Defense looks ‘settled’ but questions remain across the board for Temple football

As it stands, the 2024 offseason has not been kind to Temple.

The Owls lost the likes of Jordan Magee, Victor Stoffel, and E.J. Warner to either the transfer portal or the NFL draft, along with multiple shakeups on the coaching staff. Temple added 43 players to the roster to combat the losses, and on a windy Saturday afternoon, coach Stan Drayton finally allowed fans to see what he’s been cooking this spring during the annual Cherry and White game at the Edberg-Olson Football Complex.

The Owls had a sizable turnout for essentially a heightened practice session with fans, alumni, recruits, and former players in attendance. In the end, the White defeated the Cherry, 56-41.

However, the point system was modified and tailored to the strengths — and weaknesses — the coaching staff looked to identify. Cherry (offense) earned points for multiple first downs, explosive plays, and touchdowns, while the White team earned points for turnovers, three-and-outs, and defensive stops.

Here are a few notable things that stood out:

Temple has gotten pretty good quarterback play over the past two seasons with Warner under center. Now that he’s at Rice, no one knows what to expect from the position. Open practices this season and especially Saturday’s spring game didn’t provide any insight into who would take over the reins.

Forrest Brock started with the first-team offense, going 10-for-19 for 102 yards, with one touchdown, and one interception. While the numbers were solid, Brock missed multiple throws and failed to stand out in a big way, and the same can be said for Evan Simon, Tyler Douglas, and Patrick Keller.

Drayton still has an entire summer to figure out who lines up under center for the Owls against Oklahoma on Aug. 30, but the group hasn’t fostered much optimism.

“I don’t know if our quarterbacks are ready for that,” Drayton said when asked if there was anyone ready for the season opener. “I think that development still needs to take place in regards to them taking command of the offense. We’ll wait and see who emerges and claims the position.”

Temple’s offensive line play has not been up to par the past few seasons. The group hasn’t been able to protect the quarterback or open up many running lanes.

Although the Owls allowed just 17 sacks in 2023, defenders were constantly in the backfield chasing whoever was under center. Warner’s ability to get the ball out quickly and evade rushers helped the O-line’s numbers tremendously. Temple also ranked last in the American Athletic Conference with just 96.3 rushing yards per game.

After losing longtime starters Stoffel and Richard Rodriguez, Drayton hit the portal hard looking for talent. If the spring game was any indication of the upcoming regular season, it’s going to be difficult for Temple to succeed on offense. Explosive run plays were hard to come by, and the defensive line had a field day living in the backfield on passing plays.

Despite the struggles Saturday, Temple’s work during the spring practice session has Drayton impressed.

“That unit has improved a lot,” he said. “They’re falling in line. They’ve embraced competition like everybody else, so I’m excited to see that group.”

Part of the reason the offensive line struggled was the play of the defensive line.

Temple had a noticeable drop-off in sack production from 2022 (38) to 2023 (22), partially due to an odd scheme fit. Now in a base 4-3 defense, the D-line feels more comfortable.

“I like this scheme a lot,” said redshirt junior defensive lineman Tra Thomas. “I’ve been playing this scheme since high school.”

That showed on the field Saturday. Throughout the day, the team totaled 13 sacks including multiples from Diwun Black (six), Joseph Appiah Darkwa (two), and Sekou Kromah (two). Their performance was good enough to earn a shout-out from Drayton during his press conference following the game.

“I have to say the D-line,” Drayton said in response to what position group stood out the most. “They let up a couple of runs early, then they really settled down. That D-line play, both on the interior and outside.”