Here’s how a hot mic gave Temple even more motivation ahead of its game against No. 13 Oklahoma

The Temple football team is off to its hottest start since 2019; the Owls are 2-0 for the first time in six seasons while lighting up the scoreboard. They have scored 97 points in two games while the defense has allowed only 17.

However, ahead of Saturday’s massive matchup against No. 13 Oklahoma at Lincoln Financial Field (noon, ESPN2), some of the media covering the Sooners were less than impressed with Temple’s start.

Oklahoma coach Brett Venables spoke to the media on Tuesday about the game and gave Temple praise for its improvement.

» READ MORE: Temple faces a true test against Oklahoma. Can the Owls compete with a nationally ranked opponent?

“Their ability to execute at a really high level offensively and defensively, just giving up under 10 points a game on defense and averaging close to 50 points a game on offense,” Venables said about the Owls. “They’ve done a remarkable job in a very short window of the last several months since they got to campus.”

Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle seemingly echoed Venable’s statement. He spoke about the Owls defense, most notably linebacker Cam’ron Stewart, who leads the team with three sacks. However, he acknowledged Stewart only by his jersey number because he blanked on his name.

After those remarks, neither Venables nor his staff appeared to be asked about Temple. Additionally, during the press conference, reporters were caught on a hot mic discussing coming to Lincoln Financial Field and the expected attendance.

“It’ll be like coming to a high school game,” one person can be heard saying.

Another reporter said the game’s atmosphere would essentially be like “a weird bowl game.” Before long, the conversation turned to how low attendance at the Linc would be, considering that some sections of the field are not being sold.

Since 2019, Temple’s average attendance (29,459) has declined year by year. That number dropped to 21,464 during the 2021 campaign and then to 17,277 in 2022. Now, the program’s attendance has been meandering in the 13,000s for the last two seasons, according to recent data compiled by D1ticker.com. Lincoln Financial Field’s website lists the stadium’s capacity at 67,594.

» READ MORE: Here comes Oklahoma. Red-hot Temple is wary, ready, and confident. ‘I like our chances to be right there.’

Even when marketable opponents have traveled to the Linc, the popularity has remained difficult enough to garner a crowd. When Miami (Fla.) traveled to Philadelphia in 2023, a little more than 17,000 fans watched the game on a rainy Saturday afternoon. And when Army played Temple in a prime-time game last season, only 13,255 fans showed up. The last time Temple drew 20,000 fans for a game that wasn’t homecoming was Sept. 25, 2021, when the Owls defeated Wagner.

Requests for comment from Temple’s athletic department regarding ticket sales for Saturday’s game were not returned by the time of this report. On Thursday morning, Temple’s ticket office sent out a reminder on its email list that tickets are still available for the game.

Regarding the hot mic slipup, Temple coach K.C. Keeler and the rest of the team are taking it as motivation.

“You don’t understand, there’s a different energy in our building right now,” Keeler told 97.5 The Fanatic. “Just a real positive, let’s go at these guys, we can do this sort of mentality. The type of energy they are getting is one of ‘Where is Temple again? What level of football do they play?’”

Oklahoma came away with a 51-3 win against Temple in 2024, but there has been a noticeable shift at Edberg-Olson Hall this season. Keeler has been committed to changing the culture, while going back to the program’s roots with Al Golden and Matt Rhule, an era when the Owls flourished.

Golden revived the program in the mid-2000s and helped secure Temple’s first winning season since 1990.

Rhule built on the foundation Golden laid, winning 28 games in four seasons. The Owls secured 10 wins in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons and won the American Conference title in 2016.

Temple gets its first real test of the season against the Sooners after lopsided wins against Massachusetts and Howard. While the expectation from oddsmakers — who have the Owls as 21.5 point underdogs — is that Temple will be handed its first loss under Keeler, the team doesn’t see it as an automatic loss.

“I think when people went through their schedule, looking at the number of wins, I’m sure Temple was just a simple ‘check that one off,’” Keeler said. “I don’t think we see it that way.”

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