Temple Fights Hard but Falls Short Against Penn State

The Temple Owls faced a major test Saturday when they hosted the 16th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions at Lincoln Financial Field.

Before a crowd of 61,714, Temple (1-1) challenged Penn State (2-0) throughout the opening half and held a 3-0 lead in the second quarter. However, the Nittany Lions scored a touchdown shortly before halftime and added 17 points after the break to secure a 27-9 victory.

Penn State’s last trip to Philadelphia came in 2015, when Temple defeated the Nittany Lions 27-10 for its first victory in the series in 74 years.

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht completed 21 of 27 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. The Nittany Lions finished with 416 total yards, while Penn State’s defense held Temple’s offense to three points until the Owls scored a late touchdown.

Bottom Line:

Led onto the field by Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill before the game, Temple battled hard. The Owls’ defense kept them within striking distance for almost 30 minutes and made Penn State work for its points before the Nittany Lions pulled away in the second half.

Like last week against Rhode Island, Temple ran the ball well against Penn State. The Owls rushed for 176 yards, but they didn’t get much from their passing game.

Temple quarterback Jaxon Smolik, who transferred from Penn State, contributed 71 rushing yards. However, playing behind a depleted offensive line that was missing four starters, Smolik struggled through the air, completing 10 of 16 passes for only 59 yards with one interception.

One More Thing:

It may not have changed the outcome, but Temple appeared a little too conservative in the second half.

With just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter and Temple trailing 17-3, the Owls faced fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line. Temple head coach K.C. Keeler elected to punt, but with the momentum favoring Penn State, the Owls probably should have gone for it. Penn State kicked a field goal on its next possession.

In the fourth quarter, Temple trailed 20-3 and faced fourth-and-6 from its own 41-yard line with under 13 minutes remaining. Once again, the Owls elected to punt.

Penn State followed with another touchdown to seal the victory. Temple was a heavy underdog, and pulling off the upset required an aggressive approach. However, the Owls did not take the necessary chances in the second half.

Next Saturday, Temple travels to Toledo, while Penn State hosts Buffalo.