Temple Owls: By the Numbers

Oklahoma's first foe in 2024 struggled across the board a year ago, but Temple hopes to turn a new page in the season-opener.

Sep 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Temple Owls head coach Stan Drayton looks on in the second half against the Miami Hurricanes at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lewis-USA TODAY Sports / Andy Lewis-USA TODAY Sports

It’s only fitting that the 2024 season, which will usher in a new era for not only Oklahoma but for college football as a whole, will start off with a first.

The No. 16-ranked Sooners will host a Friday night college football game for the first time in the 100-year history of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium when OU welcomes the Temple Owls to get the year rolling. 

Brent Venables is starting off his third year as head coach where he’ll be taking his program into the Southeastern Conference, though the opposition on Friday will be far from SEC-quality. 

Stan Drayton has led Temple to a pair of 3-9 seasons, and 2023 marked the third straight year the Owls finished 3-9 which is a far cry from the runs that both Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins enjoyed in Philadelphia. 

Temple’s roster underwent plenty of changes in the offseason between graduation and the transfer portal, and the Owls are essentially starting over once again as the 2024 season gets underway in Norman. 

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Temple defensive coordinator Everett Withers won't have many returning pieces to work with in 2024. / Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Neither side of the ball returns much production for Temple, but the defense was hit harder than the offense. 

Only two starters from last year return on that side of the ball in defensive linemen Tra Thomas and Conlan Greene.

The turnover isn’t necessarily a bad thing as Temple finished ranked No. 127-nationally in scoring defense and 124th in total defense, which should give Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line a comfortable start to the year as the Sooners are replacing all five starters up front. 

Oklahoma will look to strike a balance between developing depth and getting freshman offensive linemen experience with getting the starters plenty of work against Temple, as tougher defensive line tests loom — especially when Tennessee rolls into Norman on Sept. 21. 

“We’ve got to develop every position group on the team,” Venables said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “So hopefully we’ll be able to play more guys this year than we have in the past. That’s what our focus is, developing the entirety of the unit.

“… Chemistry and cohesion is a very important thing. Hopefully you get to a position of game control, that you can work your guys together through a good majority of the game, where you see fit. Whether it’s a rotating basis, or the back half of the game you get some of your guys in game experience too.”

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Temple quarterback Forrest Brock (11) remains in competition for the starting job in 2024. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

On the other side of the ball, the Owls have a quarterback battle that will spill into the season. 

Forrest Brock, Evan Simon and Tyler Douglas were all listed as co-starters on Temple’s first depth chart of the year, and Drayton said this week he expects the entire trio to see action against the Sooners. 

Unfortunately for whoever is taking snaps for the Owls on Friday night, it’s unlikely they’ll have much of a running game to lean on for support. 

The Owls only rushed for 100 yards in four games last year, largely due to inconsistency in the trenches. Temple was only able to start the same five guys along the offensive line twice in 2023, and the revolving door took its toll on the ground game. 

Venables’ defense was much improved a year ago at stopping the run, and the addition of TCU transfer defensive tackle Damonic Williams and true freshman Jayden Jackson should equip the Sooners to dictate the game up front. 

Temple will throw plenty of larger packages onto the field, but OU linebacker Danny Stutsman said he believes his unit is fully prepared for whatever they’ll see in the opener. 

“we’re such a multiple defense that they’re going to have a lot of motions,” Stutsman said on Monday. “I don’t want to go too much into game plan stuff obviously but we know how they’re going to attack us. They bring a lot of stuff. They’re going to try and move the pocket and we’re kind of expecting a lot of that.”

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Temple receiver Dante Wright (10) is the Owls most proven offensive weapon entering the 2024 season. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest offensive threat for Temple is receiver Dante Wright. 

Last year, the 5-foot-9 wide receiver caught a team-high 39 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns. 

His best showing came against UAB, where he caught sic passes for 146 yards and a score, including a 71-yard strike.

Oklahoma’s secondary returns plenty of experience between safeties Billy Bowman Jr., Robert Spears-Jennings and Peyton Bowen as well as veteran cornerback Woodi Washington along with returners Gentry Williams, Kani Walker and Jacobe Johnson. OU cornerbacks coach Jay Valai also added Dez Malone from San Diego State. 

While the Temple passing attack is mostly funneled through its tight ends, Wright can get behind OU’s secondary if there is a coverage bust or mental miscue, all of which the Sooners will hope to avoid in new defensive coordinator Zac Alley’s first game in charge.