Temple falls to No. 18 Georgia Tech, but some takeaways bode well for the Owls

Temple looked like it was dead in the water after just 15 minutes against No. 18 Georgia Tech on Saturday in Atlanta.

The Yellow Jackets had the game in cruise control after putting up 21 points and out-gaining the Owls in total yards by 138.

However, the Owls weren’t ready to roll over.

Temple scored a touchdown to open the second quarter to trim the deficit to 14 points. The Owls’ defense flipped a switch and began shutting down a potent Yellow Jackets offense.

In the end, Georgia Tech proved too much for Temple, which dropped its second straight game to a ranked opponent, 45-24.

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The Owls (2-2) forced three-and-outs time and time again, giving their offense a chance. They would find the end zone again to open the second half, but that’s as close as they would get.

Georgia Tech (4-0) reignited its offense and scored on back-to-back second-half drives to push its lead back to 21 points.

Georgia Tech entered the game as one of the premier rushing teams in the country and made that known right away. Quarterback Haynes King scored the Yellow Jackets’ first touchdown of the day with a 17-yard run to set the tone.

The trio of King and running backs Jamal Haynes and Malachi Hosely got whatever they wanted against the Owls’ defense in the first quarter. They took turns ripping off strong runs as Georgia Tech ended the first quarter with 67 rushing yards.

Temple slowed down the run game in the second quarter before Georgia Tech broke the game open on the ground.

The Yellow Jackets piled on 119 rushing yards in the third quarter as they routinely gashed Temple’s defense up front. Hosely, the transfer from Penn and reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, posted touchdown runs of 34 and 2 yards to push a 21-14 lead to 35-14. The Yellow Jackets finished the game with 307 rushing yards on more than 8 yards per carry. Haynes led the way with 107 yards, and Hosely added 59.

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After the first quarter, the Owls were down 21 points and looked like a pushover on both sides of the ball. However, the second quarter offered a different story.

The Owls’ defense put Georgia Tech’s run-happy offense in a box. The Yellow Jackets had zero rushing yards and just 9 total yards in the second quarter. They also gained zero first downs, giving Temple a chance to hang around.

Running back Jay Ducker punched home Temple’s first touchdown to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive to start the second quarter. The Owls’ offense couldn’t find the scoreboard again before halftime, but the improved quarter of play kept the game within reach.

The Owls carried that momentum into the third quarter by forcing a fumble on Georgia Tech’s first drive, setting them up at the Yellow Jackets’ 31-yard line. Quarterback Evan Simon found JoJo Bermudez for a 28-yard touchdown pass to make it a one-possession game.

Simon finished the game going 13-for-32 passing for 127 yards and a touchdown. He also added a career-high 68 yards on the ground.

Simon’s compiled a team-high 44 first-half rushing yards and routinely extended plays by evacuating the pocket. That included a 34-yard carry on Temple’s second play of the second quarter to set up its first touchdown.

While Simon impressed with his running ability, his performance through the air left something to be desired.

Simon continuously rushed throws, which nearly resulted in interceptions multiple times. His completion percentage sat below 50% at halftime and did not improve in the second half. He ended the game with a completion percentage of just 41%.

Simon was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter for backup Gevani McCoy, who threw a touchdown pass in garbage time.

Temple will have a week off before kicking off conference play against the University of Texas at San Antonio (1-2, 0-0 American) at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 4.

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