Temple falls to Tulane, 37-13, placing its bowl eligibility in jeopardy

One month ago, the Temple Owls seemed like a sure thing to make their first bowl game since 2019. The Owls were 5-3 and riding a two-game win streak.

Now Temple’s hopes are on life support.

The Owls dropped their third straight game in a 37-13 loss to No. 24 Tulane on senior day at Lincoln Financial Field. The loss placed the Owls’ record below .500 for the first time all season.

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Temple (5-6, 3-4 American Conference) recorded just 204 yards of offense and quarterback Evan Simon went 21-for-32 for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Tulane (9-2, 6-1) racked up 406 yards of offense.

“Tulane is a really good football team,” Temple coach K.C. Keeler said. “Our execution level versus their execution level, it was not the same. So disappointing and we have one more shot at this thing.”

The Owls’ last gasp of making bowl eligibility lies in their ability to beat a North Texas team that is tied for first in the American.

Temple’s offense hit a snag against Army and East Carolina in its last two games before the bye week. The Owls offense looked to get back on track against a Tulane defense that ranked last in the American in passing defense.

Instead, Temple’s offense continued to struggle.

The Owls recorded just 21 yards on their first two drives as Tulane jumped in front, 7-0. Temple seemingly unlocked the Green Wave defense with a methodical 75-yard drive to tie the game late in the first quarter.

Then, it disappeared again. The Owls’ lack of offense allowed the Green Wave to open up a three-possession halftime lead.

“I think they started getting a little more pressure and Evan didn’t have the time [in the pocket],” Keeler said. “Typically, in the past, when he has pulled the ball down, he’s been able to get some positive yards. [Tulane] is pretty athletic and pretty talented. They’re the 24th-ranked team in the country for a reason.”

The Owls offense finally got back on the board with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Simon to wide receiver Colin Chase. But it was not a factor in the final outcome.

The running game was especially stagnant for Temple. The Owls had just 20 rushing yards on 20 carries in the game, with their leading rusher Jay Ducker picking up only 17 yards on seven carries.

The Owls secondary has been a point of concern all season, and it took just two plays for Tulane to exploit that weakness.

Quarterback Jake Retzlaff delivered a 69-yard strike to wide receiver Shazz Preston, who beat Temple corner Jaylen Castleberry on Tulane’s second offensive snap to take a 7-0 lead. Retzlaff routinely found open receivers. He finished 17-for-28 for 231 passing yards and two touchdowns.

“We thought they would lull us to sleep a little bit, then take their shots downfield,” Keeler said. “The first drive of the game, I guess the second play of the game [is a shot downfield]. We’re there, we just don’t make a play.”

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Temple’s secondary was also undisciplined. Castleberry and safety Jamere Jones were flagged for pass interference and holding, respectively, on passes downfield. The penalties helped the Green Wave get in position to score another touchdown and take a two-possession lead.

Retzlaff’s calling card is his rushing ability from the quarterback spot. He entered the game as Tulane’s leading rusher with 557 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. The Owls have struggled to stop dual-threat quarterbacks.

Temple successfully contained Retzlaff on the ground, holding him to 8 rushing yards on five carries, and one rushing touchdown.

However, it failed to stop the rest of the Green Wave’s rushing attack.

Running back Jamauri McClure gashed the Owls for 122 yards on 17 carries. Javin Gordon added 27 yards on eight carries as Tulane finished with 175 total yards on the ground.

Temple will hit the road for its final game of the regular season against North Texas (10-1, 6-1) on Friday at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN).