Owls aren't looking for a shootout at Memphis

Branden Mack doesn’t believe Temple necessarily needs to get into a shootout, even if Memphis is coming off one.

The Tigers surrendered 798 yards of total offense to UCF but got 703 of their own and plenty of big plays from quarterback Brady White to finish off a 50-49 come-from-behind win last Saturday.

Memphis is ranked third in the nation in total offense at 571.3 yards per game, but Mack and his teammates didn't rattle off the names of any Tigers players Tuesday when asked about what they saw on film.

Rather than focusing on what Memphis' high-powered offense is doing, he said the Owls will just stick to their game plan and try to put points up on the board in order to put the team in the best position to win.

“However it is,” Mack said during Zoom media availability on Tuesday. “Score a touchdown, score a touchdown, score a field goal, score a field goal -- we’re never comparing ourselves. We’re never saying, ‘we have to do that.’ No, we're going to go out there and execute the game plan.”

Temple knocked off USF 39-37 last Saturday in part because of the play of its wide receivers. While Mack was held in check for most of the afternoon -- although he caught a 12-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to five -- it was Randle Jones who stepped up to the plate. Jones' decision to redshirt in 2019 and retain another year of eligibility paid off for Temple on Saturday.

The Miami native scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown to put the Owls up 39-31, adding eight catches for a game-high 81-yards. On Monday, Jones was named to the American Athletic Conference's honor roll for his performance against the Bulls.

Following the team’s win over USF, Temple head coach Rod Carey referred to Jones as a “flat-out stud.”

“It means a lot just knowing the work I put in is showing to, not only the players, but the coaches as well,” Jones said. “Going out there and executing, doing my job and coming out with the win is something to feel good about.”

Jones has come a long way since dealing with a hamstring injury that prematurely ended his 2019 campaign. Still, he’s been a vital part of the Owls' offense through two weeks, proving that opposing defenses have to account for more than just Mack and Jadan Blue.

And although he may not get the same recognition as his counterparts, Jose Barbon goes about his business and moves the chains for the Owls. In Saturday’s win, all three of Barbon’s receptions led to Temple first downs. Despite netting just 35 receiving yards, each catch helped the Owls further a scoring opportunity.

Barbon prefers to earn each reception the hard way. He said no target comes without first blocking for his teammates, something they put a lot of emphasis on in the wide receivers room.

Kwenkeu's bounce-back peformance

Graduate linebacker William Kwenkeu has made plenty of noise on the other side of the ball, correcting mistakes and improving the defense’s communication from game one to game two.

He didn’t get off to the hottest start against Navy, but he appears to have turned things around with his performance against USF. Kwenkeu played all 80 of Temple’s defensive snaps, recording two pressures, a sack and five stops, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kwenkeu considers himself something of a perfectionist.

Since the Navy game, Kwenkeu has held himself to a higher standard, watching extra film to find ways to correct his mistakes and build off that growth.

And he's his own worst critic.

“When I’m not playing to that standard every single time,” Kwenkeu said, “[Carey] doesn’t really have to tell me. I will bring it up. I will tell him it’s not the high level and it’s not the standard of Temple football. It sucks. I’ll just be honest with myself and make sure it doesn't happen again.”

After graduate linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley tweaked his ankle prior to the start of the game, the defense looked to George Reid to fill in. Reid, who arguably made some of the biggest plays in the game, combined with Amir Tyler to snuff out USF’s 2-point conversion attempt to tie the game and then recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win. He also added a sack and three stops.

Kwenkeu said it wasn’t a big surprise to see Reid play well but it was a “proud moment to see him display that.”