Just like that, Week 2 is finally upon us.

After a dominant showing by Penn State in its 45-0 shutout victory over Marshall, the Nittany Lions have risen to No. 16 in the AP Poll.

The team’s next opponent is the Temple Owls, a relatively familiar foe for the blue and white. Unlike Penn State, Temple is nowhere near ranked, but it is 1-0.

The Owls play at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, and are part of the American Conference.

The Nittany Lions are 1-1 in their last two matchups with the cherry and white, but hope to cruise to victory this time around during their first road trip of the 2026 season.

The Team

Struggling mightily is an understatement for a Temple team that hasn’t accounted for a winning season since 2019. The Owls have averaged just three victories per season since 2020.

Last year, the team exceeded its own standard, coming out on top in five contests. It nearly dethroned a 6-0 Navy squad, but ultimately fell by one point to the Midshipmen on home turf. 

The last time the cherry and white defeated a ranked opponent was in 2019, when they took down No. 23 Memphis. Needless to say, Temple is starving to taste that feeling again.

Penn State’s history with Temple dates back a long way. The teams first played in 1931, when the Owls defeated the Nittany Lions in the first edition of the in-state “rivalry.” 

Since then, it’s been rather lopsided, with Penn State holding a 40-4-1 all-time record.

That being said, one of those four losses came fairly recently, when the blue and white visited The Linc back in 2015. The game featured 10 sacks on Nittany Lion quarterback Christian Hackenburg, and is one most Penn State fans would rather forget.

K.C. Keeler is entering his second season as head coach of the Owls and is a familiar face for Matt Campbell from his time as a player. When Keeler coached Division III Rowan back in 1999, he handed Campbell and Mount Union the only loss of Campbell’s collegiate career.

Prior to arriving at Temple, Keeler coached at Sam Houston State and Delaware in addition to Rowan.

Tyler Walker is the team’s offensive coordinator. He was hired to be a part of Keeler’s first Temple staff ahead of the 2025 season. From 2021 to 2024, he worked in a variety of roles at Montana State, serving as the offensive coordinator for the Bobcats in his final season with the program.

On the other side of the ball, Brian L. Smith is the Owls’ defensive coordinator and was hired at the same time as Walker. 

Smith brings a breadth of football experience to Temple. He led the defense at Rice for seven seasons and previously served as the defensive backs coach at Michigan. He also has NFL coaching experience, having worked for the Eagles and Jets.

The Offense

Temple hasn’t done much right in recent memory, but its offense was middle-of-the-pack in the American Conference last season.

The current edition of the Owl offense relies heavily on the run game and shared duties at quarterback.

One of the signal callers that will be involved in the rotation is former Penn State player Jaxson Smolik. Last week, Smolik threw for 57 yards and one touchdown while also accounting for a fumble lost.

Ajani Sheppard is the other quarterback who will hear his name called on Saturday. In last week’s matchup, he threw for 85 yards.  

Temple excelled on the ground against Rhode Island, mainly due to sophomore running back Keveun Mason. He tallied an impressive 158 rushing yards on 20 carries and found the end zone twice. In 2025, Mason had just 167 total yards in eight appearances.

When it comes to pass-catchers, the Owls have a few names that could prove to be difference makers.

Returning starting receivers JoJo Bermudez and Colin Chase lead that group. Chase wears a single-digit jersey number, an honor the team gives to players it considers “Temple TUFF.”

In 2025, Chase tallied 414 receiving yards on 40 receptions, as well as four touchdowns.

Peter Clarke is perhaps the most intriguing name to watch on this Temple offense. He was named to the John Mackey Award 2026 Preseason Watch List and, last season, was recognized on the All-America Conference Second Team.

Clarke’s breakout season came during his junior year, when he notched 483 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 30 receptions.

As for the offensive line, Temple will be operating with a heavily depleted unit. It lost three starters to injury in game one and will need to use the depth chart if it hopes to keep its success running the football.

The Defense

Despite a small sample size, Temple’s defense has been relatively strong this season, particularly its run-stopping unit.

Last week, it held Rhode Island to 97 yards on the ground and surrendered under 200 passing yards.

The group is headlined by safety Kolin Dinkins, another former Penn State football player. Although his career never took off in Happy Valley, the senior brought a lot of promise to Temple during his first season wearing cherry and white.

Also in the game against Rhode Island, Dinkins recorded three total tackles, all solo, and accounted for one pass deflection.

Linebacker Curly Ordonez led the team in tackles last week with eight, and safety Saboor Karriem followed behind him with six. Both Ordonez and Karriem are also seniors, adding to a seasoned group of players.

The defensive line lacks much proven talent, leaving plenty of room for improvement as the season gets underway.

Redshirt senior defensive tackle Kevin Hornbeak is tabbed as a potential breakout candidate. His unique combination of size and speed garnered a lot of attention from his head coach over the offseason.

Joseph Auzenne is another guy who will look to make an impact in the trenches on Saturday, a redshirt senior who made his first career start last week.

On the edge, Temple has a handful of transfers who could earn some playing time. Most notable is Davier Bishop, who transferred from East Mississippi Community College. Last season, he accounted for 36 tackles, seven sacks, and earned All-MACCC honors.

Special Teams

Carl Hardin is Temple’s kicker. He went one-for-two last week in field goals, missing a 51-yarder in the fourth quarter. Last season, he was 78.57% on his attempts, a pretty average number for a college kicker. Hardin’s career-long is from 52 yards out.

When it comes to punting, Dante Atton averaged 47 yards per kick last week, with two out of his three opportunities landing inside the 20-yard line. Bermudez is on punt-return duty and averaged a very impressive 21.5 yards per return last weekend.