Photo: Temple Football Twitter/@Temple_FB
By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Contributor 
Temple (3-3, 1-1 AAC) returns to action on Saturday night, the Owls travel to Tampa to take on AAC conference foe South Florida (1-5, 0-2 AAC). The Owls were soundly defeated 52-3 by then No. 5 Cincinnati before enjoying a bye last week. The Bulls are coming off a heartbreaking 32-31 loss to Tulsa.
This game is expected to be closer than the records may indicate. South Florida is currently a 2-point home favorite according to William Hill sportsbook.
Date: October 23, 2021
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
When: 7:00 PM/Eastern
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Series History
Temple and South Florida have met seven times. The Owls lead the series five to two.
Last Match Up
2020: Temple edged USF 39-37 in Philadelphia
This Game at a Glance
Throw the records out on this one, Temple and USF are as close as it comes on the field of play.
Both teams struggle with consistent offensive output, the Owls average 23.7 PPG while the Bulls average 22.2 PPG. Total offense for both teams is similar, 343.2 YPG for Temple compared to 322.7 YPG for USF. Both teams lack explosive play or a consistent run game.
It’s the same story defensively. Temple is allowing 33.8 PPG and the Bulls are allowing 35.3 PPG, both are in the bottom twenty of the FBS. The best way to describe this game might be to use the below meme.
Temple Wins If…
Temple wins this game if they can replicate the passing attack that led to a win over Memphis a few weeks back. QB D’Wan Mathis went 35/49, 322 YDS, 3 TDs in that game and looked every part of being a former four-star, Power 5 player. If the Georgia transfer can duplicate that effort the Owls should be celebrating a victory in Tampa.
USF Wins If…
It’s a similar story to Temple, USF will win this game if they can get the offense rolling like they did against Tulsa and BYU. The Bulls need to find the correct recipe to get the offense going against Temple. The Owls will likely key on the USF run game which features Jaren Mangham, who has ten rushing touchdowns on the year for USF. This will likely put the game on the shoulders of quarterback Timmy McClain.
