Temple won its opener but didn’t meet expectations. How will it adjust against Penn State?

Temple finally showcased the fruits of its weeks’ worth of fall training camp and did it with a two-quarterback system and a whole lot of running the football.

Sharing the reins, Ajani Sheppard completed 5 of 10 passes for 85 yards, while Jaxon Smolik completed 4 of 6 for 57 yards. Smolik was sacked twice and fumbled two times, but also threw Temple’s (1-0, 0-0 American) only passing touchdown in a season-opening 38-14 win over Rhode Island. Sheppard looked far more comfortable carrying the ball.

But the real story of the ground game was running back Keveun Mason, who stepped in for banged-up Sam Brown. He exploded for 158 yards — just nine fewer than his total from all of 2025 — and two touchdowns.

Now head coach K.C. Keeler’s Owls are preparing for a major step up in competition against No. 18 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) on Saturday afternoon (12 p.m., ESPN2).

“Monday’s a cleanup day for us,” Keeler said. “You can just feel the low energy. I think they were just disappointed they didn’t play better [against Rhode Island]. … But at the same time, I am very appreciative of the fact they have very high expectations of where this team should go and what we can do.”

The Owls answered questions regarding who will be the starting quarterback by unorthodoxly starting with both candidates on the field. Smolik took the opening snap from center Grayson Mains before handing it off to Sheppard, who found wide receiver Colin Chase for 21 yards.

Then Temple began to stagger snaps between them. They each took 31 snaps, according to Keeler. After the win, Keeler said he didn’t see either move the needle in terms of securing the position, and he’s still unsure what it will look like this Saturday.

The upcoming days of practice could reveal who the starter will be against Penn State. Keeler and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker will review the tape in hopes of getting closer to a decision. Walker hails from a Montana State offense that featured a two-headed snake at quarterback in 2022 and 2023 .

But the Owls are looking to stray away from that game plan long term. As for the QB plan against PSU, Temple’s still undecided on who, but Keeler said there are kinks to be ironed out for both.

“There might be some collaborativeness in the effort, but eventually someone’s got to play more snaps than the other guy,” Keeler said. “But like I said, if you look at it, there’s some good things you could take, but we need more consistency.

“And that’s for both of them.”

Temple has already dealt with injuries to key players, as left tackle Giakoby Hills and linebacker Eric Stuart exited early against Rhode Island. Left guard Eric King, safety Avery Powell, and Brown did not feature against the Rams, though it’s possible Powell plays this weekend. None of their specific injuries have been announced.

Hills has been confirmed to miss at least six weeks, stretching past the Owls’ first bye week in late October. King, Powell, and Brown participated in Monday’s practice.

Adding to the injured offensive line is Kevin Terry, who didn’t participate in practice. The redshirt junior has been hampered by injuries the past two years, missing the season debut against Howard in 2025 and sitting out two games in 2024. Keeler has labeled him as a game-time decision. Terry’s presence on Saturday would be a huge help in wrestling with Penn State’s big defensive ends.

» READ MORE: Sam Brown almost walked away from football. Now he looks to lead Temple’s backfield.

But perhaps the largest looming factor is Brown’s situation. The Rutgers transfer has emerged as one of Temple’s key players and was awarded a single-digit jersey number in August. Keeler doesn’t want to push his health, but Brown has been progressing quicker than expected, with the coach labeling him another game-time decision.

“It’s a long season, and I don’t want to put him out there if he’s 85%, not against Penn State,” Keeler said. “To be honest, I think there was a chance you said, “OK, we’re shooting for Toledo.’ Now, we’re shooting for Penn State, because he’s felt really good out there.”