2014 Football Season Recap

Temple Upsets #21 East Carolina on November 1

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

2014 Football Season Recap

12.16.14 | Football

It started on December 2, 2013, when the remaining juniors, sophomores and freshmen from the 2013 Temple Owls football team pushed 45-lb. plates across the football field at 6:00am. Following that 2-10 season in Matt Rhule's first year as head coach, two days after that team defeated Memphis on the road to close out the season, they went to work.

And there was a lot of work ahead. Methodically, Rhule rebuilt the roster by saying goodbye to some players who didn't have a future on this team. Adding some players from junior colleges who could help right away and recruiting what some said was the best class of freshmen to come to North Broad in a long time, was part of the plan.

The process included doing things the right way – on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Early morning offseason drills, tough spring practices – in Camden and other surrounding towns as the team's home, Chodoff Field at Edberg Olson Hall, was being resurfaced.

Rhule had his team ready for opening day, a road game against a Power 5 team. The Temple Owls were anxious to showcase their brand of football to a nationally-televised audience against the SEC's Vanderbilt Commodores. Following a 90-minute lightening delay, the Owls would strut their stuff and beat Vanderbilt, 37-7. Foreshadowing what the season would become for Temple's defense, they racked up seven takeaways. Cornerback Tavon Young had two interceptions and defensive lineman Averee Robinson scooped and scored on a 55-yard fumble return. The defense didn't allow a score and the offense cranked out 351 yards. It was Temple's first win against an SEC team in over 75 years.

Temple returned to Philadelphia for its home opener a week later and couldn't overcome Navy's triple-option offense losing to the Midshipmen 31-24.

The Owls then began a three-game winning streak in impressive fashion with a 59-0 blowout of Delaware State. It was as complete a game as you could want with touchdowns coming from the offense, defense and special teams.

As Temple began American Athletic Conference play, a road win at Connecticut, 36-10, and a win against conference newcomer, Tulsa, 35-24, put the Owls atop the conference with a 4-1 record. Wide receiver Jalen Fitzpatrick emerged as the offense's most potent weapon with his second straight 100-yard receiving game and his fifth straight game with a touchdown reception. The win against Tulsa didn't come without a price though as starting left tackle Dion Dawkins injured his ankle late in the fourth quarter.

Rhule had said throughout the spring and summer that the starters along the offensive line were developing quite well but the depth was very thin. Temple could ill afford an injury to that group.

Dawkins fought through the injury at Houston but his play suffered and he was forced to sit the following week at UCF. However, that was just the start of the line's injury problems as LG Shahbaz Ahmed, RG Brendan McGowan and RT Eric Lofton all missed time due to injury. Temple used six different line combinations from games 6-11.

After road losses to Houston and UCF, Temple returned home to face conference leader, #21/19 East Carolina. The defense held the potent Pirate offense to just 10 points and the Owls played ball-control offense to defeat a ranked team for the first time in 16 seasons. The game proved to be the breakout game for defensive end Praise Martin-Oguike, who had 1.5 sacks and three forced fumbles en route to AAC defensive player of the week honors. He overshadowed linebacker Tyler Matakevich who tied a school record with 16 solo tackles in that game.

With a chance to become bowl eligible, Temple lost three in a row. That road was paved with two home games against Memphis and Cincinnati, both of whom tied for the conference championship at 9-3, 7-1 in conference play. Temple lost to Memphis on a last second field goal, 16-13, and by just one score to Cincinnati, 14-6. Those games were sandwiched around a road loss at Penn State, 30-13.

That search for bowl-eligibility was found in the season finale at Tulane with a gritty 10-3 victory. For the third time this season, the defense held an opponent out of the end zone. The offense made plays when they needed to as quarterback P.J. Walker found wide receiver Romond Deloatch in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter to break the tie. Temple reached .500 and tripled its win total from a year ago but, despite being eligible, the Owls did not receive a bowl invitation.

The 2014 Temple Owls Have:

Recorded their first win vs. an SEC team in 75 years when they beat Vanderbilt, 37-7, on August 28. The last time TU won such a game was a 20-12 victory at Florida on 12/3/38.
Beat #21/19 East Carolina, 20-10, giving the program its third win against a ranked team, and the first in 16 seasons. It was the first time that Temple beat a ranked team at home and was the first time that a ranked college football team ever came to Philadelphia and lost.
Played all three eventual American Athletic Conference Champions and lost by 3, 8 and 20 points. Memphis - on a field goal as time expired; Cincinnati 8 points; UCF – on the road without starting LT Dion Dawkins and three defensive starters (Hershey Walton, Nate D. Smith, Avery Williams).
With six wins following a two win season, the 2014 team became just the second Temple team with more than one victory to triple its win total the following season, and the first in over 65 years. (1945 - 2 to 7 wins).
In the 59-0 win against Delaware State, recorded the largest margin of victory by Temple in the Modern Era (since 1971) … scored the most points by one team ever at Lincoln Financial Field (The Eagles beat Detroit 56-21 in 2007.) … Temple scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams for the first time in the Modern Era … The shutout was the first by Temple's defense since 2011 (vs. Buffalo). (Note: In the season opening 37-7 win at Vanderbilt, the only score by Vanderbilt came via special teams.)
Temple defense or special teams scored a touchdown in each of the season's first four games. Five straight if you include the 2013 season finale.
Temple entered the year with 15 fumble returns for TDs in school history and had four this season.
Temple forced 27 fumbles, the most since 2002 (34). Temple has recovered 19 fumbles, the most in school history.
Temple's nine touchdowns on returns (3 punts, 2 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries) are a school record.
Temple averaged 8.25 points per game off of turnovers – among the best marks in college football.
Temple had 17 different players score TDs this season.
After allowing 102 4th quarter points in 2013, Temple cut that total to 23 in 2014.
Temple had the fewest seniors (8) on its roster; and just five on its two-deep.
Thirty-six players played their first game for Temple in 2014, and 22 players made their first starts.
Temple has played 83 different players. Here is a breakdown:

            8 – Seniors       27 – Juniors       25 – Sophomores       23 - Freshmen
            44 - Starters (24 on Offense, 20 on Defense)
            34 - Played all 11 games (12 on offense, 13 on defense, 9 on special teams)
            5 - Started all 11 games (Friend, Lofton, Walker, Ioannidis, Young)

OFFENSE

After allowing 32 sacks a year ago, Temple's O-line has allowed just 21 in 2014. The 21 sacks are tied for 3rd lowest total in 29 years (18 in 2002; 20 in 2012).
Temple has been sacked once per 19.2 pass attempts – the best mark in school history.
After six games that saw the O-line start the same five players, the Owls had a stretch of six straight games without the same starting unit.
Temple has runs of 75 (Kenneth Harper, TD) and 68 (Jahad Thomas) yards this season – two of the top 20 run plays in Temple history. Harper's 75-yard TD was the 7th longest TD run in school history.
Temple has pass plays of 75 (Jalen Fitzpatrick, TD) and 75, 74 and 72 (Jahad Thomas) yards – four of the top 20 pass plays in Temple history.
WR Jalen Fitzpatrick started the season with a TD catch in each of the first five games. The senior also topped the 100-yard plateau on three separate occasions. Not since 1996 has a Temple player had more than the three 100-yard games that Fitzpatrick had in 2014.
P.J. Walker now has 13 200-yard passing games and trails only Henry Burris' 15 in Temple record books.
QB P.J. Walker had a streak of 15 straight games with at least one TD pass which was the 7th longest streak before being broken vs. ECU.
Walker's 2,317 passing yards is the second best single-season total in Temple history. He became just the second player in school history to eclipse the 2,000 plateau twice (Henry Burris did it three times).
In the win vs. Tulsa, RB Jahad Thomas, RB Jamie Gilmore and WR Jalen Fitzpatrick all jumped the century mark. Thomas was 14-152 rushing, Gilmore was 2-100 receiving and Fitzpatrick was 5-107-1TD receiving. For Thomas and Gilmore, it was the first time they reached that plateau. It marked the sixth time that Temple had two 100-yard receivers in the same game and the first since 9/20/03 when Zamir Cobb and Phil Goodman did so vs. Cincinnati. It marked only the second time in school history that a 100-yard rusher joined two 100-yard receivers in the same game – that last happened on 10/5/85 when Paul Palmer joined Willie Marshall and Keith Gloster also vs. Cincinnat

DEFENSE

Temple's defense transformed into one of the best in the nation – ranking 11th in scoring defense allowing under 20 points per game (17.5) after allowing 29.8 a year ago. Not only did they allow fewer points, but they also scored six touchdowns (four fumble recoveries and two interception returns), trailing only Washington's seven.
Four of those scored have been over 55 yards – 93 (Young-INT), 65 (Finch-INT), 63 (Young-FR), and 55 (Robinson-FR).
Aiding in the transformation of TU's defense has been its penchant for takeaways. Temple is among the Top 5 in the NCAA this season with 30, including 19 fumble recoveries which tied for the top spot with Florida International.
The most dramatic improvement in Temple's defense has come in the passing game where the unit shaved over 100 yards per game from a year ago. This year, the unit allowed just 186.9 yards per game after allowing 298.6 a year ago. They allowed just nine scoring passes after 24 one season ago. Generating a pass rush has helped the cause – Temple recorded 25 sacks after just 19 in 2013.
Temple held opponents to nine passing TDs - tied for 2nd lowest total in Modern Era (9 in 2010; 7 in 1979).
Temple allowed 2,243 passing yards, the 2nd lowest total in 13 seasons (2,138 in 2010).
The defense forced opponents to punt 73 times; a school record.
Temple held opponents to 210 points - second lowest total in 30 years (181 in 2011; 180 in 1984).
Temple held opponents to 12 rushing TDs - third lowest total in 30 years (9 in 2009; 11 in 2011).
Only three defensive players in the country had more than the two defensive TDs that Sharif Finch and Tavon Young recorded.
CB Tavon Young's 93 yard INT return at Connecticut is the second longest INT return in Temple history.
LB Tyler Matakevich with 117 tackles became only the third player in school history to record 100+ tackles in three consecutive seasons joining Steve Conjar (1979-81) and Joe Klecko (1974-76). Matakevich led the conference and ranked second in the country with 88 solo tackles (tied with Kansas' Ben Heeney).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Temple led the nation with three blocked punts (including two for touchdowns). They also had two blocked field goals.
Temple is the only team in the nation to rank in the Top 20 in punt return yards (12.3; 16th) and fewest allowed (3.0; 6th).
Temple held opponents to a punt return average of 3.0 yards, the lowest recorded total in the Modern Era (since 1971).
Temple's three punt returns is a school record for a season and 12.3 yards per return is the 3rd best mark (13,2 in 1990, 12.6 in 1994).
Temple's special teams was bolstered by the play of three walk-on freshmen - K Austin Jones, P Alex Starzyk and LS Corey Lerch.
WR Khalif Herbin's 84-yard punt return against Delaware State is the second longest in Temple history.
DB Boye Aromire had three forced fumbles on kickoffs this season. Temple recovered all three, with Aromire coming up with two himself.

SEASON RECAP