Gameday preview: Temple-UMass

Temple (0-0) at UMass (0-0)

Game time: 3:30 p.m.

Television ESPN+

Location: McGuirk Alumni Stadium – Amherst, Massachusetts

Temple-UMass history: The Owls lead the all-time series, 3-0

Last meeting: Sept. 24, 2022 – Temple 28, UMass 0 at Lincoln Financial Field

When Temple kicks off the K.C. Keeler era Saturday at UMass, the Owls could – and should – do something they have not done since 2021 – win on the road. Temple will also be looking to win its first road season opener since 2014, when the Owls won at Vanderbilt in a lightning-delayed game that marked the program’s first win over an SEC program since 1938.

Keeler, who took over at Temple last December after former head coach Stan Drayton stumbled through three consecutive 3-9 seasons, will bring with him to Amherst a staff that includes offensive coordinator Tyler Walker and defensive coordinator Brian L. Smith. Walker, who brought his offensive line coach Al Johnson with him to North Broad Street, led Montana State to a 15-1 record and the FCS national championship game last season as the Bobcats’ offensive coordinator. Smith, who spent the last seven seasons as Rice’s defensive coordinator, will be making a bit of a homecoming Saturday. The Chester, Pa. native played his college football at UMass and was a three-year starter in the secondary for the Minutemen before graduating in 2001.

Joe Harasymiak, meanwhile, took over as the head coach at UMass last December after serving as Rutgers’ defensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024. Prior to that, he was Minnesota’s defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021 and gained three seasons of head coaching experience at Maine from 2016 to 2018. Saturday’s game will mark UMass’ return to the MAC, where they were affiliate members from 2012 to 2015. Harasymiak has been charged with turning around a program that has not enjoyed a winning season since 2010. 

WHEN TEMPLE IS ON OFFENSE

Keeler said Monday during his first game week press conference of the season that he “would be surprised” if Evan Simon and Gevani McCoy both don’t get snaps Saturday, although he stayed consistent in not naming a starter. After the two consistently split first-team reps in the 10 preseason camp practices that were open to the media this month, Simon took all of the first-team reps Monday.

“I’m not sure which one we’ll roll out first,” Keeler said, “but it’s one of those things where we felt really good [about] the growth of both the quarterbacks during training camp. Didn’t see that happening. Thought we’d have someone go win the job directly, but I think it’s a good thing for us that we have two quarterbacks that can play at this level.”

Whoever starts Satudray will do so behind an offensive line that will include four players with starting experience in right tackle Diego Barajas, right guard Jackson Pruitt, center Grayson Mains and left guard Eric King. Left tackle Kevin Terry, who is still recovering from an MCL injury he sustained earlier this month in a scrimmage, was in uniform Monday but not a full practice participant. If he can’t go, redshirt freshman Giakoby Hills will play his first college football game as a starter. 

The 2025 edition of Temple’s offense should be deeper and better at the skill positions with the additions of Delaware transfer JoJo Bermudez and St. Thomas transfer Colin Chase at wide receiver, both of whom have passed the eye test as the best offensive players in camp. Sam Houston State transfer Jay Ducker and Louisiana-Monroe transfer Hunter Smith at running back have bolstered a running back room that returns tailbacks Terrez Worthy and Joquez Smith, and true freshman Ryder Kusch tight end has stood out since arriving as a midyear transfer during the spring. Worthy, back after missing the spring with an injury, gives the Owls a shifty, home-run threat, and Ducker brings 2,514 yards and 17 touchdowns with him across four previous college seasons. 

Simon said last week that he remembers and recalls Harasymiak’s scheme from when they were both at Rutgers, so maybe that plays a very small part in Saturday’s game. Defensive tackle Tim Grant-Randall returns along UMass’ defensive line, and defensive end Joshua Nobles, who notched nine sacks at Jackson State last season, could challenge Barajas and especially Hills depending upon where he lines up. Starting weakside linebacker Timmy Hinspeter followed Harasymiak to UMass after registering 20 tackles in three seasons at Rutgers, and Malcolm Greene could give the Minutemen a lift at the nickel corner spot after three seasons at Clemson and two at Virginia. 

Temple’s best bet at controlling the game and the tempo is a steady dose of Ducker and Worthy and some quick-hitting throws in space to Chase and Bermudez. 

EDGE: Temple 

WHEN TEMPLE IS ON DEFENSE

We won’t truly know how good Temple’s front seven can be until they start playing against someone else, but they looked lively, twitchy and pretty sound during preseason camp. Defensive end Sekou Kromah and nose tackle Allan Hayeearned single digits this month, and starting rush end Cam’Ron Stewart has competed with redshirt-sophomore Tyrese Whitaker, a player Keeler believes has double-digit sack potential. 

A linebacker group that might turn out to be one of the deepest positions on the roster appeared to jell this month, with strongside backer Ty Davis (a Delaware transfer), middle linebacker Eric Stuart and weakside linebacker Curly Ordonez set to start, although Katin Suprenant is listed in the “OR” spot in the middle, which means he could start after competing with Stuart. 

Harasymiak hired Mike Bajakian to be his offensive coordinator after Bajakian concluded the 2024 season at Utah as the Utes’ interim OC. Brandon Rose, who played in three games last season and spent three years at Utah, followed Bajakian to Amherst and will line up under center as UMass’ starting quarterback Saturday. He showed some promise last November when he went 12 of 21 passing for 112 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his first career start as Utah nearly knocked off No. 9 BYU in a 22-21 loss to the Cougars. 

In speaking with reporters Monday, Ordonez said the early scouting report is preparing the Owls for a West Coast offense. 

“(It) mixes a lot of counters,” Ordonez, an Independence Community College transfer, said of UMass’ offense. “And especially the run game, a lot of eye candy, trying to get you to not do your job.”

Running back Rocko Griffin transferred to UMass after spending the last two seasons at UTSA, although he played sparingly last year due to injury. He did rush for 483 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 and for 517 yards and four scores in 2021 while at Vanderbilt, so there’s some ability there. A Temple secondary that will start seniors Ben Osueke and Jaylen Castleberry at the corners and Javier Morton, Avery Powell and Louis Frye at the safety spots should keep an eye on UMass wideout T.Y. Harding. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound junior caught just 19 passes last season, but five of them went for touchdowns, and he averaged 17.6 yards per catch. 

EDGE: Temple

SPECIAL TEAMS

Other than serving as the team’s kickoff specialist in 2023, Carl Hardin is untested and has big shoes to fill now that Maddux Trujillo is gone to the NFL, where he was recently waived by the Colts. The 5-9, 160-pound Hardin has yet to attempt a college kick, but he routinely showed the ability to hit field goals from 50 to 55 yards out during practice. At punter, 6-foot, 200-pound junior Dante Atton earned a single digit 

In the return game, wide receiver Tyler Stewart will likely get the first shot at fielding punts, and Stewart and Terrez Worthy will be back to return kickoffs. 

Derek Morris, a Cal transfer, will handle UMass’ kicking duties after going 11 of 15 on field goals last season for the Golden Bears with a long of 46 yards and converting all 13 of his extra points. Senior Keegan Andrews and freshman Edward Phillipson are separated by the word “OR” at the punter spot on UMass’ depth chart. Like Atton, they are both from Australia.

The aforementioned Harding returned a punt for a touchdown last season and logged a season-best 32-yard kickoff return.

EDGE: UMass