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Army Black Knights at Temple Owls

Sep 25, 20263:00 PM CTPhiladelphia, PA
By JR·1 min read
Army Black KnightsARMY(1-1)
Temple OwlsTEM(1-2)
AT
3:00 PM CT

TLDR: Two 1-1 teams looking for their footing collide at Lincoln Financial Field, and the styles couldn't be more different.

FRI SEP 25, 3:00 PM CT
Spread
WIN
Total
Army
(1-1)
LWWLW
Temple
(1-2)
LLWLL
Kickoff74°12 mph

Army's option offense, fresh off blowing out Bryant before losing to South Florida, is a 2.5-point road favorite over a Temple team that beat Rhode Island but managed just 9 points against Penn State. Both defenses have questions — Army's under a first-year coordinator, Temple's coming off a 27-point outing allowed — and drizzly conditions at Lincoln Financial Field could push this toward a low-possession affair.

Army
  • Blew out Bryant 59-3 in the opener
  • Option offense controls clock, limits possessions
  • Lost 24-28 at home to South Florida
  • First-year DC still installing defense
Temple
  • Beat Rhode Island 38-14 to open the year
  • Playing at home at Lincoln Financial Field
  • Scored just 9 points against Penn State
  • Defense allowed 27 points to a Power Four attack

Army's opener was a statement, even if the opponent wasn't: the Black Knights routed Bryant 59-3 to christen the renovated Michie Stadium. A week later South Florida came into West Point and beat them 24-28, a reminder that Jeff Monken's option attack still has to prove itself against real competition, not just set the tone against it.

Temple's two weeks told a similar story in reverse order. K.C. Keeler's Owls handled Rhode Island 38-14 to open the year at home, then managed only 9 points in a 27-9 loss to Penn State. That's the range for both of these teams right now — dominant against overmatched competition, exposed against anyone with real speed or size up front.

Army comes in as a 2.5-point road favorite, which says the market trusts the option offense to control the game more than it trusts Temple to slow it down. The total sits at 49.5, a number that has to account for both a run-heavy Army attack that chews clock and a Temple defense that just got gashed by a Power Four opponent.

Army Black Knights
(1-1)
09/12LvsSouth Florida24-28
09/05WvsBryant59-3
12/27WvsUConn41-16
12/13L@Navy16-17
11/29W@UTSA27-24
Temple Owls
(1-2)
09/19L@Toledo48-49
09/12Lvs#13 Penn State9-27
09/05WvsRhode Island38-14
11/28L@North Texas25-52
11/22LvsTulane13-37

The bigger question for Army is on the other side of the ball. New defensive coordinator Daryl Dixon is in his first season running that unit, and the South Florida loss showed a defense still figuring out its identity against tempo. Temple's offense won't move at USF's pace, but it doesn't need to if Dixon's group is still installing on the fly.

Army Black Knights
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Temple Owls
(2)
  • QuestionableJ. Smolik (QB) — Smolik is suffering with a foot injury, and it is undetermined if he will face Army on Friday.09/21
  • QuestionableR. Stocksdale (WR) — Stocksdale is dealing with a hamstring injury, and it is unclear if he will face Army on Friday.09/20

Weather could matter more than usual here. Lincoln Financial Field is forecasting light drizzle with wind around 12 mph on gameday, conditions that tend to favor the team that doesn't need to throw the ball 30 times. That's Army's game plan by design, and it's one more reason this one could look more like a grind than a shootout.

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