Listless offense, tired defense finds Temple football holding a conference loss to Memphis

In the final game before its bye, Temple received some reassurance from its defense but plenty of concerns for its offense following a 24-3 loss to Memphis, in the Owls’ conference opener.

The Owls held the host Tigers to their first scoreless half in all competitions since 2017 en route to a 3-0 halftime lead. However, with the Owls’ defense gasping for air, Seth Henigan and Memphis racked up 24 points in the second half and continued the trend of see-saw matchups between the two schools in recent years with neither team beating the other in consecutive matchups.

The Owls have struggled to generate offense against respectable teams all season, scoring just 17 points through three games against opponents not named Lafayette or UMass.

As the offensive line continues to allow pressure, quarterback E.J. Warner begins to look more like an 18-year-old. Warner’s passing percentage has declined as interceptions have increased. Memphis proved another rough outing as Warner finished 18-of-37 for 245 yards and three interceptions. Additionally, Temple, among the conference’s worst in rushing yards, struggled on the ground yet again Saturday with just 22 yards on 52 carries.

Signs of promise did emerge for the Owls by way of kicker Camden Price, who made a 47-yard field goal late in the second quarter to put Temple up, 3-0, with less than a minute remaining. The graduate transfer from the University of Miami replaced junior Rory Bell, who was 14-for-23 in his career, including 0-for-2 this season.

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After a few quiet weeks, wide receiver Jose Barbon reappeared for Temple. The redshirt senior caught five passes for 134 yards, including a 10-yard hitch for an additional 68 yards after the catch. Barbon had been quiet against Rutgers and UMass, totaling just three catches for 20 yards combined.

Through four weeks,Temple’s defense is allowing 15.4 points a game, which is third-best in The American as defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot’s corps continues to find new ways to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Owls tallied five sacks –– one that resulted in a recovered fumble –– along with nine pass break-ups against Memphis.

Temple has a a bye week to regroup before heading to Orlando for a Thursday night game at Central Florida on Oct. 13 (7 p.m., ESPN).