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Temple Readies For Army's Triple-Option Attack

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Temple Owls will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing Homecoming loss to UConn this coming Saturday when they visit Army in a non-conference match-up.

The Owls (3-4, 1-3 AAC) lost to the Huskies 28-24 this past Saturday at the Linc. Temple trailed 28-14 after three quarters, scored 10 quick points to pull within four points early in the fourth quarter, but they couldn't quite get over the hump.

"We outgained them almost double the yardage [473-244]," Temple head coach Geoff Collins tells KYW Newsradio. "Throughout the game we were moving the ball, we were stopping them. Just had too many critical penalties [12 for 117 yards] that really cost us and then two turnovers, [interception return] for a touchdown and [fumble return] down to the [nine]."

 

Collins says his team can't let the loss to the Huskies linger.

"We know we've got some things to clean up," he says. "Kids have had a great attitude, they're resilient, they're tough. They know they were a couple of plays away, but that doesn't take away the hurt of the disappointment."

Army is 5-2 this season and coming off a 28-27 win over Eastern Michigan. The Black Knights run the triple-option on offense and average 378.4 yards a game rushing. They actually have won two games this season where they didn't complete a pass.

"I was in the Southern Conference as a defensive coordinator for four years, have gone against [the triple-option]," Collins says, "the Georgia Southerns of the world, the Woffords, the Nicholls States, some really good triple-option team. So we just have to understand that they're going to try and gain three yards on every play and if its 4th and one they're going to go for it."

Collins talks about the challenge of defending the triple-option.

"[Have to] make sure we're assignment sound in every single thing that we do," he says. "They test you physically and they test you structurally. They also do a really nice job on defense with some unique fronts and some unique pressures. So our offense has to be on point as well."

Army beat Temple at the Linc to open the 2016 season, 28-13.

Saturday's game will kick off at noon.

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