Temple defense clamps down on Penn State after first quarter

After Penn State running back Akeel Lynch broke off a 42-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that made it 10-0, it seemed the Nittany Lions were on their way to a 40th straight victory against Temple.

But it turned out to be a cue for Temple to start overpowering the Lions.

The Owls defense dominated, particularly along the line of scrimmage, making the Penn State offensive linemen look as if they had never met, let alone spent hours practicing together during the spring and summer. The Owls went on to beat Penn State, 27-10, for the first time since Oct. 18, 1941.

Temple's defense abused Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, sacking him 10 times to set an American Athletic Conference record. Tyler Matakevich notched three of them. Nate D. Smith, moved over to defensive end from linebacker this season, had a pair, and Jarred Alwan, Matt Ioannidis, Haason Reddick, and Avery Williams all had at least one.

"Their O-line was a little weak, and we exposed their weaknesses," Smith said. "We felt like we were manhandling them going into the fourth quarter. We weren't going to let them get back into the game. We never looked at the scoreboard, we just kept on going."

The most dramatic play by the defense came from reserve end Sharif Finch. He reached out and snatched a Hackenberg pass with one hand and returned it 26 yards to the Lions' 2. Following a pass interference call against the Lions, Temple, which scored 27 unanswered points, took a 17-10 lead on quarterback P.J. Walker's 1-yard run late in the third.

Hackenberg completed just 11 of his 25 passes for 103 yards, barely avoiding setting a career low for yardage with his last completion.

Temple coach Matt Rhule knew his team was capable of playing very good defense, especially after last season, when it was fourth in the nation in scoring defense. But he wanted a more physical football team, and, after Saturday, it appears that is what he has.

"We just want to be more physical than last year because it wasn't good enough," Rhule said. "Eventually, we just started shutting down the run."

The Lions rushed for 88 yards in the first quarter but finished with just 77 yards on the ground. After Penn State piled up five first-quarter first downs, Temple won that battle the rest of the way, 15-4.

Temple's defense will be tested again Saturday, when the Owls travel to Cincinnati, the favorite to win the AAC title. However, this defense returns all 11 starters from last season. The players are more mature, and they don't anticipate a letdown despite the historic nature of Saturday's win.

"All the hours, the late nights that we put in," Matakevich said. "But we have been preparing to be this way for months now. We won't be looking past anyone. There are areas where we can improve."