This season, many analysts are high on the Temple Owls, believing that they can take a meteoric jump in the American Athletic Conference. Last week, Stewart Mandel of FOXSports.com, predicted that the Owls will finish the season with a 10-2 overall record and 7-1 in the AAC, while winning the Eastern division. One reason, he has the Owls finishing with double digit wins is that they are returning every single starter from their 11th ranked defense last season.
Another reason Temple can be successful in 2015 and Mandel didn’t mention it is the play of junior quarterback P.J. Walker. The offense runs through Walker and his ability to make plays.
Last season, the Owls finished the season 6-6, losing three out of their last four games to Penn State, Memphis and Cincinnati. Both the Memphis and Cincinnati games were winnable for Temple. It was just the inability of Temple’s offense not enough scoring points.
Looking back, the 2014 season did not start off bad for the Owls and Walker as they opened the season against Vanderbilt from the SEC. Sure enough, the Owls pulled off the upset defeating the Commodores 37-7. In that game, Walker had 207 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 21 rushing yards and a touchdown. He was an integral part of the offense that night and he needs to do the same this season.
But then later in the season on November 15 at Happy Valley, Walker led the 5-4 Owls against Christian Hackenberg and the Penn State Nittany Lions. This was the ultimate test for Walker and the Owls to show that they belonged but couldn’t complete it losing 30-13. Against Penn State’s defense, Walker was 17 of 38 for 187 passing yards, a touchdown and four interceptions. Then, in the running game, he only had 32 yards on five carries.
That has been the only negative of Walker’s game throughout his career, the interceptions and when they happen. Temple does not have an explosive offense and relies on its defense to make plays, so when Walker turns the ball over it makes the game harder. However, Walker is a very solid dual threat quarterback that looks to pass first before leaving the pocket.
Last season, he finished with 2,317 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 53.3 completion percentage. Those numbers will not suffice this season if Temple wants to take that next leap towards winning the conference.
Head coach Matt Rhule and the Owls need Walker to play like he did in 2013 as a freshman. He had 2,084 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 60.8 completion percentage. When Walker stepped on the field in 2013, he brought a different element to Temple’s offense in which defenses had to game plan for. As a freshman, he had two games where he threw for 300 plus yards and had three games where he threw for four touchdowns.
If Temple wants to win the AAC and be bowl eligible, they need 2013 P.J. Walker to show up. This season that is possible. Walker comes into this season with a running back in junior Jahad Thomas, who was named to the Doak Walker and Paul Hornung Award watch lists to lean on and has a tremendous center in senior Kyle Friend, who was named to Rimington Award watch list. All the ingredients are there for Walker to be successful this season, he just has to grasp the moment and run with it.
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