Temple Owls
Overall Rank: #63
#6 American
Temple won three of their last four regular season games to reach six wins on the season. Their strong finish continued against Florida International in the Gasparilla Bowl with a 28-3 victory. With an offense that finally appears settled, Coach Geoff Collins will look to build off his first year success.
2017 Record: 7-6, 4-4
2017 Bowl: Gasparilla Bowl vs. Florida International (W 28-3)
Coach: Geoff Collins (7-6 at Temple, 7-6 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Dave Patenaude
Defensive Coordinator: Andrew Thacker
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: David Hood, RB, 638 yards
Passing: Frank Nutile, QB, 1,600 yards
Receiving: Isaiah Wright, WR, 668 yards
Tackles: Shaun Bradley, LB, 85
Sacks: Quincy Roche, DL, 7.0
Interceptions: Delvon Randell, S, 4
Other Key Returnees: RB Ryquell Armstead, LB Chapelle Russell, LB Sam Franklin
Key Losses: QB Logan Marchi, WR Adonis Jennings, WR Keith Kirkwood, OL Brian Carter, DL Sharif Finch, DL Jacob Martin, S Sean Chandler
Offense:
Quarterback Frank Nutile stepped in late last season and heads into the 2018 campaign as the team’s clear leader. In eight appearances last season, he threw for 1,600 yards and a dozen touchdowns, while completing 61.3 percent of his passes. In those four late season victories, it was Nutile who was starting at quarterback. Isaiah Wright will be the leader at wide receiver after catching 46 passes for 668 yards as a sophomore. He is a big play threat, but some other less proven options will need to step up as well. Ryquell Armstead and David Hood form a dynamic running back duo. Armstead was slowed by injuries last season, but still rushed for 604 yards and five scores. Hood had similar numbers with 638 yards and five trips to the end zone. Behind a strong offensive line, Temple has the offensive firepower to put up some big numbers.
Defense:
Experience is not an issue on defense either. The front four has returning tackles Dan Archibong and Michael Dogbe providing a push up the middle. Quincy Roche had a superb freshman campaign, recording 7.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles-for-loss. Sam Franklin, Shaun Bradley and Chapelle Russell are returning starters at linebacker. Bradley was the team’s top tackler last season, recording 85, including 10.0 tackles-for-loss. Franklin is an amazingly versatile player who can line up at any level of the defense, but barring any surprising needs, he will spend most of his time at linebacker. The secondary only returns one starter, but Delvon Randell is a great piece to build around. Linwood Crump is poised to become the leader at cornerback and Rock-Ya-Sin is an experienced transfer from Presbyterian.
The Bottom Line:
The 2017 season was a transition year for the program with Coach Collins taking over the program. The offense had a lot of questions heading into the year too, but eventually they found answers. Now this is a team that has answers and they should be ready to compete for an AAC East title along with UCF and South Florida.
Projected Bowl: Bahamas Bowl
2017 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 136.4 (98th in nation, 10th in conference)
Passing Offense: 251.8 (45, 7)
Total Offense: 388.2 (80, 11)
Scoring Offense: 25.1 (93, 9)
Rushing Defense: 174.6 (76, 5)
Pass Defense: 206.8 (40, 1)
Total Defense: 381.5 (56, 3)
Scoring Defense: 25.8 (58, 4)
Turnover Margin: -0.31 (90, 9)
Sacks: 3.00 (11, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 1.54 (33, 7)
