Penn State at Temple Preview and Score Prediction

Penn State enters its second game week of 2026 eyeing Temple, looking to build off a 45-0 thrashing of Marshall in the season opener.

The Nittany Lions find themselves playing a rare road game against a non-power conference opponent, visiting Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, home of the Philadelphia Eagles and Owls.

Here’s everything to know about the matchup.

Details and Odds

Date: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026

Time: Noon EDT

Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

TV: ESPN2

Temple Record: 1-0

Spread: Penn State -23.5

Series History

Penn State has dominated the all-time series, boasting a 40-4-1 overall record against Temple. After starting the series just 1-3, the Nittany Lions have gone 39-1-1, with the lone loss coming during James Franklin’s second season in 2015.

Overview and Storylines

There’s some Penn State influence at Temple — former Nittany Lion recruiting coordinator Khalil Ahmad accepted a role as the Owls’ associate general manager in 2025, and he brought in a few players this offseason.

Most notably, quarterback Jaxon Smolik portaled to Temple and is locked in an ongoing battle for the starting role, while tight end Joey Schlaffer, safety Kolin Dinkins and defensive lineman Kaleb Artis also transferred to the Owls. Dinkins is a starter while Schlaffer and Artis are listed as second stringers on the team’s official depth chart.

Matchup and Scheme Breakdown

The Owls are led for the second season by head coach K.C. Keeler, a two-time FCS national champion at Delaware and Sam Houston State. He has an overall record of 276-119-1 but went 5-7 in his first season at Temple in 2025.

The offense is headed by coordinator Tyler Walker, who arrived during Keeler’s inaugural season with the program. He guided Montana State to two national championship appearances (one as quarterbacks coach, one as offensive coordinator) prior to joining the Owls.

Walker’s unit had two strengths last season — avoiding turnovers (four total) and converting on critical downs (73.7% on fourth down, 90.5% scoring in the red zone). The offense made a big step last season and could take another jump this year with some talented returning pieces and additions.

The offense spread the ball around a season ago, with four players totaling between 400-500 receiving yards. They employed play action on nearly 50% of snaps last season with great success, accounting for 18 of the team’s 25 passing touchdowns.

It’s worth noting the group will be without starting left tackle Giakoby Hills, who was injured in last week’s game, and starting right tackle Kevin Terry will be a game-time decision, per Keeler.

Defensively, Brian Smith has held the reins since 2025. Last season, Temple ranked middle-of-the-pack within the American Athletic Conference in yards and points allowed, with a stronger pass defense than run defense. 

They base out of a 4-2-5 alignment but one of the defensive backs (Dinkins) plays the “Viper” role, which is a hybrid safety/linebacker position. The Owls have talented players in the secondary, which will likely be the toughest Penn State sees in nonconference action.

Players to Watch

Much of Temple’s firepower comes on the offensive side of the ball, including multiple players with first-team All American Conference accolades, per Athlon Sports.

One is wide receiver JoJo Bermudez, who hauled in 38 receptions for 500 yards with four touchdowns last season. He snagged two passes for 40 yards in a season-opening win over Rhode Island a week ago.

Tight end Peter Clarke is another pass-catching threat, with 30 catches for 483 yards and six scores in 2025. Look for quarterbacks Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard — who will continue to split time, per Keeler — to target Clarke in the red zone.

Running back Keveun Mason burst onto the scene against the Rams, toting the rock 20 times for 158 yards and finding the end zone twice. He nearly surpassed his 2025 season totals in just one outing, paving the way to a 1-0 start.

In the trenches, guard Eric King was named a preseason first-team All-American Conference by multiple outlets. He didn’t play in Week 1, and it’s unconfirmed whether he’ll start on Saturday, but he could be a key player for the Owls.

After a breakout 2025 campaign with 69 tackles, three pass breakups, a sack and a forced fumble, linebacker Curly Ordonez is one of the leaders of Temple’s defense. He secured eight tackles last week.

Keys to Victory

Penn State: The Nittany Lions need to remain stout up front defensively, containing running back Keveun Mason’s legs and maintaining pressure on both quarterbacks to prevent them from getting into a rhythm. Against an offensive line missing up to three starters, this should be accomplished easily.

Temple: For the Owls to pull off an improbable upset, they’ll need to put up a strong showing offensively, generating explosive plays through both the pass and run game. A balanced attack that gets the ball into their best players’ hands could result in lots of points.

Score Prediction: Penn State 36, Temple 7

The Nittany Lions showcased a lethal deep passing attack last week — expect the Owls to respect that by playing off-man coverage and showing lighter boxes. To counter, Penn State may attempt to get its ground game going, which will keep the clock ticking. The Nittany Lions may not put up as many points, but they should cruise to a 2-0 record against a well-coached but out-talented Temple squad.