2015 Temple Owls football team
The 2015 Temple Owls football team represented Temple University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Owls were led by third year head coach Matt Rhule and played their home games at Lincoln Financial Field. They were members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 10–4, 7–1 in American Athletic play to finish as champions of the East Division. They represented the East Division in the American Athletic Championship Game where they lost to Houston. They were invited to the Boca Raton Bowl where they lost to Toledo.
The season was highlighted by the first win against Penn State since 1941, their first ever 7–0 start, and their first AP Poll and Coaches Poll ranking since 1979, and was considered a breakout season for the program.
Schedule
Date |
Time |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
TV |
Result |
Attendance |
September 5 |
3:30 p.m. |
Penn State* |
|
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA |
ESPN |
W 27–10 |
69,176 |
September 12 |
8:00 p.m. |
at Cincinnati |
|
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH |
ESPNews |
W 34–26 |
38,112 |
September 19 |
3:00 p.m. |
at Massachusetts* |
|
Gillette Stadium • Foxborough, MA |
ESPN3 |
W 25–23 |
10,141 |
October 2 |
7:00 p.m. |
at Charlotte* |
|
Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC |
CBSSN |
W 37–3 |
13,105 |
October 10 |
Noon |
Tulane |
|
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA |
ESPNU |
W 49–10 |
35,179 |
October 17 |
7:30 p.m. |
UCF |
|
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA |
CBSSN |
W 30–16 |
31,372 |
October 22 |
7:00 p.m. |
at East Carolina |
#22 |
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC |
ESPN2 |
W 24–14 |
39,417 |
October 31 |
8:00 p.m. |
#9 Notre Dame* |
#21 |
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA |
ABC |
L 20–24 |
69,280 |
November 6 |
8:00 p.m. |
at SMU |
#23 |
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • Dallas, TX |
ESPN2 |
W 60–40 |
17,232 |
November 14 |
7:00 p.m. |
at South Florida |
#21 |
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL |
CBSSN |
L 23–44 |
28,393 |
November 21 |
Noon |
Memphis |
|
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA |
ESPNU |
W 31–12 |
31,708 |
November 28 |
7:00 p.m. |
Connecticut |
#25 |
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA |
ESPNU |
W 27–3 |
28,236 |
December 5 |
Noon |
at #17 Houston |
#20 |
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX (The American Championship) |
ABC |
L 13–24 |
35,721 |
December 22 |
7:00 p.m. |
vs. Toledo* |
#24 |
FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL (Boca Raton Bowl) |
ESPN |
L 17–32 |
25,908 |
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
- Schedule Source:[1]
Game summaries
Penn State
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Nittany Lions |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
Owls |
0 |
7 |
10 |
10 |
27 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
3–39–1 |
2014 |
PSU, 30–13 |
This was the Owls' first victory over Penn State since 1941.[2] The announced crowd at Lincoln Financial Field was 69,176 Saturday, a record for a Temple home game. [3] After the Nittany Lions scored 10 points in the first quarter, Temple responded with 27 unanswered points. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked 10 times, with Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich recording three sacks.[4] This game was Temple's first victory over a Big Ten team since a 1990 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers.[5]
at Cincinnati
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Owls |
3 |
7 |
21 |
3 |
34 |
Bearcats |
0 |
6 |
6 |
14 |
26 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
9–7–1 |
2014 |
CIN, 14–6 |
This was the Owls' first victory over Cincinnati since 1985.[6]
at Massachusetts
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Owls |
7 |
10 |
3 |
5 |
25 |
Minutemen |
0 |
17 |
0 |
6 |
23 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
First meeting |
at Charlotte
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Owls |
3 |
7 |
20 |
7 |
37 |
49ers |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
First meeting |
Tulane
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Green Wave |
3 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
Owls |
7 |
14 |
21 |
7 |
49 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
1–1 |
2014 |
TEM, 10–3 |
UCF
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Knights |
3 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
16 |
Owls |
7 |
7 |
0 |
16 |
30 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
0–2 |
2014 |
UCF, 34–14 |
at East Carolina
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
#22 Owls |
3 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
24 |
Pirates |
0 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
4–8 |
2014 |
TEM, 20–10 |
This was the first game, and win, for a nationally ranked Owls team since 1979.
Notre Dame
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
#9 Fighting Irish |
7 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
24 |
#21 Owls |
7 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
20 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
0–1 |
2013 |
ND, 28–6 |
This was the first time ESPN's College GameDay visited a Temple home game. Set up at Independence Mall, the broadcast attracted more than 10,000 fans.
at SMU
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
#23 Owls |
14 |
7 |
17 |
22 |
60 |
Mustangs |
0 |
17 |
7 |
16 |
40 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
0–1–2 |
2013 |
SMU, 59–49 |
at South Florida
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
#21 Owls |
7 |
3 |
10 |
3 |
23 |
Bulls |
7 |
24 |
3 |
10 |
44 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
1–0 |
2012 |
TEM, 37–28 |
Memphis
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Tigers |
3 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
Owls |
0 |
14 |
0 |
17 |
31 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
1–1 |
2014 |
MEM, 16–13 |
Connecticut
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Huskies |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
#25 Owls |
7 |
3 |
10 |
7 |
27 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
10–5 |
2014 |
TEM, 36–10 |
This win sealed the Owl's berth in the inaugural AAC Championship, their second division title in team history.
The American Championship vs. Houston
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
#20 Owls |
0 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
13 |
#17 Cougars |
7 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
24 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
0–4 |
2014 |
HOU, 31–10 |
Boca Raton Bowl vs. Toledo
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
#24 Owls |
3 |
0 |
6 |
8 |
17 |
Rockets |
0 |
12 |
0 |
20 |
32 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
3–7 |
2011 |
TOL, 36–13 |
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
| Week |
Poll |
Pre |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
Final |
AP |
NR |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
22 |
21 |
23 |
21 |
RV |
25 |
20 |
24 |
RV |
Coaches' |
NR |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
24 |
22 |
23 |
21 |
RV |
24 |
21 |
24 |
RV |
CFP |
Not released |
22 |
22 |
NR |
25 |
22 |
24 |
Not released |
References
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