In final nonconference test, it’s clean-up time for Temple football

With one nonconference game remaining, Temple needs to clean things up Saturday against visiting Massachusetts.

Coming off a 16-14 loss to Rutgers last Saturday, in a game that featured the first career start for freshman quarterback E.J. Warner, the Owls (1-2) showed resolve — and nearly edged out a win against the Scarlet Knights.

First-year head coach Stan Drayton was aggressive with his fourth-down play-calling, attempting six fourth-down conversions and succeeding on three. Two of the failed attempts gave Rutgers field position in Temple’s territory and led to six crucial points.

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Even after a weekend to think about it, Drayton remained firm on his decisions.

“I feel great about those calls,” he said earlier this week. “I believe in our players to be able to make those plays. When our defense is playing as well as they’re playing, we’re allowed to be really aggressive on offense.”

With UMass (1-2), an FBS independent that finished 1-11 in 2021, Drayton and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf will look to keep the pedal to the metal.

Warner is the future of Temple football and, should he remain with the Owls, is arguably the key piece to Drayton’s tenure at Temple. With that being said, Warner needs protection. Temple may be second in the American Athletic Conference in fewest sacks allowed with only two, but that’s mainly because of Warner’s quick release. The 6-foot, 190-pound son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner is constantly being hit and hurried, which does not bode well for his numbers or his long-term health.

“We need to get more consistency around E.J.,” Drayton said. “We need to protect him so he can throw his ball on time.”

Temple also ranks at the bottom of the conference in rushing yards with just 260 yards, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Chris Wiesehan’s offensive line hasn’t been able to create lanes for anyone in Temple’s committee of running backs, leading to Warner’s frequent dropbacks and subsequent harassment from pass rushers. If the Owls can’t figure out their protection against UMass before heading down to Memphis, another dreadful season of conference play could be on the horizon.

Redshirt junior tight end Jordan Smith has begun to carry over his success from 2021 and cemented himself as the best receiving tight end on Temple’s roster. Smith is on a two-game touchdown streak at the moment and his usage is increasing every week that redshirt junior David Martin-Robinson misses with what is presumed to be a shoulder injury from last year.

Temple and UMass have played each other twice, in 2015 and 2017, with the Owls winning both games.

“They have a very expansive blitz package that we need to prepare for,” Drayton said about UMass. “The offensive line has to be locked in. We have to play as a cohesive unit.”

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Following the UMass game, Temple opens conference play on the road next Saturday against Memphis (noon, 97.5-FM). Temple won last year’s matchup to go up 4-3 in the all-time series.