Temple-Houston football preview box

by Marc Narducci

Published Dec. 3, 2015, 8:35 p.m. ET

American Athletic Conference Football Championship

No. 20 Temple at No. 17 Houston

When: Saturday, noon (ET) TDECU Stadium (40,000).

Surface: Synthetic Turf

Records: Temple (10-2); Houston (11-1).

Television: ABC

All-time series: Houston leads 4-0.

Last meeting: Oct. 17, 2014, Houston won 31.10 at home.

Coaches:

Houston, Tom Herman (1st season, 11-1).

Temple, Matt Rhule (3^rd season, 18-18).

Scoring offense: Temple, 32.3 ppg.; Houston, 42.0 ppg. .

Scoring defense: Temple, 18.8 ppg. ; Houston, 21.1 ppg.

This season

TEMPLE

Sept. 5 Penn State, 27-10

Sept. 12 at Cincinnati, 34-26

Sept. 19 at UMass, 25-23

Oct. 2 at Charlotte, 37-3

Oct. 10 Tulane, 49-10

Oct. 17 Central Florida, 30-16

Oct. 22 at East Carolina, 24-14

Oct. 31 Notre Dame, 20-24

Nov. 6 at SMU, 60-40

Nov. 14 at USF, 23-44

Nov. 21 Memphis, 31-12

Nov. 28 UConn, 27-3

HOUSTON

Sept. 5 Tennessee Tech, 52-24

Sept. 12 at Louisville, 34-31

Sept. 26 Texas State, 59-14

Oct. 3 at Tulsa, 38-24

Oct. 8 SMU, 49-28

Oct. 16 at Tulane, 42-7

Oct. 24 at UCF, 59-10

Oct. 31 Vanderbilt, 34-0

Nov. 7 Cincinnati, 33-30

Nov. 14 Memphis, 35-34

Nov. 21 at UConn, 17-20

Nov. 28 Navy, 52-31

Key players:

Temple:

WR Ventell Bryant, 6-3, 181, R-Fr., (36 receptions, 507 yards, 3 TDs), RB Jahad Thomas, 5-10, 180 Jr. (1,188 yards rushing, 4.8 avg., and 17 TDs, 19 total TDs); QB P.J. Walker, 6-1, 200, Jr. (196-346 passing, 2,449 yards, 18 TDs, 6 INT); WR Robby Anderson, 6-3, 190 R-Sr. (52 receptions, 723 yards, 6TDs); DE Nate D. Smith, 6-0, 236, R-Sr (44 tackles, 7.0 sacks); LB Tyler Matakevich, 6-1, 232 Sr. (118 tackles, 14 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, 473 career tackles); DT Matt Ioannidis, 6-4, 292 Sr. (35 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks), CB Sean Chandler, 5-11, 185 So. (56 tackles, 4 INT, 10 pass breakups, 14.1 punt return average); CB Tavon Young, 5-10, 180 Sr. (40 tackles, 7 pass breakups), FS Alex Wells, 6-0, 203 Sr. (45 tackles, 2 INT, 6 pass break-ups), OL Eric Lofton, 6-5, 302 Sr. (has played LG, RG and RT this season).

Houston:

RB-CB Brandon Wilson, 5-11, 200 Jr. (111 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 2 KO return TDs, 27.9 avg., 55 tackles, 1 INT), QB Greg Ward Jr. , 5-11, 185 Jr. (196-283 passing, 2,502 yards, 16 TDs, 5 INT; 893 yards rushing, 5.5 avg., 17 TDs); RB Kenneth Farrow, 5-10, 220 Sr. (949 yards rushing, 5.2 avg., 12 TDs), LT Alex Cooper, 6-4, 305 Sr. (2^nd team all-AAC), WR Demarcus Ayers, 5-11, 190 Jr. (89 receptions, 1,140 yards, 6 TDs, 12.0 punt return avg.), FS Trevon Stewart, 5-10, 195 Sr. (64 tackles, six sacks, 2 INT); ILB Elandon Roberts, 6-0, 235 Sr. (127 tackles, 17 TFL, 6 sacks), DT B.J. Singleton, 6-4, 305 Sr. (17 tackles), OLB Steven Taylor, 6-1, 225 Jr. (80 tackles, 15 TFL, 8 sacks), Sr. DB William Jackson III (28 tackles, 14 pass breakups, 3 INT), SS Adrian McDonald, 5-11, 205 Sr. (79 tackles, 4 INT).

About Temple: The Owls lead the AAC in scoring defense (18.8), total defense (328.7), rushing defense (117.3), pass efficiency defense (109.23), 3rd down conversion pct. defense (30.9) and tackles for loss (8.2 per game)…Tyler Matakevich was named this week the AAC Defensive Player of the Year….Joining Matakevich on the first-team all-star squad from Temple were DT Matt Ioannidia, DE Nate D. Smith, RB Jahad Thomas, C Kyle Friend, OL Eric Lofton and S Alex Wells….Friend, who has missed the last four games with a knee injury, is expected to play.

About Houston: Leading rusher Kenneth Farrow missed last week's 52-31 win over Navy with a high ankle sprain and he has been listed as day to day…The Cougars are second nationally with seven wins by 21 points or more…Brandon Wilson, a starter all season at CB, moved to RB in last week's win over Navy due to injuries and rushed for 111 yards and two TDs…The Cougars are ranked fifth nationally with 28 turnovers forced and second in the nation with a +15 turnover margin…Houston first-team all-AAC players were WR Demarcus Ayers, LB Elandon Roberts, and S Trevon Stewart.

And finally: The winner of this game is expected to go to either the Peach or Fiesta Bowl as the highest rated team from outside the Power Five conferences.