The Penn State Nittany Lions (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) will host their final non-conference game of the season against the Temple Owls (5-4, 3-3 AAC) this weekend at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State is riding its 13-7 win at Indiana last weekend, having snapped a four-game losing streak while holding the Hoosiers to the fewest amount of points at home since 2006. Bill Belton’s record-making 92-yard run for a touchdown drove the win, and the Nittany Lions will look to ride his confidence in the effort this weekend as quarterback Christian Hackenberg still struggles to consistently find his target. Although he is second in the Big Ten in passing yards, he has already been sacked 35 times this year, and his confidence from last year is tempered with frustration as he is constantly taken out.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions are excelling. Ranked third in the nation in total defense, senior linebacker Mike Hull leads the team, collecting at least nine tackles in his last five games. Jesse Della Valle and Nyeem Wartman each hit their stride against Indiana and picked off their first career interceptions, boosting the team’s already impressive defensive statistics.
Temple is led by quarterback P.J. Walker who accounts for 206.9 yards per game and has thrown 11 touchdowns and rushed for three. Walker is not the only source of scoring for the Owls, who have 11 rushing, 11 passing, three punt return, and six defensive touchdowns on the season.
In addition to an ability to score from just about any spot on the field, Temple allows only 18.1 points per game. The defense is led by Tyler Matakevich; the captain linebacker has racked up 83 tackles for a defense that is tenth in the nation in scoring defense. Kicker Austin Jones leads the team in scoring with 53 points, hitting all 29 extra point attempts and connecting on 8-13 field goal attempts.
Temple head coach Matt Rhule graduated from Penn State in 1997, playing linebacker from 1994-1997 and will be returning to Beaver Stadium for the first time since he graduated, this time as a head coach. With Saturday’s game, he has the chance to make his first appearance at a bowl game.
With a postseason game on the line for both teams, the Nittany Lions and the Owls need to perform well, as both universities will have only two games remaining after this weekend’s contest.
Kickoff is at noon and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Photo credit: USA Today
