The Temple Owls should be 2-1, but they aren’t, and they have no one to blame but themselves.
On Saturday, with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Temple (1-2) led Toledo (2-1) 42-28, but the unexpected happened. Toledo quarterback John Alan Richter threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to running back CJ Miller to cut the lead to 42-35.
Toledo then recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Richter threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Daryl Barnett Jr. to tie the game at 42-42 in regulation.
In overtime, Toledo running back Connor Walendzak ran for a one-yard touchdown to give the Rockets a 49-42 lead.
On Temple’s next possession, quarterback Ajani Sheppard had a spectacular 22-yard touchdown run, but Temple’s two-point conversion attempt failed after Sheppard’s pass sailed over tight end Peter Clarke’s head, and Toledo defeated the Owls 49-48 in overtime at the Glass Bowl.
Temple TUFF loss:
Obviously, you can’t lose this game if you’re the Owls. With Sheppard playing most of the game after starting quarterback Jaxon Smolik left in the first quarter with a leg injury, Temple rushed for 261 yards, including 109 yards and two touchdowns from running back Samuel Brown V in his debut with the team.
Sheppard, who added 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground, made the offense look dynamic. He struggled early with the passing game, but was much better in the second half.
In the loss to Toledo, Sheppard completed 12-of-22 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns. He did enough for the Owls to win, and he may have done enough to wrestle the job away from Smolik.
Defensively, the Owls, who played fairly well in the first two weeks of the season, struggled against Toledo. They allowed Toledo to put up 49 points and 536 total yards, including Richter throwing for 429 yards and four touchdowns.
That defensive performance erased an outstanding offensive effort.
Temple head coach K.C. Keeler and the players will be kicking themselves for losing to Toledo, but they have to move forward.
The Owls return home next Saturday when they host Army at Lincoln Financial Field.
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