Temple-UConn football preview box

by Marc Narducci

Published Nov. 28, 2015, 4:01 a.m. ET

Connecticut at No. 25/24 Temple

When: Saturday, 7 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field (69,176).

Records: UConn (6-5 overall, 4-3 American Athletic Conference); Temple (9-2, 6-1).

Television: ESPNU.

All-time series: Temple leads, 10-5.

Last meeting: Sept. 27, 2014, Temple won, 36-10 at UConn.

Coaches:

Temple, Matt Rhule (3^rd season, 17-18); UConn, Bob Diaco (2^nd season, 8-15). .

Scoring offense: UConn, 19.1 ppg.; Temple, 32.7 ppg.

Scoring defense: UConn, 19.1 ppg., Temple, 20.2 ppg.

This season

UConn

Sept. 3 Villanova, 20-15

Sept. 12 Army, 22-17

Sept. 19 at Missouri, 6-9

Sept. 26 Navy, 18-28

Oct. 2 at BYU, 13-30

Oct. 10 at UCF, 40-13

Oct. 17 USF, 20-28

Oct. 24 at Cincinnati, 13-37

Oct. 30 East Carolina, 31-13

Nov. 7 at Tulane, 7-3

Nov. 21 Houston. 20-17

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, 31-13

Key players:

UConn: SS Andrew Adams, 6-0, 198 R-Sr (81 tackles, 3 INTs); DE Luke Carrezola, 6-3, 255, So. (40 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6 sacks); RB Arkeel Newsome (5-7, 182 So. (759 yards rushing, 4.7 avg., 6 TDs); QB Bryant Shirreffs, 6-2, 220 R-So. (158-262 passing, 1,992 yards, 9 TDs, 7 INT, 428 yards rushing, 3.2 avg., 3 TDs); QB Tim Boyle, 6-3, 224 Jr (19-40 passing, 160 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT); WR Noel Thomas, 6-1, 195, Jr. (49 receptions, 656 yards, 3 TDs); LT Richard Levy, 6-6, 312, R-Jr. (23 career starts); CB Jamar Summers, 6-0, 185, So. (36 tackles, 7 INT); DT Foey Fatukasi, 6-4, 304 R-So. DT (39 tackles, 6 sacks); PK Bobby Puyol, 5-10, 178, R-Jr. (14-16 FG, long of 45).

Temple:

WR Ventell Brytan, 6-3, 181, R-Fr., (35 receptions, 499 yards, 3 TDs), RB Jahad Thomas, 5-10, 180 Jr. (1,069 yards rushing, 4.7 avg., and 15 TDs, 17 total TDs); QB P.J. Walker, 6-1, 200, Jr. (177-317 passing, 2,289 yards, 17 TDs, 6 INT); WR Robby Anderson, 6-3, 190 R-Sr. (46 receptions, 681 yards, 6TDs); DE Nate D. Smith, 6-0, 236, R-Sr (35 tackles, 7.0 sacks); LB Tyler Matakevich, 6-1, 232 Sr. (107 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 5 interceptions, 462 career tackles); DT Matt Ioannidis, 6-4, 292 Sr. (35 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks), CB Sean Chandler, 5-11, 185 So. (52 tackles, 3 INT, 9 pass breakups, 14.1 punt return average); CB Tavon Young, 5-10, 180 Sr. (40 tackles, 7 pass breakups).

About UConn: The Huskies have won three in a row after last week's 20-17 victory over previously unbeaten Houston…UConn leds the AAC in passing defense, allowing 185.4 yards per game…QB Bryant Shirreffs suffered a head injury early in last week's win over Houston and he has been listed all week as day to day…Tim Boyle stepped in at QB and completed 12 of 22 for 110 yards with no interceptions…The win last week over Houston made UConn bowl eligible for the first time since 2010. Jamar Summers is third in the NCAA with seven interceptions…Arkeel Newsome is 16^th in all-purpose yards (141.91 per game) which is first in the AAC.

About Temple: The Owls need to win to clinch the AAC East Division title and earn a berth in next week's conference championship game at West Division champ Houston…A loss would give South Florida the division championship…The Owls allowed just 232 yards in last week's 31-12 win over a Memphis team that entered the game averaging 43.7 points per game…With two TD passes last week, QB P.J. Walker set the school career record with 50, eclipsing Henry Burris' mark of 49…After entering the game with 76 yards rushing all season, RB David Hood rushed for 61 yards on 14 carries and scored on a 14-yard run…Temple is first in the AAC in rushing defense, allowing 127.1 per game.