Penn State heads to Philadelphia on Saturday with the memory of 2015 still hanging around, even if the setup this time looks very different.
That September night at Temple turned into a disaster for the Nittany Lions. The Owls ripped off 27 straight points, piled up 10 sacks and walked away with a 27-10 win to open the season. A repeat of that kind of chaos feels unlikely now, especially with Temple dealing with injuries up front and still sorting out its quarterback situation.
The Owls have not named a QB1 for the game, so it remains unclear whether Jaxon Smolik will face his former team or how long he’ll stay in the game. Temple’s offense in its 38-16 win over Rhode Island leaned heavily on the run, and Penn State handled Marshall’s ground game well in a dominant 45-0 opener.
That performance left Penn State looking sharp in all three phases, and the question now is whether the Nittany Lions can carry that over to Week 2 and move to 2-0. The PennLive football beat offered its takes on how it might play out.
Jake Aferiat pointed to Max Granville as a player worth watching after the defender generated QB hurries and pressures against Marshall while returning from injury. If Granville starts finishing those chances with sacks, Aferiat suggested, it would be another sign he’s fully back.
Aferiat also wouldn’t be shocked if Penn State keeps leaning into its depth. Twenty one Nittany Lion defenders recorded tackles last week, 11 of them had multiple stops, and the offense rotated through all four running backs, all three QBs and several offensive line combinations. If the game gets out of hand early again, Penn State could keep piling up useful snaps for less-heralded players.
His prediction centered on another pass-heavy outing for Penn State, though he expects the backs to do more damage than they did in the opener, with several explosive plays coming from that group.
Bob Flounders spotlighted linebackers Tony Rojas and Kooper Ebel, who will be chasing Temple’s top offensive threat from last week, running back Keveun Mason. Mason ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns against Rhode Island, and Flounders expects Penn State to key on him from the first snap.
Flounders also said he wouldn’t be surprised if Penn State’s defense found the end zone. Temple quarterbacks Ajani Sheppard and Jaxon Smolik should see steady pressure from the Lions’ front, while the cornerbacks and safeties will be waiting to jump on any bad throw.
His read on the game is straightforward: Temple’s injuries along the offensive line, combined with Penn State’s depth at defensive tackle and edge rusher, could turn things ugly quickly if the Owls fall behind by a couple of scores.
Joe Hermitt focused on the quarterback situation too, noting that former Penn State backup Jaxson Smolik started Temple’s opener but shared time with Ajani Sheppard. Whoever is under center, Hermitt wrote, will have a tough assignment against an aggressive Penn State defense. He also pointed out that losing starting left tackle Giakoby Hills only makes things harder for the Owls.
Hermitt expects Penn State to get the run game going early and often. After last week’s passing performance by QB Rocco Becht and company, Temple should be less able to load the box the way Marshall tried to do early. That could open the door for Carson Hansen, Quinton Martin and James Peoples to make plays.
His prediction was tied to the Lions’ 45-0 win in head coach Matt Campbell’s debut, a game that showed Penn State clicking in nearly every area. Now the Lions get the road trip to Lincoln Financial Field, where the crowd could still lean heavily in blue and white.
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