HOUSTON – The Temple defense will get a chance at redemption when the Owls visit Houston on Saturday night. The Owls will have their hands full trying to stop quarterback D'Eriq King and the Cougars a week after giving up 630 yards to undefeated Central Florida.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Houston -4.5
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King leads the American Athletic Conference in total offense (338.3 yards) while the Cougars are fifth nationally in scoring and fourth in total offense (548.2). The Owls allow 24.8 points while leading the American in pass defense (165.8 yards). "Last week we didn't get the outcome we wanted," Temple linebacker Shaun Bradley told the media Tuesday. "We face the same kind of offense and have a chance to redeem ourselves." The Owls still have an outside shot to win the American's East Division while the Cougars remain atop the West despite last week's 45-31 loss at SMU.
ABOUT TEMPLE (5-4, 4-1 American)
Anthony Russo (1,854 yards, 13 touchdowns passes, 12 interceptions) is 5-2 as the starter while top target Ventell Bryant (35 catches, 504 yards, three touchdowns) has at least one catch in 44 straight games - the second longest streak in the country. Bryant needs 15 yards (Willie Marshall, 1983-86, 2,272 yards) and nine catches (Zamir Cobb, 2000-03, 165 receptions) to break two of Temple's career marks. Senior Ryquell Armstead (768 yards, six touchdowns) had 142 rushing yards in his first game back last week after missing two with an ankle injury, but sat out late and his status for Saturday is unknown.
ABOUT HOUSTON (7-2, 4-1)
King (2,578 passing yards, 30 touchdown passes, five interceptions, 467 rushing yards, 12 TDs on the ground) has at least two passing scores and one rushing score in all nine games this season. Marquez Stevenson (49 catches, 823 yards) and Keith Corbin (29, 536) have a combined 17 touchdown catches - the same number the Cougar defense has allowed. Junior defensive lineman Ed Oliver (51 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, three sacks) continues to be listed as day-to-day with bruised knee that held him out of the past two games.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Temple is 5-0 when holding opponents to 18 points or fewer and winless when the opponent scores more than 18.
2. King (42) needs four touchdowns to break the conference record for touchdowns responsible for in a single season (45) set by UCF's McKenzie Milton in 2017.
3. Temple has scored nine non-offensive touchdowns (two interception returns, two fumble returns, a punt return, a blocked field goal returned, a block punt recovered in the end zone and touchdowns on a fake punt and a fake field goal).
PREDICTION: Houston 41, Temple 27