Cincy on the Prowl
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Cincinnati Bearcats Opponent Briefview: The Temple Owls

By Chris Bains

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The Cincinnati Bearcats face their second to last conference opponent, the Temple Owls, who walloped Vanderbilt on the road 37-7.

The Skinny On Temple

  • 2013 Record: 2-10
  • All-Time Record: 416-544-53
  • Conference: American Athletic Conference
  • Head Coach: Matt Rhule (2nd yr)
  • Head-To-Head: Temple leads 9-6-1
  • Last Meeting: Cincinnati 38, Temple 20 on October 11th, 2013
  • Kickoff Date, Time, Location: November 29th, TBD, Lincoln Financial Field

Area Of Strength – Quarterback

P.J. Walker is no joke. The dual-threat quarterback was impressive as a freshman last season, throwing for over 2,000 yards, 20 touchdowns (to just 8 picks), rushing for 332 yards, and 3 scores on the ground. Walker started off 2014 on the right track throwing for 204 yards and a trio of scores against Vanderbilt. If he continues to develop over the course of the season, the Temple quarterback could be a big problem come November 29th.

Area Of Weakness – Rushing Defense

Temple was excellent on Thursday night, holding the Commodores to 54 total rushing yards. But part of that was due to the fact that Vandy was playing catch up for most of the evening and had to lean on their passing game. This is relatively the same rushing defense as last season when they allowed over 175 yards per game including at least 200 yards five times. It’s encouraging that the Owls return bruising linebacker Tyler Matakevich in 2014 but  will need to perform like they in week one on a consistent basis.

Way Too Early Prediction

Before the season began, I’d have all the confidence in Cincinnati going into Philly and easily coming away with a win. But if game one is any indication, Matt Rhule has Temple on the right path. P.J. Walker appears to be a dangerous dual-threat quarterback and the team as a whole is well coached. The Owls could very well be in contention for an AAC title by the time UC comes to town in late November. As of now I’m taking the Bearcats by a touchdown or so but this won’t be an easy win for Cincinnati.