First off, let’s answer the question: Of course UConn has a chance against Temple—the Owls have two wins but are not some unconquerable juggernaut set to destroy everything in their path on Saturday.
That said, Temple has two wins, one more than UConn, and looks to ahead of the Huskies at this stage of each programs respective rebuild.
UConn is 1-3 overall and 0-1 in American Athletic Conference play while Temple is 2-1 with wins over Vanderbilt and Delaware State and a loss to Navy. The Owls will be playing their first AAC game of the season.
Last season the Huskies rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit with 28 unanswered points in the second half to post a 28-21 win over Temple at Lincoln Financial Field. It was UConn’s first win of the season after an 0-9 start and it dropped Temple to 1-10.
The Owls have already won as many games as they did all last season and will be motivated to knock off the Huskies after last season’s collapse at home. To do so, Temple will have to be physical, stopping the run on defense while taking on a defense that has some playmakers and is right now UConn’s strength.
“The message for me is this team is going to test our will and physicality. They’re one of those teams, they come out and they just try to pound you, and pound you, and pound you,” Temple coach Matt Rhule said. “They play three of four running backs, they’re going to keep running the football, running the football and wait for you to make a mistake. That’s what we did last year: we made a mistake, we threw a pick and they won the game. Different staff, but still the same mentality. We’re getting ourselves ready for a real battle and I think our kids are excited about it. We have to stop the run, we have to play well on special teams, and we can’t turn the ball over.”
UConn could say the same thing, especially in turning the ball over and that’s where UConn’s hopes for a victory start. It needs better production on offense while taking better care of the ball. The Huskies turned the ball over on their first two drives against BYU, gave up a first-quarter fumble recovery TD against Stony Brook, coughed up a fumble recovery TD in the first and a pick-six in the fourth against Boise State and fumbled the ball away on their first drive at South Florida at their own 19, leading to a one-yard TD run and another early defect.
The Huskies are not bad on defense, but they are not a play from behind team and the offense is only going to score so many points, it can’t keep giving points away and expect the defense to repeatedly bail them out, it’s just not going to happen.
On defense UConn will be challenged by the Owls’ offense. QB P.J. Walker has thrown for 574 yards and six touchdowns this season, and four different players have a rushing touchdown. Jalen Fitzpatrick is Walker’s favorite target and has 13 receptions for 180 yards and three TDs.
“They’re another go fast, four and five open offense that has a downhill running attack but perimeter controls. Another triple option style, attack the dive, attack the alley, attack the perimeter, which is an eye progression problem,” UConn coach Bob Diaco said. “They try to put your second level defenders in run/pass conflicts on almost every play. So it becomes a schematic challenge and a fundamental challenge for the players and a young team and defense. That’s a big issue, they’re doing well moving the ball and producing points on offense, have a few explosive players. The quarterback (P.J. Walker) is a problem in that he’s got a very strong arm and can make all the throws, and also is a big, athletic guy that can run.”
While UConn will have to control Walker, it will also need a solid game from its own quarterback Chandler Whitmer. Against South Florida in a downpour Whitmer was 6-of-10 for 88 yards and a TD and was sacked twice. He is completing just 50.6 percent of his passes with four TDs and a pair of interceptions in 2014. When called on to make a big throw on Saturday, the Huskies will need Whitmer to deliver and help get big-play receiver Geremy Davis involved.
There is really no place to go but up for the UConn offense and improvement on that side of the ball will be needed Saturday and for the rest of the season if the Huskies are to record any more wins. They rank 119th out of 125 FBS teams in scoring offense (16 ppg), 122nd in total offense (253.3), 120th in rushing offense (257 yards) and 100th in passing offense (189 yards per game).
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