Temple has a few reasons to feel better about itself heading into Saturday, even if the assignment is brutal. The Owls opened with a 38-14 win over Rhode Island, flashed a run game that popped, and got a defensive touchdown for good measure.
Now comes the real test: No. 16 Penn State, a team Temple hasn’t seen in 10 years and one that has controlled the series.
If the Owls are going to pull off something wild, a handful of names have to matter again. Keveun Mason already looks like the kind of back who can change a game.
Ajani Sheppard and Jaxon Smolik give Temple two very different looks at quarterback. And on defense, Kaleb Artis and Tyree Alualu both showed they can make life uncomfortable for an opponent.
Mason was the loudest offensive weapon in the opener. Temple’s quarterbacks combined for just 142 passing yards, but the sophomore running back piled up 158 on the ground by himself.
He scored twice, finishing the second and third quarters in the end zone, and averaged 7.9 yards per carry while also catching two passes for 34 yards. It was the kind of debut that makes you take notice, especially considering he played in nine games as a true freshman and totaled 167 yards and a touchdown for the season.
He nearly matched that output in one afternoon.
That matters because Penn State’s run defense didn’t have much to worry about against Marshall, holding the Thundering Herd to 44 rushing yards. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was the only real threat on the ground in that game, which makes Mason a different kind of problem for the Nittany Lions to solve.
Quarterback is less settled. Temple used both Sheppard and Smolik in the opener, and the picture still isn’t clear for Week 2.
Sheppard completed the first pass of the game, while Smolik threw the first touchdown later in that same drive. By the end of the day, Sheppard had 85 passing yards and Smolik had 57, but Smolik was the one who found the end zone.
The split could complicate things for Penn State just as much as it complicates Temple. Sheppard brings more of a dual-threat element, adding 23 rushing yards last week.
Smolik is more of a pocket passer. And there’s an extra layer here: Smolik spent three years with the Nittany Lions, appearing in four games before transferring to Temple.
Saturday gives him a chance to face his old team.
On the defensive line, Kaleb Artis made his Temple debut count even without stuffing the stat sheet. He earned a 77.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, the best mark on the Owls’ defensive front.
Artis missed the 2025 season after a season-ending injury, but he had shown something before that, with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss across 26 games. At 315 pounds, he’s the second-biggest defensive tackle on the roster, and Penn State has spent practice time preparing for size like that, including work against Marshall’s Mikailin Warren, who weighs 380 pounds.
Then there’s Tyree Alualu, who delivered the defensive play of the game against Rhode Island. Midway through the fourth quarter, the junior linebacker jumped a throw and took it 63 yards for a pick six, stretching Temple’s lead.
He also finished with two tackles and a pass deflection. Through his first two seasons, Alualu has played in 21 games and started each year, but that interception was the kind of moment that hints at more.
With his speed and 230-pound frame, he gives Temple a defender who can make a play in space.
Temple has already shown it can handle business against a lighter opponent. Saturday is a different story entirely. If the Owls are going to make Penn State sweat, these are the names that have to show up again.
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Penn State Wrestling Looks Even Scarier Than Fans Expected
Penn State wrestling is entering the new season with the kind of national buzz that usually comes with a loaded roster and a track record to match it. FloWrestlings preseason pound-for-pound rankings only sharpened that picture, placing five Nittany Lions inside the top 10 and underscoring just how deep the program looks before a whistle has been blown.
Mitchell Mesenbrink sits atop the list as the best wrestler in the country after moving up a weight class for his final college season, and he is hardly alone near the top. Josh Barr, Luke Lilledahl, Shayne Van Ness and Rocco Welsh also landed highly in both their weight classes and the overall standings, a reminder that Penn States ceiling is once again tied to more than one star. [Read more 🡒]
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Penn State Has A New Week 2 Battle Fans Will Notice
Penn States first depth-chart tweaks of the season offered a pretty clear look at how the staff wants to sort out the early part of September. The offensive core stayed intact after the Week 1 win over Marshall, but there were still meaningful changes underneath it, with running back Quinton Martin Jr. and wide receiver Koby Howard positioned for more work as the staff continues to spread opportunities around.
On defense, freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas was right in the mix at nickelback and played a heavy amount, a sign the Nittany Lions are willing to trust youth there early. Linebacker Alex Tatsch is also expected to make his season debut in rotation, giving Penn State another piece back as it gets deeper into the schedule and starts refining who will handle the biggest snaps. [Read more 🡒]