Temple Football: Owls battle Tulsa for second win of the season

Tulsa and Temple football both hope to get back to .500 on Thursday night. They face one another in the first AAC game of the year for both teams.

Since the start of the 2018 season, Temple and Tulsa both went 1-2 through the first quarter of the regular season. Now they face one another in a Thursday night game on ESPN that will provide an opportunity for both sides to claw back from a losing record.

Temple fell in the season opener at home to FCS Villanova in a 19-17 game that was a lot closer on the scoreboard than it was in terms of dominance. The Wildcats offense generated more than 400 total yards, while Villanova’s defense held Temple to only 251 yards overall. The Owls followed up the loss to an FCS opponent by dropping their follow-up 36-29 to MAC East threat Buffalo.

Then the Owls went on the road and knocked off Maryland in a 35-14 rout. That result forced everyone to reevaluate their thinking about the Owls. Entering the contest, the Terrapins averaged 193 passing yards per game and 293 rushing yards per game in their first two outings against Texas and Bowling Green. The Owls slowed Maryland, holding the Terps to just 63 passing yards and 132 rushing yards.

Tulsa followed a more understandable path. They beat FCS Central Arkansas in their season opener 38-27, then dropped the next two against Texas and Arkansas State. After years of being defined by the pass, the Golden Hurricane have become more of a run-dependent team in 2018.

That will be worth watching against a Temple team that averages 145 yards allowed on the ground. Here’s how you can watch the Thursday night game between Temple and Tulsa:

Date: Thursday, Sept. 20
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Philadelphia, Pa.
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Temple needs to key in and stop Tulsa’s running attack. Shamari Roberts is averaging more than 100 yards per game, and reducing his productivity will be key to Temple’s chances of getting back to .500. They also need a more efficient performance from Frank Nutile, who has already thrown four interceptions in three games.

Tulsa likewise needs quarterback Luke Skipper to avoid turnovers. Skipper has tossed three picks to date, and he has also coughed up two fumbles to opponents. For Tulsa to have a shot of winning on the road in Philadelphia, they need to prevent mistakes across the board after averaging 7.7 penalties per game.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Temple -7
Over/Under: 55

Prediction

Temple is going to have a relatively straightforward time against the Golden Hurricane on Thursday night. Nutile will throw for at least 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Ryquell Armstead will outgain Shamari Roberts on the ground. Look for Temple to beat the spread, but hold Tulsa down enough that betting the under will be wise.

Final Score: Temple 31, Tulsa 14