Sometimes it takes years to establish a winning culture and identity. But with the right coaching hire, those aspirations can come to fruition immediately.
The Temple Owls were cycling through endless 3-9
seasons, repeating the same record in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 without an end in sight. This offseason, Temple hired known program-builder K.C. Keeler who won FCS national championships at Delaware and Sam Houston, and most impressively, turned Sam Houston into a 10-3 program by year two of its membership in the FBS ranks.
In year one of the Keeler era, Temple is now 5-3 and 3-1 in league play, remaining in a crowded American Conference title race through two-thirds of the regular season. The Owls are one victory away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019 and survived a two-game road trip with a Week 8 domination of Charlotte and a Week 9 overtime thriller at Tulsa — breaking up a pop pass on Tulsa’s 2-point attempt for the win.
Prior to this year, Temple rode the longest road losing streak in the FBS, dropping 20 consecutive games away from Philadelphia. This year, the Owls are 3-1 on the road, triumphing in two of those contests by 30+ points. They claimed their largest margin of victory against FBS competition with a 35-point shellacking of Charlotte in Week 8 and even spearheaded an 11-point second half comeback to take down UTSA in Week 6, showing more resolve than previous Temple teams.
While every team strives for victory on a weekly basis, nobody would fault Temple for any of its three defeats. The Owls lost to Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and Navy — with the latter two teams comprising of a third of the remaining FBS unbeatens after Week 9. Temple even had the Midshipmen on the ropes, in a game decided by Blake Horvath’s 51-yard touchdown on a do-or-die 4th and 1 attempt with 47 seconds remaining. Navy opted for a 2-point conversion, and unlike Saturday’s finish in Tulsa, Temple wound up with the unfavorable result on that play.
What’s the secret sauce behind Temple’s success? Look no further than the accelerated improvement of quarterback Evan Simon. If college football had a Most Improved Player award like the NBA, there’s no question the Mount Joy, PA native would be a finalist. Simon has 21 touchdowns without a single interception on the season, firing for 1,610 yards and rushing for 190 and an additional two scores. The second-year Owl started delivered five touchdowns in an efficient 267-yard outing to knock off Tulsa on Saturday, and now he is tied for fourth in the FBS and first in the American in passing touchdowns.
The scoring offense hiked from 121st in 2024 (19.6 points per game) to 39th in 2025 (33 points per game) — averaging two entire touchdowns more than it did a year ago. Ball security is the major strength of the unit, and as the calendar turns to November, Temple only has one giveaway all year — a lost fumble vs. Navy, which didn’t even result in Navy points. That discipline is also showing in the penalty department, as the Owls rank top 25 in the FBS in fewest flags drawn per game. The defense is also letting up 9.4 points per game fewer in 2025, with drastic across-the-board improvements in a multitude of areas.
What’s next for Temple? The schedule certainly accelerates down the stretch as East Carolina (home), Army (away), Tulane (home), and North Texas (away) conclude the Owls’ 2025 slate. Temple is still eyeing a signature win, bereft of a ranked victory since 2019. Given Tulane and North Texas’ status on the fringe of the AP Poll, the opportunities may come as Keeler and the Owls prepare their impressive run through 2025.
