Temple Falls to #16 Oklahoma, 51–3, in Season Opening Defeat

The 2024 Temple football season got off to a rough start as turnover issues against a superior No. 16-ranked Oklahoma Sooners resulted in a 51-3 defeat for the Owls. While it was always going to be a difficult day between the lines for Temple on Friday night, the mistakes from a team still finding their identity were magnified on the national stage. 

Woeful offensive performance

Temple Head Coach Sean Drayton claimed he needed a better effort from the offense following a 51-3 loss.

“I thought our offense, just from the very start (were) rattled,” Drayton said. “Never got in a rhythm. Turnovers, sacks. Just a poor day of execution on the offensive side of the ball.” 

The Owls head coach declined to name a starting quarterback before the game. Junior Forrest Brock received all the snaps behind the center. Brock completed 12 of 25 passes for 128 yards with two interceptions and a fumble on Friday evening. 

Senior wide receiver Dante Wright wrangled in 3 catches for 36 yards to lead the pass-catching group. Wright fumbled twice contributing to the massive turnover issues that plagued the Temple Owls on Friday. The offensive group turned the ball over six times between two interceptions and four lost fumbles. 

A 49-yard field goal from Senior kicker Maddux Trujillo in the third quarter allowed Temple to put their only three points on the board in the contest. 

Building blocks on defense

Despite being outmanned, the defensive unit for Drayton’s group performed admirably against the No. 16-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners used favorable field position on several early occasions to drive up the score, 34-0, at the halftime whistle in Norman.

Overall, the Temple defensive unit relatively limited the passing game at 19-for-29, however, the Owls did allow 4 passing touchdowns.  The running game for Oklahoma scored once while picking up 220 yards on the day. Freshman running back Taylor Tatum led the Sooner with 5 carries for 69 yards and that lone rushing touchdown on the ground for OU. 

“Still not good enough when you have 50 put up on the board,” Coach Slayton ended his opening address to the media. “We’ll go back to work. We will hash it out – figure it out and put the right people on the field to be ready to play.” 

Next trip is closer to home

Temple will return to Philadelphia with a 0-1 record in the 2024 season. When the Owls hit the road again for their next matchup, they will not require cross-country travel and accommodations. A short trip via I-95 to Annapolis, Maryland to battle the Navy Midshipmen is next on the football schedule for Temple.

The Midshipmen will host their second home game of the season at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7 as they welcome the Temple to town. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST.