This is a new era at Temple, with yet another coach, but there is reason for optimism with the hiring of KC Keeler.
He has won everywhere he has been a head coach, from Division III Rowan to Delaware, where he won an FCS national championship, to his most recent stop at Sam Houston, where he won an FCS national title and then helped usher the program to the FBS level. Last year, Sam Houston went 10-3 while competing in Conference USA.
Temple has gone 3-9 in each of the previous four seasons. Rod Carey guided the 3-9 team in 2021 and then Stan Drayton replaced him and didn’t last three full seasons.
This is not to suggest that Keeler’s arrival makes the Owls contenders in the AAC, but this is a program that should show improvement. It may not be significant in the first season under Keeler, but given time, the hope is that he can return Temple into being a competitive program, something that hasn’t occurred since the Owls went 8-5 during Carey’s first season in 2019.
Temple Football’s AAC Title Betting Odds
Temple’s odds to win the AAC are +12500, via BetMGM.
Temple Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
Temple’s win total Over/Under is 3.5, with Under 3.5 at -120 and Over 3.5 at +100.
Temple Football’s 2025 Schedule
8/30 at UMass
9/6 vs Howard
9/13 vs Oklahoma
9/20 at Georgia Tech
10/4 vs UTSA
10/11 vs Navy
10/18 at Charlotte
10/25 at Tulsa
11/1 vs East Carolina
11/8 at Army
11/22 vs Tulane
11/29 at North Texas
Bold indicates AAC contests
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Key Temple Football Returners
QB Evan Simon
CB Ben Osueke
Temple Football Aiming To Improve Ground Game & Defense
Last year, Temple averaged just 2.9 yards per carry, which was 126th nationally. Look for the Owls to be much more proficient in the run game.
Under Keeler, Sam Houston was third in Conference USA in rushing, averaging 179.8 yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. Redshirt senior running back Jay Ducker has arrived with Keeler at Temple after leading Sam Houston with 745 yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns.
Ducker received a good number of carries during the spring.
That’s not to suggest that Temple won’t have a proficient passing game, especially since Evan Simon completed 58.7% of his passes for 2,009 yards and 15 touchdowns. He will look to cut down on the nine interceptions in nine games played. That was Simon’s first season at Temple after beginning his career at Rutgers.
Temple added depth to the quarterback position in the spring with the addition of Oregon State transfer Gevani McCoy. In his one season at Oregon State, McCoy threw for 1,300 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. He ran for 328 yards and five scores. McCoy began his collegiate career at Idaho, where in 2022 he won the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS National Freshman of the Year.
After spring ball, Temple brought in some key offensive players, including receivers JoJo Bermudez and Colin Chase.
Bermudez had 25 receptions for 216 yards and a score last season for Delaware in six games, which included four starts. Chase caught 37 passes for a team-high 633 yards and six touchdowns at FCS St. Thomas.
The offensive line should be strong with some experience returning. Grayson Mains spent his first two seasons at South Carolina before starting nine games at center and playing one at guard last year in his first season at Temple.
Cornerback Ben Osueke graduated from Temple last season thinking his football career was over. But he began his career at Blinn Junior College and thus, with new college rules for this season, he earned additional eligibility. Osueke has returned after making 26 tackles and recording four passes defended in 10 games for the Owls.
Another player welcomed back is defensive tackle Demerick Morris, who transferred to Oklahoma State and then a few weeks later came back to Temple. He recorded 13 tackles for the Owls last year.
A player the new coaching staff has been impressed with is linebacker Eric Stuart. Last season, he played the first three games before suffering a season-ending injury during practice.
Temple Football Season Prediction
I predict Temple won’t win the AAC but will go Over 3.5 wins.
While Keeler has brought a buzz to the program, I predict Temple won’t win the conference title and likely won’t be a factor in the race. As for the win total, I predict Temple will show slight improvement with four wins.
A key will be the opener at UMass. A win in that game would likely make the Owls 2-2 in their non-conference games. The Owls would then need to go 2-6 in the AAC to make the four-win prediction accurate.
It won’t be easy this season for Temple, but there is definitely a positive vibe with Keeler in control. Temple likely won’t make a total turnaround in Keeler’s first season, but he should plant the seeds for future success and have the Owls showing optimism for the future.
