Temple Seeking First Win of the Season
September 14, 2024 –
Temple Owls coach Stan Drayton looks into his players eyes to know who he wants to put on the field that would best represent Temple. The notable change came at the quarterback position where Evan Simon would be the starter. He was told on Tuesday. Something new, but old mistakes early continue to plague the Cherry and White who lose 28 – 20 to Coastal Carolina.
The Owls fell behind giving up a touchdown to the Chanticleers on a 15-yard run by Christian Washington. On the ensuing possession Simon threw a pick-six to Xamarion Gordon. Another bad start. How would Temple respond?
The Owls got a 54-yard field goal by Maddux Trujillo. But a fumble deep in Owls territory caused the hosts to fall behind 21 – 3 when quarterback Ethan Vasko found Cameron Wright with an 8-yard scoring toss.
“We need to continue to work on our details and not shoot ourselves in the foot,” said Simon.
The Owls did not start the game on a high note, but did show something else. Something to build on. It is called resilience. And a career-performance by linebacker D.J. Woodbury who made 15 tackles and a sack.
Resilience as the Passing Offense Shows Promise
The offense began to move the ball as Simon got the passing game going. With the ball at the Owls 32-yardline Simon completed passes of 14, 17, and 18 yards on consecutive plays, the last two going to Dante Wright. The drive ended with a 15-yard touchdown reception by John Adams pulling Temple to within 21 – 10 at halftime.
“He showed a lot of moxie out there and made it interesting,” said Drayton about Simon’s performance.
In the third quarter the Owls scored on their first possession as Simon found Wright for a 2-yard touchdown. But the Chanticleers answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive taking 6:38.
Trujillo got Temple within a possession in the fourth quarter. That drive has to be categorized as a loss because the Owls got the ball into the redzone, but could not get it across the goal line.
There was one more opportunity at the end of the game, but Temple turned the ball over on downs at the Coastal Carolina 40-yardline.
“We showed flashes on offense and defense and that we can get it done,” said running back Antwain Littleton II.
What the Numbers Say
Simon threw for 185 yards on 17 completions. Wright hauled in 9 passes for 99 receiving yards. A good step in developing chemistry between quarterback and his receiver.
The Owls gained 129 yards on the ground surpassing their season-total coming in by 25 yards. Littleton II led the way with 74 rushing yards. He gained 108 all-purpose yards.
For Coastal Carolina Vasko ran for 92 yards on 16 carries and passed for 103 with one touchdown. The Chanticleers gained 184 yards rushing. Washington added 59 net yards on the ground. They did not turn the ball over. The Owls have surrendered nearly 600 yards rushing in their first three games.
“You’re going against a team that is going to run the ball and be physical, number one, tackle,” said Drayton. “We had to tackle these guys. It is being emphasized, but we definitely got to find a way to get that showing up in game situations.”
Up Next
Temple returns to the Linc next weekend hosting Utah State.
For the Owls a winnable game got away. They played better as it went along. But falling behind to start the game and early miscues need to be eliminated for this team to experience success. That is the biggest change that needs to be implemented.
“We’re finding our way, learning what to do and what not to do,” said safety Andreas Keaton who had 8 stops. “It’s a blind journey we’re on. It will come together with experience.”
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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