat line was pretty good all around,” said 22-year-old Penn State alumnus Colin Crissey. “It didn’t look pretty on the field, necessarily, but the numbers don’t lie, and they look pretty good. I thought Penn State somewhat sleepwalked in the first half. I don’t know if that’s the travel. I don’t know if that’s your first away game with a new coach or whatnot. Scoring right there at the end of the half really changed the mood.”
Meanwhile, Temple fans started to leave the stadium in the third quarter — leaving the student section fairly empty by the end of the game.
Reggie Jones played college football for three seasons.
But he didn’t actually play.
He was on Temple’s scout team, where his role was to help the guys who did play prepare each week for Saturday. He practiced all week and then watched the games last season from his apartment near campus.
Finally, he had enough.
Jones told his parents and girlfriend following last season that he was quitting. He let some teammates know. That was it.
“I would come home so sad because I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself,” Jones said. “Then one day, I was scrolling on TikTok, and I came across this walk-on basketball player named Brandon Dwyer from Florida Gulf Coast.”
Video: K.C. Keeler on where Temple football is headed in the future
Dwyer had gone viral on social media for documenting his life as a walk-on as he created a series of videos titled “The Road to One Point.” He made his first basket last November, just as Jones was deciding he was through being a walk-on. And the video inspired Jones to keep going.
“For a month straight, I would go to his page every day and just watch his videos,” Jones said. His story was exactly like mine. He was always a bench rider. He was about to quit, too. Watching these, I got the love back for football.”
Temple linebacker Reggie Jones says his persistence to stay with the Owls program was watching TikToks from a Florida-based basketball player going through a similar situation.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Jones stayed with the football team and started to document his “Road to One Tackle.” His first video in January picked up thousands of views, and his followers grew. He was on to something. But Jones knew he couldn’t make a tackle from the scout team. He had to get on the field.
“I told myself, ‘Reggie, this is your season. I don’t care what you do, but get off the scout team because you can’t be in the same boat for four years,’” said Jones, who has 174,000 followers on Instagram. “Every year, I was tired of it, but this year I was like, ‘This is my senior year. I can’t go out like this.’ That first padded practice, I was just trying to go through everyone because I had to show these coaches that I deserved to play.”
Jones quickly worked his way off the scout team this summer and then found his name on the team’s depth chart. He was a special teamer. Nine months after nearly quitting, Jones earned a spot on the team.
“You know when you have a lot on your chest, and it feels like something was taken off,” Jones said. “Like, I can finally breathe.”
Temple linebacker Reggie Jones (center) and cornerback Denzel Chavis cheer after last spring’s Cherry and White Spring Game at Edberg-Olson Hall.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Building a following
Jones attended Maryland’s DeMatha Catholic High and hoped to play college basketball. But he stopped growing as a high school junior.
“I wasn’t about to be a point guard,” said Jones, who is 6-foot-1.
Jones played football at DeMatha but didn’t take it seriously until his senior year. By then, it was too late to earn a college scholarship. Temple offered him a chance to walk on, which meant he would be on the hook for his tuition and had slim chances of seeing the field. Jones took it.
He came to Temple with 20,000 social media followers, building a following making silly videos during high school. A friend told Jones he should start making football videos. Soon, he started making some money and signed with an agent, who helped him connect with more sponsors. He wasn’t playing on the football team, but his videos were finding an audience.
“Of course I’m a walk-on on the team, but there’s a lot of walk-ons in life,” said Jones, who is on track to graduate in May with a degree in sports and entertainment management. “You know what I mean? Everyone is an underdog. I’ve been an underdog my entire life. For some reason, I always got put in the position where people looked down on me and I always made them eat their words. You have people who are looking for ways to get out of that funk and I think that’s why my story has resonated with so many people.”
His “Road to One Tackle” videos showed him practicing, lifting weights, and hitting the tackling sled. But Jones is a content creator so there was a video this summer of him dancing after practice, struggling to take his pads off, and purchasing a seltzer water that sponsors him. His videos – some of which have more than 100,000 views – are more than just football.
Video: K.C. Keeler is building Temple football around ‘love and trust’
“I can’t even look at Instagram and TikTok anymore like a normal person,” said Jones, who simply shoots his videos with his iPhone. “I’m constantly looking for ideas. Most of the time, I get my ideas from non-football-related ideas. I then connect them to football. I’ve learned from making content that you can’t go straight to football, football, football because they won’t resonate with everyone. Then I put a football twist on it.”
The first tackle
Jones called his girlfriend Gabby Linden last month after he learned he was going to play in Temple’s season opener. She started crying and told Jones to call his parents. They started screaming.
“My parents paid for school,” Jones said. “They saw me grind day in and day out to play college football and they were so excited.”
The Owls were well ahead on Saturday against Rhode Island when the team’s linebackers coach told Jones that he was going in. Jones said he was flooded with emotions. He almost quit football a season earlier and now he had a chance to make a tackle in an NCAA game. His girlfriend, who he met his first semester at Temple, was in the crowd. So were his parents.
“My heart dropped to my ankles,” Jones said. “This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”
The first play was a handoff, Jones rushed to the line of scrimmage, and found the ball carrier. He did it. Jones pointed a finger to the sky and cried as his teammates roared from the sidelines. But there wasn’t much more time to celebrate. Rhode Island was in a hurry-up offense and Jones had to get ready for another play.
“I had to lock back in,” Jones said.
But that was OK. There was plenty of time afterwards for Jones to create content. He filmed the scene in the locker room as he danced with his teammates and had someone take a picture of him holding a piece of paper with “1” on it as a nod to Wilt Chamberlain after his 100-point game. It was a great moment. And it was also great content.
Temple linebacker Reggie Jones (center) and cornerback Denzel Chavis cheer after last spring’s Cherry and White Spring Game at Edberg-Olson Hall.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
“As soon as I took the picture, everyone jumped me at once,” Jones said. “It was so cool. I’m glad I was able to do that with my teammates. You know when someone in your family does something good and the whole family celebrates? It was just like that. A big family celebration because they knew how much work I put in and they were so proud that I actually did it.”
Matt Campbell is familiar with Lincoln Financial Field. He has coached there twice, once as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 2004 and as Toledo’s offensive coordinator in 2011.
But it’s also the home stadium of his former Mount Union teammate and roommate, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Campbell said he talked to Sirianni on Monday about playing at the Linc.
“Nick has been a great sounding board,” Campbell said Tuesday. “Obviously that relationship, that friendship, and having the ability to have somebody that’s kind of going through some of the same journeys has been huge.”
Campbell will face K.C. Keeler for the first time as head coaches when Penn State visits Temple on Saturday (noon, ESPN2). But the two coaches have crossed paths before. Keeler was the head coach of Division III Rowan and gave Campbell his only loss as a player at Mount Union in 1999.
The two in-state programs have played 45 times, with the Nittany Lions holding a 40-4-1 advantage. They last met in 2016, a 34-27 win for Penn State at Beaver Stadium.
“It’s the Super Bowl for Temple,” Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said Tuesday. “We have to have that mindset when we go in there.”
Here’s how both teams stack up against each other:
The running game struggled, with starter Carson Hansen carrying the ball 11 times for 48 yards. Penn State averaged just 3.6 rushing yards in the game.
Penn State wideout Koby Howard (right) had a breakout game against Marshall last week.Barry Reeger
Quarterback Rocco Becht and his wide receivers made up for the run game struggles. Starting wide receivers Koby Howard, Brett Eskildsen, and Chase Sowell all present different threats for Temple’s secondary.
Howard excels after the catch, while Eskildsen is the fastest player on offense. Sowell, meanwhile, is the more physical wideout. All three had a catch of at least a 20 yards against Marshall.
Temple safeties Saboor Karriem and Kolin Dinkins and cornerbacks Denzel Chavis and Asa Locks, the secondary starters last week, may have their hands full disrupting the Nittany Lions’ passing game. The Owls’ defense, however, did account for three turnovers in the opener, which included two pick-sixes and a fumble recovery.
Temple’s offense vs. Penn State’s defense
Lynn’s first game as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater resulted in a shutout, allowing the Thundering Herd just 147 total yards. Lynn said Tuesday they kept the play-calling simple as the defense masters the “core concepts” before adding new things to the game plan throughout the year.
Temple’s offensive linemen also has taken a hit with injuries. Giakoby Hills and Luke Watson are confirmed out. Kevin Terry and Eric King arequestionable for Saturday’s game. It will be even more of a challenge to contain Penn State’s defensive line, who held Marshall to just 44 rushing yards last week.
“Got Penn State coming up, obviously it’s a big deal,” Keeler said. “I mean, they have all the Big Ten prototypical numbers — 6-foot-5, 6-foot-4, 310 [pounds], 330. [They are] long and athletic.”
The injury report doesn’t bode well for Temple running back Keveun Mason, who stepped in for the banged up Sam Brown and exploded for a career-high 158 rushing yards against Rhode Island. Brown’s availability is still up in the air for this weekend.
Temple’s trio of wide receivers, Colin Chase, JoJo Bermudez, and Jayce Freeman, remain a strong suit for the offense. Though Temple didn’t throw the ball much against Rhode Island, Chase and Bermudez were productive in their limited opportunities. Freeman caught the Owls’ lone passing touchdown in his team debut.
Another priority for Penn State will be Temple tight end Peter Clarke, despite his quiet season opener. Clarke had a career year in 2025 and earned second-team American Conference honors.
The Nittany Lions’ secondary was a key reason Marshall was held off the scoreboard, highlighted by cornerback Josiah Zayas, who became the first freshman defensive player to start a season opener for Penn State since John Reid in 2015.
Former Penn State QB Jaxon Smolik (left) got the start for Temple last week.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Connections
Penn State had 50 players enter the transfer portal last December after its head coaching change. Four ended up at Temple: redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaxon Smolik, fifth-year defensive tackle Kaleb Artis, redshirt junior tight end Joey Schlaffer, and Dinkins, a fifth-year player.
Each played in the Owls opening win over Rhode Island, with Dinkins and Smolik starting. Dinkins had three tackles and his first career pass breakup.
Smolik, meanwhile, is in a quarterback battle. Both Smolik and Ajani Sheppard played in Week 1, and that’s not expected to change this weekend.
“No one took charge,” Keeler said after Temple’s victory over Rhode Island. “I mean, we’ll watch the tape, we’ll see how they each played. Ideally, we’d prefer not to play two equally, but we’re not going to live by any sort of, like, creed. Basically, we’re going to play whoever can help us win.”
Schlaffer and Artis didn’t log a stat in their first game with the Owls.
“I think both sides are just worrying about their team that they’re on right now,” Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said Tuesday. “Obviously have good relationships with all former players that have been here, in the program, outside of the program, but I think we’re all just kind of worried about our teams that we’re on right now.”
When Temple and Penn State kick off at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, the programs will renew a 95-year-old rivalry for the first time in a decade.
Penn State holds a 40-4-1 all-time record and has won 32 of the last 33 meetings. However, the history of this series extends beyond wins and losses.
Before the Nittany Lions return to Philadelphia for the first time since 2015, here are some of the top moments from their rivalry.
Temple strikes first
Temple and Penn State matched up for the first time on Oct. 10, 1931, when the Owls shut out the Nittany Lions, 12-0, in front of a capacity crowd of 20,000 at Temple Stadium.
Head coach Heine Miller led Temple an 8-1-1 season, which stood as a program record for 42 years until Wayne Hardin’s 1973 team eclipsed it with nine.
The Owls went on to claim three of the first four matchups in the all-time series.
The victory that lasted 74 years
Temple’s third win in four meetings with Penn State, on Oct. 18, 1941,became a frequently cited date.
On a wet, muddy, and slippery day, Temple claimed what would be its final victory against the Nittany Lions for the next 74 years in a 14-0 win at Temple Stadium.
Temple picked off star Penn State quarterback Johnny “Pepper” Petrella four times. Also, four players, two from each team, were taken off the field on stretchers in a game former Inquirer reporter Stan Baumgartner characterized as “bruising and bitterly contested” and both teams “appeared to have their boxing and wrestling squads competing.”
It took another 39 games for the Owls to beat the Nittany Lions.
Within inches
Following Temple’s 1941 victory, an era of struggle ensued.
In 1950 at New Beaver Field, Temple came close to beating Penn State when the two teams tied 7 apiece. Fun fact: Temple running back Gene Caterina scored the Owls’ first touchdown in University Park.
The series entered a 22-year hiatus after 1952, and it wasn’t until 1975 when Temple made things interesting again. In front of a crowd of 57,112 at Franklin Field, Penn State snuck past the Owls, 26-25.
Just a year later, in 1976, it was an even more painful finish, this time at Veterans Stadium. Temple trailed by two touchdowns before mounting a late comeback. The Owls drove downfield during the final two minutes but appeared in danger of running out of time near Penn State’s goal line.
Then an unusual interruption occurred: a spectator ran onto the field and officials stopped the clock. Temple scored a touchdown on the next play, making it 31-30. The NCAA did not introduce overtime until 1996, so Hardin faced a straightforward decision: Kick the extra point and accept a tie or attempt a two-point conversion to win. Hardin went for two. The pass went just beyond the intended receiver, preserving Penn State’s one-point victory.
Other notable games were in 1978 when No. 3-ranked Penn State survived Temple on a last-second Matt Bahr field goal to claim a 10-7 win. Then in 1985, a 206-yard, two-touchdown day from Temple running back Paul Palmer wasn’t enough in a 27-25 loss. Palmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Paul Palmer finished with 206 yards and two touchdowns against Penn State in 1985.Inquirer Archives
Penn State’s 31-game winning streak
Between 1952 to 2014, the Nittany Lions won 31 consecutive matchups against the Owls, with former Penn State coach Joe Paterno leading them to 28 of those wins between 1975 to 2011.
During that time, Penn State outscored Temple 1,068-331 and held an average game score of 34.5-10.7, a 23.8-point average margin.
The Nittany Lions shut out the Owls four times. The most lopsided matchup came in 1995 in Penn State’s 66-14 victory. Its streak survived nine Temple head coaches, and was played at five different venues.
From Penn State to Temple
Despite the quarrels between the programs, two Penn State products became the most important figures in the revival and progression of Temple football.
Former Temple head coach Al Golden lettered with the Nittany Lions from 1989-1991 and started at tight end for two seasons. He guided Temple to a 20-12 conference record between 2006 and 2010, a tenure that started a golden era of Owls football.
Before becoming Temple’s head coach, Al Golden started at tight end for two seasons at Penn State.DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer
Matt Rhule was also a walk-on linebacker at Penn State from 1994-1997 and got his start as a graduate assistant under Paterno. He eventually found his way onto Golden’s staff at Temple and was named defensive line coach in 2006, before moving to offensive coordinator.
Rhule remained at Temple following Golden’s departure and worked under Steve Addazio before being hired as head coach in 2012. Rhule coached the Owls for four years, taking them to two consecutive bowl games and an American Conference championship in 2016.
The Owls broke through
In 2015, Temple took down Penn State, 27-10, in its season opener at Lincoln Financial Field in front of a then record-breaking crowd of 69,176.
Coming off a 6-6 season under Rhule, Temple entered as a seven-point underdog.
Penn State jumped out to a 10-0 lead before a 12-play, 93-yard drive ended with a Temple touchdown. The Owls tied the game with a 40-yard field goal before PJ Walker ran in a touchdown to give the Owls a 17-10.
They added another score, but the real exclamation came from Temple’s defense, which sacked Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg 10 times, three coming from All-American linebacker Tyler Matakevich.
In 2016, Temple visited Beaver Stadium and suffered a 34-27 loss. It was the last matchup between these two programs.
Temple’s leading scorer from last season, Derrian Ford, has been practicing with the team and is on track to play for the Owls in the 2026-27 men’s basketball season after a recent court ruling in Louisiana paved the way for a fifth season of eligibility, sources told The Inquirer.
Ford, a guard who transferred to Temple from Arkansas State prior to the 2025-26 season, averaged 18.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 35.6 minutes last season with the Owls.
The Arkansas native was among a group of athletes who challenged in a Louisiana court the NCAA’s newly adopted rule that will grant five full years of eligibility to college athletes moving forward but did not include the high school class of 2022 who had already completed four seasons. The court ruled in their favor, granting them a temporary restraining order against the NCAA.
Derrian Ford is a key returner for the Owls in the 2026-27 season.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Ford did not sign a professional contract, unlike football players Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright, a tight end who spent part of training camp with the Eagles. Harris and Wright’s attempts to join the roster at LSU have been at the center of the latest legal and ethical issues in college athletics. A Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction last week that appeared to make the players eligible to join the LSU football team, but the school is proceeding without adding them, a move that came after LSU’s conference, the SEC, threatened to hold a vote to expel the school from the conference.
Ford is unlikely to face the same type of legal hurdles in order to play in 2026-27. Other members of the Louisiana case have already made their first appearances after the ruling. Jazmin Ferguson and Jocelyn Ollivierre, two LSU soccer players, have made three appearances with their team so far this season. Ferguson, according to the Business Journal, testified in court recently that she was paid $4,500 by a USL team but returned the money when playing again at LSU became a possibility.
Ford had interest from professional teams, according to sources, but did not sign a contract.
He is not the only Big 5 men’s basketball player who successfully challenged in court for an additional season. Villanova center Duke Brennan was part of a lawsuit in California that ended with him and others receiving additional eligibility. Brennan will play his final college season at Oklahoma.
As of Thursday afternoon, Ford was not one of the 14 players listed on Temple’s official roster on the school’s athletics website. The Owls return a few players from the 2025-26 season, most notably Gavin Griffiths, who averaged 10.1 points. Coach Adam Fisher retooled the roster in the transfer portal, and while the Owls made some key additions, none of them may have the impact that Ford’s return will.
Temple has not yet announced its 2026-27 schedule, but the college basketball season begins in early November.
Mount Union was facing a fourth-and-5 in overtime, trailing 24-17 in a Division III playoff semifinal on Dec. 11, 1999. The Purple Raiders, down to their last play, held a 54-game winning streak, then the longest in any division of football, and sought a fourth straight trip to the D-III title game, named the Stagg Bowl.
Twenty-seven years later, K.C. Keeler still can see the play crystal-clear. Back then, he was Rowan’s head football coach, seeking his fourth title game appearance since becoming a 32-year-old head coach in 1993. And on this day, after losing to Mount Union in the championship game twice in the previous three years, something special was about to unfold for the Profs.
“I remember the last play of the game, [Mount Union was] going to try to tie it up on fourth down, and they had a tight end, I believe it was, over the middle of the field, in the end zone, and the ball’s thrown,” Keeler, now Temple’s coach, recalled to The Inquirer. “I see the tight end go up in the air, and it looks like he’s going to come down with it. And Mark Hendricks, my middle linebacker, who was a two-time captain for me, he turns and runs and actually hits the tight end so hard he broke his ribs. And the ball comes squirting out, and he’s laying there, and we’re celebrating over top of him.
“My 398th game [is] coming up here. … That was definitely one of those where you remember for a lifetime.”
On the surface, Penn State head coach Matt Campbell, from Massillon, Ohio, and Keeler, from Emmaus, Pa., don’t share many commonalities beyond coaching in the same state ahead of their matchup on Saturday (noon, ESPN2). As it turns out, though, the 46-year-old Campbell, a former standout college defensive end turned coach, was not only on that Mount Union team in 1999, but on the field toward the end of the game.
At a coaching clinic this winter, not long after Campbell became Penn State’s 17th football coach, Keeler says his counterpart had one thing on his mind to bring up after formally meeting.
“First thing that comes out of [Campbell’s mouth], he goes, ‘I’m 1-1 against you.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean you’re 1-1? You’re 0-1,’” Keeler says. “He goes, ‘No, I was a [graduate assistant] on the team that beat you then a couple years later.’
“It’s like, ‘OK, we’ll give you that one.’ So he and Nick Sirianni were both on that team [in 1999], and I’ve had some fun with them on having that one up on them, for sure.”
K.C. Keeler was Rowan’s football coach from 1993 to 2001.Rowan University Athletics
Campbell, who quipped, “You’re kind of coming at me, huh?” when The Inquirer asked about that 1999 game against Rowan earlier this week, still harbors feelings over the only loss in his college career at Mount Union.
“In that game, as a football player [who] won three national championships, and at that time, that was almost the spark for our program, to be quite honest with you,” Campbell said from his podium on Tuesday. “I was in on the last play, as the game ended, and that was tough.
“I think for me, that was a great opportunity for me to learn what the standard of excellence was in the program at Mount Union losing that football game, and what it meant to never have that feeling again.”
That 1999 game comes into focus as Keeler, now in his 33rd season as a head coach, will host in-state rival Penn State this weekend. It will mark the 46th meeting all-time between the programs.
And the significance of Rowan’s win still reverberates with some of Keeler’s former players almost three decades later.
Bobby Acosta, who played for Keeler at Rowan as a safety, lost his father as a freshman and left school without telling his coach. He later changed his mind, but the only way back on the football team, Keeler told him, was if Acosta “got a 4.0 [GPA] and passed 18 credit hours in the summer.”
“I said to myself, ‘There’s no way I can do that,’ and I did it. And that’s where my life changed,” said Acosta, who now coaches high school football in Texas. “I was a young man. K.C. was like my dad. Ever since that point, I played for him. Then I worked for him at Rowan. Then I worked for him at Delaware with Joe Flacco.
“He’s been a mentor to me for a lot of years. It was to the point I was babysitting his kids when I was in college. K.C. Keeler to me was someone that I looked up to.”
Rowan faces Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during a playoff game in 1999.Courtesy of Greg Gudis
Greg Gudis, who was the starting left guard for Rowan during the 1999 season, took a different route to the program. He initially chose Gettysburg College out of Pennsauken High School, started as a freshman, but noticed the program “didn’t really prioritize” football.
So Gudis transferred to Rowan, formerly named Glassboro State, in 1998, located “right in my backyard,” he said. The former offensive lineman appreciated that Keeler was honest and did not guarantee him a starting spot.
“When I got to Rowan, the level of talent was so much higher than where I just come from,” said Gudis, who now resides in Arizona. “Some of the guys I played against that maybe should have been [playing at the Division I level]. It was a much different level of play, and Coach Keeler was a much different level of coach than where I had just come from.”
Two things remained elusive for Keeler heading into Rowan’s 1999 season: Beating Mount Union and winning a Stagg Bowl, both of which he went winless three times prior.
The 67-year-old coach, leading up to Rowan’s playoff matchup with Mount Union, made sure to keep newspaper clippings out of the locker room, Gudis said. Acosta added that the more than six-hour trip to Alliance, Ohio, where Mount Union was located, had the team “already down 20 points mentally,” but their mindset was “we have everything to gain and nothing to lose at their home place.”
A football in Rowan’s trophy case from their win over Mount Union in 1999.Courtesy of Bobby Acosta
And it worked. Though Rowan lost to Pacific Lutheran the following week in the Stagg Bowl, that win over Mount Union was “our national championship that day,” Acosta said.
“You almost wanted to win for Coach Keeler because number one, you respect him as a great coach, but number two, it’s like this guy knows nothing but losing [to] Mount Union,” Gudis said. ”And it was like, ‘Wow, I’m sure we probably finally brought some closure to that book for him to say I got over the hump.’”
Added Keeler: “My wife always says that life’s about the moments, and one of my messages is always be in the moment, and that very much was the message when we played Mount Union. … Just keep on playing to the very end, and when you have really good teams, that’s what they do.”
‘A special place’
When Penn State and Temple play at the Linc for the first time since 2015, which ended in a historic win for the Owls that springboarded an unbelievable two-year run, Keeler will be thinking of the teams that came before him. There’s a reminder every day of that 2015 game in the program’s facilities. The four team captains from the 2016 American Conference champion team will be recognized on Saturday.
He also recognizes the challenge that lies ahead. Penn State, Keeler believes, has a chance to be a top 10 team, similar to Oklahoma last year, another Power Four team who came to the Linc to play Temple. Keeler added that Campbell will “do amazing things” during his time at Penn State.
The respect is reciprocal.
Matt Campbell (left) has a long history with K.C. Keeler, and Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft was previously Temple’s AD.Barry Reeger
“[I have] a lot of respect for Coach Keeler, what he did [at Rowan], what that team was about,” Campbell said. “It was a physical football game [in 1999], and similar to what you expect to see on Saturday, a physical, well-coached football team that has done a great job putting any program he’s been at in a position to play great football.”
While Campbell tips his cap to Keeler’s career success, including winning FCS national championships at Delaware and Sam Houston State, the Temple coach credits his first head coaching gig being at the core of it all.
“Those years formed who I am now as a coach,” Keeler said. “[We] had a team meeting to go to before I left [for Delaware in 2002] and I walked into that team meeting, I get a standing ovation and at that point I realized because I had talked about my Delaware experiences so much that those guys knew that they got me that job and they were proud that they got me that job and then I realized for the first time, ‘Oh my God!’ I’m leaving a group of kids that were OK with me leaving because it was my dream job.
“Rowan was a special place. They gave me an opportunity, they took a chance on me … obviously things worked out pretty well there.”
Temple finally showcased the fruits of its weeks of fall training camp and did it with a two-quarterback system and a whole lot of running the football.
Sharing the reins, Ajani Sheppard completed 5 of 10 passes for 85 yards, while Jaxon Smolik completed 4 of 6 for 57 yards. Smolik was sacked twice and fumbled two times, but also threw Temple’s only passing touchdown in a season-opening 38-14 win over Rhode Island. Sheppard looked far more comfortable carrying the ball.
But the real story of the ground game was running back Keveun Mason, who stepped in for banged-up Sam Brown. He exploded for 158 yards — just 9 fewer than his total from all of 2025 — and two touchdowns.
Now coach K.C. Keeler’s Owls are preparing for a major step up in competition against No. 18 Penn State (1-0) on Saturday (noon, ESPN2).
“Monday’s a cleanup day for us,” Keeler said. “You can just feel the low energy. I think they were just disappointed they didn’t play better [against Rhode Island]. … But at the same time, I am very appreciative of the fact they have very high expectations of where this team should go and what we can do.”
Quarterback battle
The Owls answered questions regarding who will be the starting quarterback by unorthodoxly starting with both candidates on the field. Smolik took the opening snap from center Grayson Mains before handing it off to Sheppard, who found wide receiver Colin Chase for 21 yards.
Tyler Walker ran almost the same exact play in #Temple's season opener w/Gevani McCoy and Evan Simon, and Simon took the handoff and threw (and won the starting job too).
Then Temple began to stagger snaps between them. They each took 31 snaps, according to Keeler. After the win, Keeler said he didn’t see either move the needle in terms of securing the position, and he’s still unsure what it will look like this Saturday.
The upcoming days of practice could reveal who the starter will be against Penn State. Keeler and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker will review the tape in hopes of getting closer to a decision. Walker hails from a Montana State offense that featured a two-headed snake at quarterback in 2022 and 2023.
Jaxon Smolik threw Temple’s only touchdown pass on Saturday against Rhode Island.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
But the Owls are looking to stray away from that game plan long term. As for the QB plan against PSU, Temple’s still undecided on who, but Keeler said there are kinks to be ironed out for both.
“There might be some collaborativeness in the effort, but eventually someone’s got to play more snaps than the other guy,” Keeler said. “But like I said, if you look at it, there’s some good things you could take, but we need more consistency.
“And that’s for both of them.”
Injury update
Temple has already dealt with injuries to key players, as left tackle Giakoby Hills and linebacker Eric Stuart exited early against Rhode Island. Left guard Eric King, safety Avery Powell, and Brown did not play against the Rams, though it’s possible Powell plays this weekend. None of their specific injuries have been announced.
Hills has been confirmed to miss at least six weeks, stretching past the Owls’ first bye week in late October. King, Powell, and Brown participated in Monday’s practice.
Adding to the injured offensive line is Kevin Terry, who didn’t participate in practice. The redshirt junior has been hampered by injuries the past two years, missing the season debut against Howard in 2025 and sitting out two games in 2024. Keeler has labeled him as a game-time decision. Terry’s presence on Saturday would be a huge help in wrestling with Penn State’s big defensive ends.
But perhaps the largest looming factor is Brown’s situation. The Rutgers transfer has emerged as one of Temple’s key players and was awarded a single-digit jersey number in August. Keeler doesn’t want to push his health, but Brown has been progressing quicker than expected, with the coach labeling him another game-time decision.
“It’s a long season, and I don’t want to put him out there if he’s 85%, not against Penn State,” Keeler said. “To be honest, I think there was a chance you said, ‘OK, we’re shooting for Toledo.’ Now, we’re shooting for Penn State, because he’s felt really good out there.”
