Temple University Athletics

Photo by: Timothy D. Sofranko

Temple Travels to UMass for its First Football Showdown Against Minutemen

9.15.15 | Football

This Week
The Owls travel to FoxboroĀ to face the University of MassachusettsĀ Minutemen at Gillette Stadium. UMass comes into the gameĀ after a 48-14 loss at the University of Colorado. Temple enters the game just outside the AP Top 25, 10 points away from #25 OklahomaĀ State. The teams will play at Lincoln Financial Field in 2017.Ā The Minutemen enter 2015 after a 3-9 season, although that recordĀ might be misleading. UMass lost five games last season by a touchdownĀ or less, including Power Five teams Colorado and Vanderbilt.Ā 

Blake Frohnaphel returns at quarterback, following a productiveĀ 2014 season where he threw for over 3,300 yards and 23 touchdownsĀ in 10 games. He'll face the Owls' defense who leads theĀ American Athletic Conference with 11 sacks. Their ground game isĀ led by junior Shadrack Abrokwah, who eclipsed 100 yards threeĀ times in 2014. Temple's front seven, led by Tyler Matakevich andĀ Matt Ioannidis, will look to continue their stout defense. FrohnaphelĀ will look to hit senior wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who accumulatedĀ 85 catches for 1,281 yards in 2014. Senior Tavon Young and theĀ secondary will look to build on their strong start to 2015.

Temple's offense has begun 2015 with a strong start. Junior runningĀ back Jahad Thomas followed up his 135-yard game against PennĀ State with 193 yards at Cincinnati. He'll lead the Owls ground attackĀ against a Minutemen defense who allowed over 2,300 rushing yardsĀ last season. P.J. Walker set a career high with a 75.0% completionĀ rate in the win over Penn State, spreading 15 passes to seven differentĀ receivers. Temple's tall wideouts like redshirt senior RobbyAnderson and redshirt sophomore Adonis Jennings will test theĀ UMass secondary, led by Randall Jette.

The Last Time
This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Up Next
Temple will get a bye week before facing Charlotte on Friday, OctoberĀ 2nd at 7:00 p.m. The Owls return to Philadelphia to face TulaneĀ for Homecoming on October 10th.

Last Week
Temple defeated Cincinnati 34-26 in a thrilling American AthleticĀ Conference opener. The Owls' Jahad Thomas eclipsed 300 all-purposeĀ yards with a career-high 193 yards on the ground, combinedĀ with 132 kick return yards and 17 yards receiving, with a pair of totalĀ touchdowns. The defense pestered Bearcats quarterback GunnerĀ Kiel all night, picking off four passes, including Tyler Matakevich'sĀ second of the night with 13 seconds left. The win gave Temple theĀ early lead in the East Division against the consensus preseason favoriteĀ to win the conference.

Press Conference

Game Notes

Conference Release
Temple Men's Basketball 2025-26 All Access | Game 19 & 20 At Rice & UTSA
Monday, January 26
Ep. 32: Faculty Athletics Representative & Temple Professor Dr. Elizabeth Taylor
Friday, January 23
Ep. 31: Gymnastics Student-Athlete Megan White
Tuesday, January 20
K.C. Keeler, Clayton Barnes 1/20/26
Tuesday, January 20