Temple preps for season finale against Memphis without bowl eligibility on menu
With little to play for, their focus will be on seniors: "They give us a lot of reason to play at a high level for them and for the legacy they’re leaving behind," head coach Stan Drayton says.
Temple finishes its 2023 campaign on Friday (noon, ESPN) at Lincoln Financial Field as it takes on the high-powered Memphis Tigers offense (8-3, 5-2 American Athletic Conference) without the possibility of bowl eligibility.
With little to play for, the Owls’ focus will be on their seniors. Because of COVID-19, seniors can play a fifth year, but there has been no official word on whether this year’s players plan to exercise that option.
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Wide receiver Amad Anderson Jr., tight end David Martin-Robinson, and linebackers Layton Jordan, Jordan Magee, and Yvandy Rigby are among Temple’s seniors.
“We have our seniors to play for,” head coach Stan Drayton said. “They’ve been through so much. Obviously, I haven’t been here their whole career for a lot of them. But to just see the growth that has taken place with them within our culture has left a lasting impression on the coaches as well as the teammates. They give us a lot of reason to play at a high level for them and for the legacy they’re leaving behind.”
On the field, the Tigers are going in the opposite direction of the Owls. Memphis is bowl-eligible for the 10th consecutive season. Even though losing to SMU last week took the Tigers out of contention for the AAC title, they were heavily in the mix for most of the season.
Memphis is the second-highest scoring offense in the AAC coming into this game, with 39.2 points per game. Meanwhile, the Owls are 11th in the AAC at 21.1 points per game. Memphis is led by junior quarterback Seth Henigan, who has thrown for 3,266 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is second in the AAC behind E.J. Warner in passing yards per game with 296.9.
Defensively, the Tigers are more middle of the pack. Memphis’ defense is led by redshirt sophomore linebacker Chandler Martin, who leads the team and is fourth in the AAC with 82 tackles. The Tigers give up nearly 30 points per game, so this is an opportunity for the Owls to end the season on a high note.
With a loss, Temple will finish with the same record as it did the previous two seasons — and also would go another year with only one AAC win. No matter the result of the game, it will be the fourth consecutive year the Owls will finish below .500 and miss a bowl game.