Matakevich a pillar on Temple's defense this season

ONE OF the few constants during Temple's coaching transition from Steve Addazio to Matt Rhule has been linebacker Tyler Matakevich.

He was there for the program's final year in the Big East, in 2012, when he won multiple awards, including the 2012 Big East Rookie of the Year as a true freshman and a spot on the all-conference second team. He was the first Owls freshman to record 100 tackles in a season, finishing with 101.

Then came last year, a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator in Phil Snow and a new defensive scheme. Matakevich earned preseason first-team honors in the American Athletic Conference. And on a struggling 2-10 team, he led the nation with 8.8 solo tackles per game - eventually becoming a postseason all-conference selection and earned honorable mention as an All-American from Sports Illustrated.

But last year, with a new attitude under Rhule and scheme under Snow, Matakevich became the heart and soul of Temple's defense. It was Matakevich who stood among reporters after a heartbreaking, last-minute loss to No. 15 Central Florida and spoke up for his group.

"We're fighting out there. We can hang with anybody," he said on that devastating Saturday afternoon last year. "I don't care what anybody says, this team is good. We are a good football team, but we're just on the short end of the stick right now."

Fast-forward a year, against another nationally ranked opponent Saturday in No. 21 East Carolina, and the Owls were on the other end of that stick.

The defense, which had surrendered 65 points in the 2 weeks prior - both losses, to conference foes Houston and Central Florida - was the star of the show.

Temple (5-3, 3-2 American) held the conference's most prolific offense to 10 points - winning 20-10 - a far cry from the Pirates' 36 points per game. And Matakevich was at the center of it all, willing the defense to victory with a school-record 16 total tackles in wet conditions. The junior had one of Temple's five recovered fumbles, broke up a pass and recorded a tackle for loss.

Rhule stressed defense all week long leading up to Saturday's win, the Owls' first over a Top 25 team since 1998. Last year, Temple ranked eighth in the conference in scoring defense. This year, it is second, surrendering only 18.4 points per game.

"I don't pretend to be a great man," Rhule said. "I think after that game at UCF [this year], I think I said about 100 prayers that night, like, 'What in the world am I doing?' And it just kept coming back to this is how we win here. We play good special teams, we have to play great defense, we have to get to the quarterback, we have to knock the ball out."

Days after last year's trying season ended, with a 41-21 win over Memphis, Rhule and the Owls donned shirts leading up to this year with the motto "Never Again." Never again would Temple take winning lightly, never again would Temple be outworked.

"We truly believe that," Matakevich said. "It's just sort of funny, you always hear coaches and people say like, 'I watch them grow up right in front of me.'

"Just watching this defense really progress into something special, I've learned more from these other players and just watching everyone feed off each other and their mentalities change from pointing fingers to coming off the field saying, 'I messed up.'

"That right there says it all. I couldn't be any more prouder of this defense right now."

Matakevich played every snap on defense and on the punt team on Saturday. The Stratford, Conn., native, who leads Temple with 75 tackles, will be at the center of the homestretch on defense. One win shy of becoming bowl-eligible, Temple will again face stiff competition, starting with Friday's home game against Memphis. From there, the Owls travel to Penn State before rounding out the year against AAC rivals Cincinnati and Tulane.

"I just think Tyler is completely bought into what we're doing and understands the whys," Rhule said. "When you understand the whys, it allows you to go make moments like this."

In a non-shocking development, Temple defensive end Praise Martin-Oguike garnered a few awards following his dominant performance in Saturday's win. Martin-Oguike forced three of Temple's eight forced fumbles, sacked East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden 1.5 times and recorded 3.5 tackles for loss. He also blocked a field goal.

Yesterday, he was named AAC Defensive Player of the Week. That followed up Sunday's announcement that he was named the Walter Camp National Player of the Week.

Tyler Matakevich's showing on Saturday earned him a spot on the conference's weekly honor roll.

Friday's home game against Memphis (5-3, 3-1), which begins at 7:30 p.m., will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.