Temple's P.J. Walker going through growing pains

P.J. Walker knew the expectations would be heightened.

Although he was thrown into the fray as a freshman and finished the 2013 season as the quarterback of the future for a 2-10 team, Walker knew that the challenges for him and teammates would be magnified in the team's second year under coach Matt Rhule.

The Owls (4-2, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) are in the hunt for the AAC title with the season halfway complete, and Walker is acutely aware of his circumstances. Temple plays at Central Florida (4-2, 2-0) on Saturday.

"It's much different because people are looking at you now and saying now you are supposed to win," Walker said Thursday. "That's how we feel, like we are supposed to win. But we don't win if we don't work."

An unknown commodity on a bad team last season, Walker crept up on opponents. Just one of seven true freshman quarterbacks to start at least seven games in 2013, Walker passed for 2,084 yards and 20 touchdowns - two shy of the Temple record for TDs in a season.

He threw three interceptions in a loss to Houston last week. Walker is experiencing growing pains that many young quarterbacks go through. Houston's John O'Korn passed for 28 touchdowns as a freshman last season, but he was benched two games ago in favor of sophomore Greg Ward. In Houston's 31-10 win over the Owls on Friday, Ward completed 29 of 33 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

This season, Walker has passed for less than 207 yards in just one game: Temple's 59-0 rout of Delaware State, when the Owls' special teams and defense combined for three touchdowns. But he has thrown seven interceptions this season, one shy of last year's total.

Behind an offensive line that returned just one starter from 2013, Walker has completed 109 of 186 passes for 1,358 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"Let me say this: P.J. has to play better, there's no doubt about it," Rhule said. "And he knows it. But we all have to play better. But again, the first rule of quarterbacking is don't give up the ball."

In addition to his three interceptions against Houston, Walker fumbled at the 1-yard line early in the third quarter. Houston linebacker Steven Taylor swatted the ball from Walker's hand as he tried to extend it over the goal line, and Houston recovered for a touchback.

"I was trying to do too much and trying to make a play in the heat of the moment," Walker said. "I felt that it was a selfish thing. I should have gone down and just lived to play another down."

The bottom line, though, is that Temple could be in striking distance of a bowl game with a few more wins, and Walker, in 13 starts, is 6-7.

"No one wants to win more than P.J.," Rhule said. "We're building the program and we are happy with him as our quarterback. He's got to get better and he will. That goes for all of us."