Kevin Hornbeak credited Temple’s defensive-line rotation with keeping the group fresh after the Penn State game. Curly Ordonez finished with the Owls’ only sack and tackle for loss, and Temple forced no takeaway. In a 27-9 home loss, the defenders had enough help to share the snaps. They needed more players disrupting Penn State’s offense.
Hornbeak gets a particularly personal opportunity Saturday. The Toledo native played at Tiffin under Cris Reisert, now Toledo’s offensive coordinator. He returns home trying to break up his former coach’s possessions.
Temple visits Toledo on Saturday, September 19, at 3 p.m. Eastern on CBSSN. Fan Watch gives the Owls a 13% chance to win. An upset would be a substantial achievement; a few early stops alone should not persuade anyone that Temple has control. The outside slate offers no result important enough to recommend this week. The interactive guide has the forecast, with the model explained in the methodology.
Temple kept Penn State from scoring on its first two trips inside the Owls’ 10. Then Penn State broke a 3-3 tie with an 83-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:57 before halftime and scored on three consecutive second-half possessions covering 66, 62 and 85 yards. That is how an encouraging defensive start became a lost home opportunity. Temple is now 1-1 after sliding from 5-3 to 5-7 last season and missing a bowl. With five of its first seven games at home before a travel-heavy finish, another early opportunity has slipped away. At Toledo, cheer a punt forced near midfield as enthusiastically as a goal-line stand. The defense needs to end possessions before the last few yards.
Temple entered the season with only two primary defensive starters returning from 2025, Ordonez and safety Avery Powell. That much turnover makes the early resistance encouraging, while explaining why fans should watch how the newcomers work together. Hornbeak recorded a sack in the opener. Getting him or another member of the rotation into the backfield would give Temple a better chance to force difficult passing downs.
Toledo has receivers who can punish a defense that gives its quarterback time. Adjatay Dabbs caught two touchdowns and gained 101 yards against Michigan State. Rico Bond followed with four catches for 135 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown, against Central Connecticut State. In that second game, John Alan Richter threw for a career-high 252 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Temple needs pressure and coverage to work together; selling out for a sack cannot mean leaving a receiver free behind it.
The offense has to make the resulting possessions count. Keveun Mason carried 14 times for 76 yards against Penn State with Sam Brown unavailable. On September 14, K.C. Keeler expected Brown to return against Toledo while Mason retained most of the workload. That was an expectation, not confirmation of participation. If Brown plays, watch whether the additional option helps Temple keep gaining yards without taking productive work away from Mason.
The passing transition remains demanding. Departed quarterback Evan Simon threw 25 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2025. Against Penn State, Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard combined for 107 passing yards, no passing touchdowns and an interception. Keeler’s September 14 plan was to give Smolik most of the offense against Toledo and use Sheppard situationally, without declaring the competition finished. Clearer duties need to become completions that extend drives.
Smolik will also need time in the pocket to extend those drives. Keeler said the banged-up offensive line forced Temple to reconfigure its offense against Penn State; the Owls allowed one sack. That is encouraging, but the blockers still need to give the quarterback time to find receivers consistently. On September 14, Keeler also expected guard Eric King and tackle Kevin Terry to be available for Toledo, with their workloads dependent on progress during the week. Watch who actually lines up and how well the group executes together.
A Hornbeak sack at home would be satisfying. Better still would be pressure that leaves Toledo short of the sticks, a third-down stop and Mason taking the next handoff with Temple still close enough to keep running.