Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
take another step forward this fall. A victory over Penn State would give the program a huge boost, because even though the schools' formerly annual on- field rivalry has been reduced to the oc- casional nonconference matchup – the current series will encompass four games over the next four seasons – they continue to do battle every year for Pennsylvania's top recruits. Pitt made some inroads this past year, and a victo- ry at Heinz Field would keep their mo- mentum going into 2017. 2015 RECORD 10-4, 7-1 American Athletic Conference SERIES RECORD Penn State leads the all-time series, 39-4-1. MOST RECENT MEETING The Owls sacked Christian Hackenberg 10 times and defeated visiting Penn State, 27-10, in last year's season opener. OFFENSE The two top playmakers in Temple's offense last season – quarter- back P.J. Walker and running back Jahad Thomas – are back in 2016 for their re- spective senior seasons. Walker had a breakthrough year in 2015, throwing for 2,973 yards and rushing for 314. His touchdown-interception ratio was an impressive 19-8. Thomas rushed for 1,262 yards and a dazzling 17 TDs. The Owls also return four linemen with eight or more games of starting experience, so they have the personnel they need to build on the progress they made last year, even with a new offensive coordi- nator – former QBs coach Glenn Thomas – running the show. The one area where they appear thin is the re- ceiver corps, with three of last year's top five wideouts having departed. DEFENSE Temple suffered some high- profile graduation losses at every level of its defense, with tackle Matt Ioannidis, linebacker Tyler Matakevich and cor- nerback Tavon Young all going in the NFL Draft. That said, the Owls still look fairly solid at linebacker. Jarred Alwan, Avery Williams and Stephaun Marshall are all experienced seniors, so while Matakevich may have been a once-in-a- decade find, Temple should be OK here eventually. Of more concern is the status of the defensive line and secondary. Ends Haason Reddick and Praise Mar- tin-Oguike combined for 21.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks last year, but the middle of the line needs to be rebuilt. Same goes for the secondary, where three starters have left. SPECIAL TEAMS Austin Jones was a very reliable kicker last season, hitting 20 of 25 attempts, including 4 of 6 from 40 yards and beyond. Alex Starzyk aver- aged 42.4 yards per punt. OUTLOOK The Owls haven't won back-to-back games against Penn State since 1931-32, the dawn of the teams' in- trastate rivalry, and they've lost all of their 25 games in University Park. They've got a chance to end both of those streaks this year, but maybe not a great chance. Matakevich was a tackling machine who was never out of position. You don't replace a middle linebacker like that without skipping a beat, and he's not the only key player to depart. The hope in Philly is that the offense will continue its development and perhaps make up for any drop-off on the other side of the ball. Temple may have trouble duplicating last year's 10-win season, but the decline – if there is one – shouldn't be too steep. 2015 RECORD 10-3, 6-2 Big Ten SERIES RECORD Michigan leads the all-time series, 12-7 MOST RECENT MEETING Jake Rudock threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, and the Wolverines held Penn State to 207 total yards in a 28-16 victory on Nov. 21, 2015, at Beaver Stadi- um. OFFENSE Rudock enjoyed a terrific one-and-done career in Ann Arbor, but now the Wolverines need another quar- terback. Junior Wilton Speight and Houston transfer John O'Korn looked to be the top performers coming out of spring practice. Speight reportedly looked sharp in the spring game, and he was unflappable when he played last fall, engineering the winning drive against Minnesota after Rudock had been knocked out. The receiver corps is one of Michigan's biggest strengths, so whoev- er wins the QB job will have plenty of help. Wideouts Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh combined to make 108 catches for 1,491 yards last year, while tight end Jake Butt had 51 catches for 654 yards. At tailback, De'Veon Smith is back after rushing for 753 yards last season, and four starting linemen return. So while Michigan has some questions at QB, all the other pieces are in place for a big season. DEFENSE The Wolverines are loaded up front, where 303-pound senior de- fensive end Chris Wormley spearheads a formidable line. They're also loaded in the secondary, where All-America cornerback Jourdan Lewis leads a tal- ented and experienced unit. The ques- tion marks concern the linebacker corps, which lost all three of last sea- son's starters. It wouldn't be surprising to see a couple of true freshmen see ac- tion here, but the big news in the off- season was the move of standout safety Jabrill Peppers to outside linebacker. At 208 pounds, Peppers isn't as big as most Sam OLBs. But with his team- leading speed and aggressiveness, he should help keep Michigan ranked among the Big Ten's top defensive teams. SPECIAL TEAMS Kenny Allen is coming off a junior season in which he hit 18 of 22 field goal attempts. The W E E K 4 MICHIGAN T i m e T BA , S e p t . 24 @ M i c h i g a n St a d i u m W E E K 3 TEMPLE N o o n , S e p t . 17 @ B e av e r St a d i u m P R E V I E W