Temple is ranked third in the nation, giving up roughly 276 yards per game. While Temple didn’t play as “tough” a schedule, it is still quite an accomplishment. Temple lost a ton of talent from last season and was expected to have a “down” year, but credit Matt Rhule for getting his defense up to speed for this season to win the AAC Championship.
Coming into the season, the Owls lost star linebacker Tyler Matakevich, defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, and cornerback Tavon Young to the NFL. Of the key losses, Matakevich hurt the most as he finished his career with 493 tackles and the Bronco Nagurski Award, given to the nation’s best defensive player.