Expanded football preview: Temple at Navy
Temple at Navy
When: Saturday, noon, Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000), Annapolis, MD
Records: Temple (9-3 overall, 7-1 American Athletic Conference); Navy (9-2, 7-1).
Television: ABC.
Coaches: Temple, Matt Rhule (4th season, 27-23); Navy, Ken Niumatalolo (9th season, 77-39).
All-time series: Navy leads, 6-5.
Last meeting: September 6, 2014, Navy won 31-24 in Philadelphia.
Scoring offense: Temple, 32.8 ppg.; Navy, 41.7 ppg.
Scoring defense: Temple, 17.8 ppg.; Navy, 30.1 ppg.
NAVY
Sept. 3 Fordham, 52-16
Sept. 10 Connecticut, 28-24
Sept. 17 at Tulane, 21-14
Oct. 1 at Air Force, 14-28
Oct. 8 Houston, 46-40
Oct. 22 Memphis, 42-28
Oct. 28 at South Florida, 45-52
Nov. 5 Notre Dame (in Jacksonville), 28-27
Nov. 12 Tulsa, 42-40
Nov. 19 at East Carolina, 66-31
Nov. 26 at SMU, 75-61
TEMPLE
Sept. 2 Army, 13-28
Sept. 10 Stony Brook, 38-0
Sept. 17 at Penn State, 27-34
Sept. 24 Charlotte, 48-20
Oct. 1 SMU, 45-20
Oct. 6 at Memphis, 27-34
Oct. 15 at Central Florida, 26-25
Oct. 21 South Florida, 46-30
Oct. 29 Cincinnati, 34-13
Nov. 4 at Connecticut, 21-0
Nov. 19 at Tulane, 31-0
Nov. 26 East Carolina, 37-10
For Temple: QB Phillip Walker, 5-11, 205 Sr. (186-321 passing, 57.9 percent, 2,700 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INT); LT Dion Dawkins, 6-5, 320, Sr. (38 career starts); RB Jahad Thomas, 5-10, 188, Sr. (856 yards rushing, 4.7 avg., 12 TDs, 30 receptions, 402 yards, 6 TDs); DE Haason Reddick, 6-1, 235, r-Sr. (58 tackles, 21.5 TFL. 9.5 sacks); LB Avery Williams, 5-10, 224, r-Sr. (55 tackles, 9 TFL); DT Averee Robinson, 6-0, 285 Sr. (26 tackles, 6 TFL, 3.0 sacks); WR Keith Kirkwood, 6-3, 218, r-Jr. (31 receptions, 469 yards, 3 TDs); WR Ventell Bryant, 6-3, 189, r-So. (38 receptions, 697 yards, 3 TD); TE-DE Romond Deloatch, 6-4, 220 r-Sr. (17 receptions, 238 yards, 1 TD, 4 sacks, 1 defensive TD); RB Ryquell Armstead, 5-11, 205, So. (842 yards rushing, 6.1 avg. 13 TDs.); LB Stephaun Marshall, 5-11, 206 r-Sr. (55 tackles); SS Delvon Randall, 5-11, 208, So. (53 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 interceptions); DE Praise Martin-Oguike, 6-1, 255 r-Sr. (41 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles); FS Sean Chandler, 6-0, 190, Jr. (36 tackles, 1 INT).
For Navy: QB Will Worth, 6-1, 205, Sr. (1,181 yards rushing, 4.6 avg., 25 TDs, 71-115 passing, 1,363 yards, 8 TDs, 3 INT); WR Jamir Tilman, 6-4, 212, Sr. (32 receptions, 533 yards, 2 TDs); LB Micah Thomas, 6-1, 249, Jr. (82 tackles, 2nd team all-conference); FS Alohi Gilman, 6-0, 200, Fr. (56 tackles); FB Chris High, 6-0, 224, Jr. (473 yards rushing, 6.7 avg., 5 TDs); SB Dishan Romine, 5-11, 178, Sr. (412 yards rushing, 9.4 avg., 1 TD); SB Toneo Gulley, 5-8, 196, Sr. (409 yards rushing, 10.0 avg., 4 TDs); FB Shawn White, 6-1, 255, Sr. (397 yards rushing, 6.1 av., 7 TDs); C Maurice Morris, 6-2, 327, Sr. (second-team all-conference); SS Sean Williams, 6-1, 190, So. (52 tackles); LB D.J. Palmore, 6-3, 236, Jr. (45 tackles, 5.0 sacks); OG Adam West, 6-3, 297, Sr. (1st team-all-conference); LT Blake Copeland, 6-4, 281, Sr. (2nd team all-conference).
About Temple: Temple is third nationally in total defense, allowing 273.4 yards per game... The Owls are 10th in scoring defense (17.8 ppg.)... Coach Matt Rhule said on Friday that Phillip Walker and Ryquell Armstead, both who have injuries, "are both going to try to play."...Walker has been in a walking boot with a foot injury and Armstead has an assortment of injuries...Temple has earned its second straight trip to the AAC title game...Last year the Owls lost, 24-13 at Houston in the championship...During Temple's six-game win streak, the Owls are averaging 37:14 in time of possession...Temple will be heading to bowl games in consecutive years for the first time in school history...Jahad Thomas is third in school history with 38 career touchdowns....With Thomas and Armstead having rushed for 12 and 13 TDs respectively, Temple is one of four schools to have a pair of backs rush for 12 or more TDs...LT Dion Dawkins and DE Hassan Reddick were named first-team all-AAC...Reddick has a league-record 21.5 tackles for loss.
About Navy: The Midshipmen are second in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 342 yards per game...In November, the Navy offense scored on 34 of its 38 drives (.895) with 33 of those drives resulting in a touchdown (.868). Navy is averaging 61 points per game over their last three games and has scored over 60 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1917..The Midshipmen have produced more than 500 yards of total offense in each of the last three contests, a first in school history...Against SMU, Navy dressed 74 players and 73 saw action. The only one who didn't was punter Alex Barta...Will Worth took over at quarterback after starter Tago Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening game...Starting linebacker Daniel Gonzales is out for the season with a foot injury....Starting offensive tackle Robert Lindsey is out indefinitely with a back injury...Starting fullback Chris High has missed the last three game and is questionable with an ankle injury.