The Temple Owls travel into Annapolis to go to war with the Navy Midshipmen to decide who will be the AAC Conference champion. The title match is scheduled to begin on Saturday, December 3rd at 12 p.m. ET and will be televised on the ABC Network. As of Tuesday, the Midshipmen are a -3 point favorite and the contest’s total is at 61.5 points.
Temple has relied on a sturdy defense that ranks 10th in the nation in points allowed per game, along with a balanced attack on offense. Quarterback Phillip Walker has recorded 18 scores while running backs Jahad Thomas and Ryquell Armstead have combined for 25 scores on the ground.
Temple (9-3):
Temple likes to grind the football down the field with the run to take pressure of their starting quarterback Phillip Walker. The one constant downfall for Walker this season has been turnovers, as he has been intercepted 12 times this season. Altogether, the Owl’s signal-caller has completed 186 passes for 2,700 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 picks.
The Owl’s first option is to look to move the ball over the ground using two productive tail backs. Jahad Thomas and Ryquell Armstead have pitched in for 220 carries for 1,889 yards and 25 trips to pay-dirt. While neither running back has reached the 1,000-yard mark, they have both been able to keep the pressure off of Phillip Walker.
Two wide receivers do the bulk of the pass catching for the Temple Owls. So far, the duo has reeled in 69 catches for over 1,100 yards and six scores. Running back Jahad Thomas also catches passes from Phillip Walker, grabbing 30 balls for 400 yards and a team-high six touchdown catches.
The defense has been the strong point for the Temple Owls, who rank 3rd in the country in total defense. The Owls are allowing just 273.4 yards per game. A huge reason why, is defensive lineman Haason Reddick. Reddick has been a machine, totaling 51 total tackles with a whopping 9.5 sacks.
#25 Navy (9-2):
Navy’s 2016 campaign started out with an injury to starting quarterback Tago Smith. Instead of calling it quits, the Middies looked to back-up Will Worth to take over under center. Since that time, the Midshipmen have not looked back.
After taking over, Will Worth has rushed for 25 touchdowns while also throwing for eight scores as the triple-option attack continues to be the bread and butter for the Navy offense. Worth has also rumbled for a team-high 1,179 yards over the ground this year. When asked to pass, worth has completed 71 balls for over 1,300 yards with eight scores and three picks.
When Will Worth isn’t tucking the ball and running, he hands it off to a platoon of backs out of the back field. As a squad, they have amassed over 1,600 yards and 17 trips to the promised land. Chris High leads this group with 473 yards and five end zone appearances. Full back Shawn White continues to be a red zone threat, rushing for another seven scores.
Navy doesn’t throw the ball around a lot, but when they do Will Worth looks to wide out Jamir Tillman to get the job done. Tillman has responded, catching a team-high 32 balls for 533 yards and two touchdowns.
Most of the time, the Midshipmen are under-sized whenever their defense takes the field, but they held their own in 2016. Navy has allowed their fair share of points this season, ranking 76th in the nation, giving way to 30 points a contest.
If Owl’s quarterback Phillip Walker can get some time, it could be along day for the Midshipmen’s secondary. Like the front seven, the secondary struggles, ranking 107th in the nation allowing 264 yards per contest.
Trends and Notes:
The Owls are 24-8 ATS in their last 32 conference games.
The Midshipmen are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 conference games.
The Under is 4-0 in the Owls last 4 games overall.
The Over is 7-0 in the Midshipmen last 7 home games.
The Owls are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings.
Game Prediction:
The battle on Saturday will be in the trenches. The Navy Midshipmen will look to impose their will on the solid Temple defensive front. Against most teams, Navy is able to control the ball and wear out their opponents.
That probably won’t be the case against the Temple Owls. Temple can play the ball control game as well, ranking 5th in the nation, holding the pigskin for 34 minutes each game. That will help the athletic Temple defense stay rested.
The one glaring difference in this conference title game is the quality of the competitor’s defense. The Owls are loaded on that side of the ball and the Midshipmen have struggled through out the year.
In a close game for all the marbles, take what we know wins championships, defense. Tell the bookmakers to keep their points and take the Owls on the road to upset the Navy Midshipmen by a field goal.
