Temple healthier heading into South Florida game
Unlike last week when Temple football coach Matt Rhule detailed a long list of injuries, he said Monday that he expects virtually everyone to play Saturday in a key game at South Florida.
Unlike last week when Temple football coach Matt Rhule detailed a long list of injuries, he said Monday that he expects virtually everyone to play Saturday in a key game at South Florida.
The one exception is center Kyle Friend, who will miss his second game with a knee injury and could be out much longer, Rhule said in a conference call with reporters.
No. 21 Temple (8-1, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) can clinch the East Division title with a win. USF (5-4, 3-2) remains alive in the division and can become bowl eligible with a victory.
South Florida is coming off a 22-17 win at East Carolina and is playing its best football of the season, having won four of its last five games.
The Owls beat host Southern Methodist, 60-40, on Friday. However, they led by only 45-40 until they put the game away with two touchdowns in the final two minutes. Rhule said several things have to be cleaned up, with penalties at the top of the list.
Temple was penalized seven times for 81 yards against SMU. The Owls are 10th in the 12-team AAC in penalties, averaging 72.8 yards per game. That puts Temple tied for 112th nationally.
"We're doing something wrong in terms of penalties and we have to get it corrected," Rhule said. "As we get ready to play against an extremely talented and well-coached team, we have to focus on ourselves and cut down on the penalties and getting back to playing Temple football."
Temple is tied for 20th in the nation in scoring defense after being in the top 10 for most of the season. The Owls are allowing 18.4 points per game.
"Defensively, this will be the best team we face other than Florida State," USF coach Willie Taggart said on the same conference call.
USF lost to Florida State, 34-14. Florida State is tied for 12th in the nation in scoring defense at 17.4 points per game.
The Owls missed several tackles against SMU. In addition, Rhule said the offensive line had communication breakdowns.
Rhule will have plenty to address with his team this week. The Owls have a chance to earn a berth in the AAC's inaugural conference title game, but he hopes they are focused solely on the Bulls.
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