Temple enters Saturday's 3 p.m. road game at East Carolina with five games left and a new look on the defensive side of the ball after K.C. Keeler overhauled his staff following a 38-31 loss to previously winless Charlotte on Oct. 17.
The move came after Temple allowed 72 combined points in consecutive losses to UConn and Charlotte, a stretch that made the defensive issues hard to ignore. Keeler dismissed Cedric Calhoun, reassigned Brian L. Smith and made Henry Baker the interim defensive coordinator as the Owls try to reset the unit down the stretch.
Temple's defense was expected to take a step forward in Keeler's second season, but the results have been uneven. The Owls held unbeaten South Florida to 13 points in a 17-13 win on Oct. 3, then saw UConn score 34 points the following week before Charlotte put up 38. After seven games, Temple has allowed 28 points per game, which ranks 108th nationally among 138 FBS programs.
Run defense has been the biggest concern
The most obvious problem has been stopping the run. Temple is giving up 165.9 rushing yards per game, which ranks 99th nationally, and has allowed 15 rushing touchdowns. That combination has made it difficult for the Owls to control games or protect leads when opponents stay on schedule.
Keeler said he wanted a strong voice on that side of the ball, and the staff changes reflect that urgency. With only five games remaining, Temple is trying to make the defense more consistent before the season runs out.
East Carolina now gets the version of Temple that is still searching for answers, but also one that has already shown it can produce at least one strong outing. The question is whether the staff shakeup can help the Owls turn that one good game against South Florida into something more reliable over the final month.
