The Temple Owls and the Wake Forrest Demon Deacons travel to Annapolis, Maryland to compete against each other in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. The game is scheduled to go off on Tuesday, December 27th at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed on the ESPN Network. Coming into this game, the Owls are -11.5 point favorites and the game’s over/under is penciled in at 41.
Temple traveled into this same venue and claimed a convincing 34-10 victory over Navy to claim their first AAC title to end their regular season. Coach Matt Rhule has now won 10 games in back-to-back seasons, and Temple also has extended their winning streak to seven games. Furthermore, the Owls earned their first conference title since finishing first in the Middle American Conference in 1967.
Temple (10-3):
The Owls like to move the pigskin down the gridiron with the run, and take pressure of their starting quarterback Phillip Walker. In large part because their signal-caller’s one weak spot has been turnovers. Walker has been intercepted 12 times this year. Altogether, the Owl’s man-under-center has completed 202 passes for just under 2,900 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 picks.
Temple’s first option is to move the ball over the ground using two reliable running backs. Jahad Thomas and Ryquell Armstead have pitched in for almost 350 carries carries for over 1,800 yards and 27 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 pass catchers do most of the work for the Temple Owls. So far, the duo has reeled in 79 catches for over 1,300 yards and eight scores. Running back Jahad Thomas also catches passes from Phillip Walker, grabbing 32 balls for 426 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 276.3 yards per game. A huge reason why, is defensive lineman Haason Reddick. The athlete has been a machine, totaling 51 total tackles with a whopping 9.5 sacks. As a result, Reddick makes the nation’s second ranked secondary’s ( 145.2 ypg) life much easier.
Wake Forrest (6-6):
Wake Forrest finished the year on a three-game skid and lost of five of their last six contests. But this was still a nice season for head coach Dave Clawson because it is ending with a postseason invite in the Military Bowl.
The Demon Deacons bring one of the most unproductive offenses in the nation into the Military Bowl. Quarterback John Wolford heads-up a passing attack that is ranked 115th in the country. This year, the signal-caller has completed 156 passes for almost 1,600 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Wake Forrest’s running game isn’t much better, ranking 100th in the country, averaging 147.5 yards per game. Running back Mike Colburn has contributed 566 yards on 137 carries with one score. Quarterback John Wolford uses his feet as well as his arm, running for another 523 yards and a team-high six trips to the end zone.
Two Demon Deacon wide receivers catch most of the passes for the struggling offense. Combined, they have gathered in 67 catches for 816 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Cam Serigne also has caught another 27 balls for over 350 yards and two more scores.
Wake Forrest’s back-bone and the reason they’re in the Military Bowl is because of their defense. The Demon Deacon front seven has been strong, holding opposing offenses to 155 yards rushing a game (51st). The Deacons really buckle down in the red zone, giving way to only 21.8 points per game (21st).
Trends and Notes:
The Owls are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
The Demon Deacons are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The Under is 5-0 in the Owls last 5 games overall.
The Under is 5-2 in the Demon Deacons last 7 games overall.
Navy’s quarterback Keenan Reynolds was last year’s Military Bowl MVP.
The Demon Deacons will participate in its first postseason appearance since 2011.
Game Prediction:
Temple comes into the Military Bowl fired-up off of a ten win season and AAC title. This squad is balanced on the offensive side of the ball and plays hard-nosed, mistake free defense. They also have skilled players in all the important skilled positions, something Wake Forrest lacks on the offensive side of the ball.
The Demon Deacons are as offensively challenged as it gets. Even though they struggled to move the ball with any type of consistency, their stout defense managed to keep them in games week after week. They will need to do that once again, against a team that can move the ball down the gridiron via the ground or through the air.
Temple is on a roll and is too balanced on both sides of the ball for the Demon Deacons. The Owls will slowly start to dominate Wake Forrest as the Demon Deacon’s defense is left on the field entirely to long. Combine that with a Temple defense that has allowed only 20 points in their last four contests, and you have the makings of a one-sided contest. Take Temple to cover the -11.5 over the full 60 minutes of football. Owls win 29-13.
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