Football Travels to UCF for Conference Matchup

Temple takes to the road for the second straight week, traveling to Orlando, Fla., to do battle with the UCF Knights. The game is scheduled for Saturday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. and will air on ESPNU and 97.5 The Fanatic, Temple football's flagship radio station. After falling last Thursday to Memphis in the team's opening conference road matchup, Temple aims to rebound against a UCF squad that failed to play this past weekend due to a postponed game with Tulane, courtesy of Hurricane Matthew. The Owls enter with high hopes, though, following a career performance by senior QB Phillip Walker in the losing effort last Thursday, setting a school record for pass attempts (59) while tying records for both completions (36) and passing yards (445). Senior RB Jahad Thomas continued to impress as well, generating 158 total yards and two touchdowns, notching a school record for consecutive games with two or more scores (4). The matchup with the Knights, who currently sit at 3-2 (1-0 American), marks an important conference clash for both Temple (3-3, 1-1 American) and the East Division, as the Owls still maintain the ability to defend last season's division title by winning out the remainder of the year. Much of the pressure will fall on Temple's defensive front, as they face a powerful rushing offense averaging 232.8 yards per game.

LAST WEEK
Coming up short in a high-scoring inter-conference battle, Temple lost to the Memphis Tigers last Thursday. The Owls dominated the early stages of the game, jumping out to a 13-3 lead going into halftime. From there, the teams' luck would turn, giving up 31 points in the second half while only scoring 14 of their own. Quarterback Phillip Walker set a school record for passing attempts (59) as well tying the mark for passing yards (445) and completions (36), in the losing effort. Defensive lineman Haason Reddick continued his dominant play, notching two sacks during the game, bringing his season total to 4.5. Running back Jahad Thomas also had a big day, accounting for 158 yards from scrimmage and two receiving touchdowns.

LAST TIME
The last time Temple squared off against UCF was last season, the Owls won 30-16 en route to their 6th victory of the year. A strong performance was turned in by RB Jahad Thomas, who posted 199 yards on 31 carries for three touchdowns, single-handedly controlling the scoreboard for Temple throughout the matchup. QB Phillip Walker put together a solid performance as well, finishing 15-of-27 for 149 yards and one touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, LB Jarred Alwan generated seven total tackles while both DL Praise Martin-Oguike and DB Nate L. Smith added three apiece. Finally, then-redshirt freshman WR Ventell Bryant caught his first career touchdown.

UP NEXT
The Owls will return to Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, October 21, to host USF in a nationally televised game on ESPN. This will be their fourth consecutive conference matchup, with the game slated to kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

Game Notes | Press Conference | Player Interviews

Temple University Athletics

Football Travels to UCF for Conference Matchup

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Players Mentioned

Jarred Alwan

Ventell Bryant

Praise Martin-Oguike

Haason Reddick

Nate L. Smith

Jahad Thomas

Phillip Walker

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