The Temple Owls may have had their College Football Playoff hopes shattered when they suffered that loss to Notre Dame back in October, but they still have reason to feel excited. For one, the Owls have punched their tickets to the AAC title game against the Houston Cougars. A win over the Cougars should be enough for Temple to be invited to a New Year’s Six bowl game. Like the Owls, Houston is also trying to get that big bowl invite with a win this Saturday.
For more college football, you can also check out our Pac-12 championship game between USC and Stanford.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Temple Owls vs. Houston Cougars Preview
Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston
When: Saturday, December 5, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Temple Owls (+6.5) at Houston Cougars (-6.5); total: 57.0– view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Temple Owls (10-2, 7-1 AAC)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]After a bad loss to South Florida back on November 14, the Owls are back in the Top 25 rankings thanks to two straight wins over No. 21 Memphis and UConn, respectively. The mission isn’t finished yet for the Owls, though, as they intend to take home the AAC title to Broad Street when they take on AAC West champion Houston this Saturday.
The Owls wouldn’t be in the title game if it weren’t for their defense that has left so many offenses suffocating for points this season. That includes Connecticut, which was held to only 138 total yards in Temple’s 27-3 win on Saturday—the fourth time this season a Temple opponent had just 200 total yards or fewer. Furthermore, the Huskies were only able to run for nine yards against Temple’s stop unit that allows just 117.3 rushing yards per game, best in the AAC.
Temple’s defense will be heavily tested for the last time before bowl season this Saturday, though, versus Houston’s offense that’s second in the conference in scoring with 42.0 points per game average.
As for their offense, the Owls will look for their balanced passing and ground attack to deliver the goods on Saturday. At the helm of their offense is quarterback P.J. Walker, who passed for 160 yards and a touchdown against UConn. While those numbers won’t blow anyone’s mind, Walker nonetheless is having a solid season thus far, collecting 18 touchdowns and six picks on 204.2 passing yards per game.
Jahad Thomas, meanwhile, will handle most of the backfield’s workload. Thomas had a field day against UConn’s soft defense, as he finished with 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. On the season, Thomas has 1,188 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, second-most in the conference.
Temple is 3-1 ATS in its last four road games.
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Betting on the Houston Cougars (7-1, 11-1 AAC)
Showing great resiliency, the Cougars bounced back from suffering their first loss of the season by taking down No, 15 Navy last Friday, 52-31. It was Houston’s biggest win under coach Tom Herman, but more importantly, it catapulted the Cougars into a conference title game at home.
Key to Houston’s improbable win over the Midshipmen was its defense that kept Navy’s ground game in check. Navy came into the game on the heels of back-to-back 400 rushing-yard games, but its backfield only mustered 147 yards, albeit with three scores on the ground. That kind of defense will have to come into play once again in the AAC title game, as the Cougars hope to put the shackles on Temple’s Thomas and its running game that averages nearly 160 yards per game.
Defusing Temple’s passing attack is another assignment for Houston. The Cougars are just ninth in the conference with 263.5 passing yards allowed, but they have an excellent group of pass rushers who have compiled 32 sacks on the season—most in the AAC.
Houston’s offense, meanwhile, may not have as much success against Temple’s stingy defense as it did against Navy, but the Cougars nevertheless have the tools to put dents on the Owls. For one, they have Greg Ward, who was lights out in the Navy game, in which he passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns without an interception on 26 of 35 completions. He also showed a glimpse of what he can do with his legs when he rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown against Navy.
Houston’s leading rusher Kenneth Farrow, however, may not be there to help the team’s offense that puts up 42.0 points per game. Farrow missed the Navy game because of an ankle injury and if he can’t go this Saturday, Houston expects Brandon Wilson to lead the backfield again. A cornerback-turned-running back, Wilson had 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in the win over Navy.
Writer’s Prediction
Temple wins (-6.5), 32-25.
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