UCF vs Temple Odds
| UCF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-23.5 -110 | 46 -110o / -110u | -2500 |
| Temple Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+23.5 -110 | 46 -110o / -110u | +1100 |
UCF looks for a signature win over Temple at the Bounce House on Thursday to help propel it into the AP Top 25 Poll.
Through five games, the Knights are 4-1 with their sole loss coming to Louisville in early September. Since then, the program has won all three of its matchups by a combined score of 108-43.
Temple has gone 2-3 through a relatively easy schedule to date. The Owls found two victories over Lafayette and UMass. Its three losses have come to Duke, Rutgers and Memphis, as the offense combined for only 17 points in those matchups.
The Temple defense has been one of the more pleasant surprises this season and will have its work cut out for it against a hit-or-miss UCF offense.
Central Florida Knights
Central Florida owns a 4-1 record and has outscored its opponents by 21 points per game this season. But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing, as the offense has stalled in many games this season.
The unit was held scoreless in its final 10 drives against Louisville. Two weeks later, the Knights led Georgia Tech by six at halftime in a game that saw quarterback John Rhys Plumlee throw for only 49 yards. And last week, UCF trailed SMU, 13-10, at halftime before ripping off 31 unanswered points.
Plumlee has been hit-or-miss the last month. He threw for an average of 327 yards and three touchdowns against Florida Atlantic and SMU, but the senior averaged only 90 passing yards and tossed two interceptions against Louisville and Georgia Tech. He's been wildly inconsistent at times this season, missing open receivers.
However, Plumlee has proven deadly with his legs, leading the team in rushing while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Isaiah Bowser has also had a disappointing start to the season, putting up just 3.4 yards per carry through the first month. Though Bowser has found pay dirt eight times this season, his longest rush of the year is only 17 yards.
The UCF defense has been stifling and has allowed only one opponent to score 20 points this season. Louisville gouged the defense, rushing for 226 yards. But in their other four matchups, the Knights have allowed only 118 yards rushing and 3.7 per attempt.
The group has thrived at creating Havoc, generating 35 tackles for loss this season to go along with 11 sacks.
Temple Owls
It’s been ugly for Temple offensively through the first five weeks of the season. The Owls rank dead last in the nation, averaging just 11 points per game against FBS opponents while putting up only 263 yards per game.
First-year head coach Stan Drayton has yet to find a source of offense that he can rely on. The Owls own a rush rate of 51% through a shared backfield, averaging only 2.7 yards per carry and 84 rushing yards per contest.
Incumbent starting quarterback D’Wan Mathis was pulled after the second game of the season and moved to wide receiver. That made room for EJ Warner — son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner — to step in under center.
The freshman quarterback has had some growing pains, completing 56% of his passes while throwing five interceptions to six touchdowns. He has led the Owls to just 31 points in his four games as a starter.
Despite the offense showing few signs of life, the Temple defense has been one of the more robust units in the American Athletic Conference this season.
The Owls are holding opponents to 17 points per game and only 320 yards of total offense. They’ve allowed only 3.8 yards per carry (50th) and 5.6 yards per pass attempt (7th) against FBS foes.
They'll have their toughest task to date against a UCF offense that averages 35 points per game.
UCF vs. Temple Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Temple and UCF match up statistically:
Temple Offense vs. UCF Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 125 | 21 | |
| Line Yards | 130 | 29 | |
| Pass Success | 103 | 59 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 71 | 61 | |
| Havoc | 106 | 11 | |
| Finishing Drives | 129 | 4 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
UCF Offense vs. Temple Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 30 | 19 | |
| Line Yards | 12 | 33 | |
| Pass Success | 107 | 16 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 12 | 69 | |
| Havoc | 37 | 6 | |
| Finishing Drives | 106 | 16 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 34 | 54 |
| PFF Coverage | 16 | 40 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 118 | 86 |
| Seconds per Play | 26.3 (64) | 24.8 (30) |
| Rush Rate | 50.8% (81) | 61.4% (16) |
Data via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, Pro Football Focus and SportSource Analytics.
UCF vs. Temple Betting Pick
This is an interesting matchup between two teams projected to be on opposite ends of the American.
The Temple offense has been an eyesore, and that will likely continue in this matchup. The Owls rank outside the top 100 in nearly every advanced metric offensively. Now, they match up against a stout UCF defense that hasn’t allowed more than 20 points to any opponent this season.
UCF's offense has been hit-or-miss depending on Plumlee's performance at quarterback. I’m expecting him to be frustrated in this matchup.
The Temple defense has been one of the top surprises this season, ranking sixth nationally in Havoc. The group owns a top-20 unit in Passing and Rushing Success Rates and ranks 16th in keeping opponents out of the end zone. Meanwhile, UCF struggles in Finishing Drives, ranking 106th.
Though each team plays with a quicker tempo, I’m banking on both defenses to remain strong. I can’t see the Temple offense finding any success, and I envision its defense doing enough to keep UCF from pouring it on late.
