Temple has posted three consecutive 3-9 seasons, including the last two under head coach Stan Drayton. The last time Temple had a winning season was 2019 when the Owls went 8-5 and earned their fifth straight bowl game appearance.
Since then, it’s been downhill. Temple has produced good players. For example, from last year’s team linebacker Jordan Magee was a fifth-round draft choice for the Washington Commanders.
Yet the Owls have suffered too many defections via the transfer portal. The biggest loss via transfer was quarterback EJ Warner, who started his first two seasons at Temple but departed for Rice after last season.
On the positive side, this year’s Temple team appears to have more depth than a year ago.
Temple Football’s AAC Title Odds
Temple’s odds to win the American Athletic Conference are +15000, via BetMGM.
Temple Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
Temple’s win total Over/Under is 2.5, with Under 2.5 at -140 and Over 2.5 at +115.
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Temple Football’s 2024 Schedule
8/30 at Oklahoma
9/7 at Navy
9/14 vs Coastal Carolina
9/21 vs Utah State
9/26 vs Army
10/5 at UConn
10/19 vs Tulsa
10/26 at East Carolina
11/9 at Tulane
11/16 vs FAU
11/23 at UTSA
11/30 vs North Texas
Bold indicates AAC contests
Key Temple Football Returners
2023 All-AAC Honorable Mention
OG Wisdom Quarshie
Temple Football Has Strong Running Back Depth
The Owls have one of their deepest groups of running backs in recent years.
Joquez Smith is the leading returning rusher with 325 yards and one score. Adding to the depth are Maryland transfer Antwain Littleton along with junior college transfers Tyrei Washington and Terrez Worthy, who led the NJCAA in 2023 with 1,492 yards along with 10 touchdowns at Lackawanna College.
Who will be handing the ball off to the running backs will be the key question and will be decided during fall camp. Forrest Brock attempted just 15 passes last season but had a strong spring. Evan Simon, who spent the past four years at Rutgers, is also in the mix. These two are considered the main candidates, but true freshman Chris Dietrich offers good potential.
The receiving group is strong, led by Dante Wright, who had 39 receptions for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
An intriguing newcomer is Ashton Allen, who is both big (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and fast. He is a transfer from USC where he competed in track and field for four seasons. Allen hasn’t played football since high school, but he should be among the faster players in FBS after placing fifth in the Pac-12 Championship’s 200 meters with a personal best time of 20.59 seconds.
The offensive line is young, with guard Wisdom Quarshie having the most experience. Center Grayson Mains is a key addition after spending the previous two seasons at South Carolina.
The defense should have much more depth after allowing 35.7 points per game, which ranked 124th nationally. Tra Thomas, who had 30 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks, is among the leaders.
Defensive end Diwun Black, who came to Temple prior to last season from Florida, recorded 3.5 sacks in 2023, tying for the team lead with Magee. He also had six sacks in Temple’s spring game.
Graduate student Elijah Deravil, who was a mainstay at safety last season, is moving to cornerback and will be a leader in the secondary.
2024 Temple Football Season Prediction
I predict Temple won‘t win the AAC title and will win just two games.
The season begins with two difficult road games, at Oklahoma and at Navy. How Temple does in the next three games, all at home against Coastal Carolina, Utah State, and Army, will likely determine the path of the season.
Even for Temple to win two games, the Owls will likely have to go 1-4 in the first five and then earn a win in the final seven games, with home matchups against Tulsa and North Texas and an away game at UConn being the best chances.
Despite the defense having more depth and a strong running game, losing Warner at quarterback is a major hit. If a quarterback emerges, then Temple can overachieve, but that won’t be an easy task.
The reason a strong start would change everything is that Temple needs to build some confidence after four straight losing seasons.
