Temple University Athletics
Saturday, November 28
Lincoln Financial Field
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
UConn
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
#25 Football Hosts UConn for Senior Day
11.24.15 | Football
This Week
In the final home game of the regular season for the Owls at Lincoln Financial Field, #25 (AP) Temple hosts UConn. It's Senior Night for the 23 Owls playing their final home game. Temple comes off a 31-12 win against Memphis, while the Huskies beat Houston, 20-17. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU and carried on 97.5 The Fanatic.
Temple's offense has benefited from its seniors up front and in skill positions. Led by Shahbaz Ahmed, Eric Lofton, and Kyle Friend, the Owls' line has cut down sacks while leading the nation in time of possession improvement from 2014. Junior quarterback P.J. Walker has surpassed 2,000 yards for the third consecutive season and junior running back Jahad Thomas earned his first 1,000-yard season on the ground. The duo are only the second pair in Owls history to accomplish the feat in the same season. Robby Anderson, John Christopher, and Brandon Shippen have led the surging receiving corps. Anderson leads the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Christopher has played in every Owls game since 2012. He has also thrown and caught 2-point conversions with P.J. Walker, the only teammates in the nation to do so this season. UConn brings a stingy defense that is the conference's best in interceptions. Cornerback Jamar Summers leads the American with seven.
Temple's defense will see nine seniors play their final game at Lincoln Financial Field. For senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich, the Connecticut native who leads all active FBS tacklers, this game will be special. He'll lead the Owls against a balanced Huskies offense. Junior quarterback Bryant Shirreffs has over 2,500 yards total offense and has not played against Temple in the past two seasons. Sophomore running back Arkeel Newsome has collected over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. They'll face a tough Owls defense that has played very well at home. Matt Ioannidis, Nate D. Smith, and Hershey Walton highlight a deep defensive line that is one of the best in the conference in sacks. Tavon Young, Alex Wells, and Will Hayes lead a strong secondary that has recorded 15 interceptions.
The Last Time
Temple and UConn met at East Hartford on September 27, 2014, with the Owls winning 36-10. Temple opened scoring with a 93-yard interception return by Tavon Young. Praise Martin-Oguike returned a fumble 11 yards for a score in the second half, and Matakevich punctuated his homecoming with his first career safety on a sack. P.J. Walker threw for a score and ran for another. Temple was able to avenge the 2013 loss in Coach Rhule's first season.
Up Next
A win means the Owls will play in the conference championship.
Last Week
Temple defeated #21 Memphis 31-12 at Lincoln Financial Field. P.J. Walker threw his 50th career touchdown pass to set a new school record. The defense limited QB Paxton Lynch to 156 yards and no touchdowns.
Game Notes | Conference Release | Coach Rhule's Press Conference | Player Interviews
In the final home game of the regular season for the Owls at Lincoln Financial Field, #25 (AP) Temple hosts UConn. It's Senior Night for the 23 Owls playing their final home game. Temple comes off a 31-12 win against Memphis, while the Huskies beat Houston, 20-17. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU and carried on 97.5 The Fanatic.
Temple's offense has benefited from its seniors up front and in skill positions. Led by Shahbaz Ahmed, Eric Lofton, and Kyle Friend, the Owls' line has cut down sacks while leading the nation in time of possession improvement from 2014. Junior quarterback P.J. Walker has surpassed 2,000 yards for the third consecutive season and junior running back Jahad Thomas earned his first 1,000-yard season on the ground. The duo are only the second pair in Owls history to accomplish the feat in the same season. Robby Anderson, John Christopher, and Brandon Shippen have led the surging receiving corps. Anderson leads the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Christopher has played in every Owls game since 2012. He has also thrown and caught 2-point conversions with P.J. Walker, the only teammates in the nation to do so this season. UConn brings a stingy defense that is the conference's best in interceptions. Cornerback Jamar Summers leads the American with seven.
Temple's defense will see nine seniors play their final game at Lincoln Financial Field. For senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich, the Connecticut native who leads all active FBS tacklers, this game will be special. He'll lead the Owls against a balanced Huskies offense. Junior quarterback Bryant Shirreffs has over 2,500 yards total offense and has not played against Temple in the past two seasons. Sophomore running back Arkeel Newsome has collected over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. They'll face a tough Owls defense that has played very well at home. Matt Ioannidis, Nate D. Smith, and Hershey Walton highlight a deep defensive line that is one of the best in the conference in sacks. Tavon Young, Alex Wells, and Will Hayes lead a strong secondary that has recorded 15 interceptions.
The Last Time
Temple and UConn met at East Hartford on September 27, 2014, with the Owls winning 36-10. Temple opened scoring with a 93-yard interception return by Tavon Young. Praise Martin-Oguike returned a fumble 11 yards for a score in the second half, and Matakevich punctuated his homecoming with his first career safety on a sack. P.J. Walker threw for a score and ran for another. Temple was able to avenge the 2013 loss in Coach Rhule's first season.
Up Next
A win means the Owls will play in the conference championship.
Last Week
Temple defeated #21 Memphis 31-12 at Lincoln Financial Field. P.J. Walker threw his 50th career touchdown pass to set a new school record. The defense limited QB Paxton Lynch to 156 yards and no touchdowns.
Game Notes | Conference Release | Coach Rhule's Press Conference | Player Interviews
Players Mentioned
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