Temple (1-0) at Rutgers (1-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (BTN)
Line: No line, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Rutgers 22-15.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Both schools saw the early part of their schedules as a chance to pick up wins. Rutgers dominated Northwestern in a rare Sunday game. Temple rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Arkon. Rutgers edged Temple 16-14 on the road last season, scoring its only touchdown on an interception return by Shaquan Loyal. Whoever wins will have a shot at 3-0 with Temple facing Norfolk State and the Scarlet Knights playing at home against Virginia Tech the following week.
KEY MATCHUP
Rutgers offensive line against Temple's defense. The Scarlet Knights dominated the line of scrimmage against Northwestern, controlling the ball for almost 38 minutes. They opened the game with two 16-play touchdown drives and scored on their first three possessions in taking a 17-0 lead. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt threw for 163 yards and touchdown and ran for another. The line did not allow a sack and the offense had no turnovers. Temple's defense was the key against Akron, holding it to 41 yards and no points in the second half. Linebacker Yvandy Rigby led the Owls with 14 total tackles and tied a career high 11 solo tackles. Owls’ safety Tywan Francis sealed the win with his first career interception. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Temple: QB E.J. Warner. The sophomore threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to running back Edward Saydee as the Owls came back in the second half. Warner was 28-of-49 passing for 292 yards and no interceptions. He made his first collegiate start last year against Rutgers and threw for 215 yards, but he gave up a pick-6 to Loyal.
Rutgers: DL Aaron Lewis had a monster game against the Owls last season, recording a career-high 11 tackles, two tackles for losses and a forced fumble. The Scarlet Knights defensive line limited Northwestern to 22 yards on 12 carries in the opener.
FACTS & FIGURES
Rutgers has won the last six in the series, including a 16-14 win last year in Philadelphia. ... Temple’s last victory against Rutgers was a 20-17 decision on the road in 2002. ... Temple has 28 players from New Jersey on its roster. ... Rutgers continues its three-game homestand to start the season. It is seeking to start 2-0 for the third straight year. ... Since 2021, the Scarlet Knights are 7-2 in September. ... The Rutgers defense held Northwestern to 201 total yards, the fewest it has allowed in a Big Ten game.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
