Boca Raton Bowl: Temple vs. Toledo Preview and Prediction

Bowl season rolls along today with Temple and Toledo doing battle in the Boca Raton Bowl. Below, previews and final predictions for the game of the day.

Temple’s Overview

The Owls, at 10-3, are significantly better than their record might initially let on. After starting the season 7-0, they suffered two of their three late-season losses to ranked Notre Dame and Houston teams. Through the stretch, they put up a 60-burger against SMU before knocking off #21 Temple in a 19-point performance. Not too shabby for a little-known team out of the American conference.

Matt Rhule’s squad showed up on defense when it counted through the year, surrendering just 19.2 points per game, a number that cracks the top-20 in FBS rankings. Led by linebacker Tyler Matakevich — a linebacker catching the eyes of NFL evaluators — the Owls defense has deservedly earned their “elite” tag.

On offense, it’s been a one-man show, selling plenty of tickets along the way. RB Jahad Thomas’ back should be broken by this point of the season, considering how much of the Owls’ offense he’s been carrying on his shoulders all season long. With 290 touches in just 13 games, the junior tailback needs just two more touchdowns to hit 20 total scores on the season. His emergence onto the scene has been prosperous, giving him perhaps the key to the game title.

Toldeo’s Overview

They aren’t exactly quite the flashy name you’d like to side with during bowl season, but Toledo’s legitimacy out of the MAC shouldn’t be overlooked. Much like Temple, the Rockets have a solid core foundation of tough football and running game dominance. They own a +13 net points per game number, largely helped by their 34 PPG average.

Coming out of the backfield is Kareem Hunt, the touchdown machine who has put the ball over the goal-line 26 times through the past two seasons. The 6’0″, 225-pound back leads a very impressive rushing attack charge, putting up over 110 yards and at-least one touchdown in his four November games. If you’re looking for the go-to factor on Toledo’s side, look no further than the hefty rusher.

While their defense currently sits ranked 21st in the FBS in points allowed per game, recent struggles have put a blemish on an otherwise impressive season. They’ve allowed at-least 28 points in four of their last five, including 35 to a Western Michigan squad in their final game of the season. Toledo fans will approach this one with tepid enthusiasm, carrying hope that early-season form will resurge.

The Pick

When dissecting this one, it’s difficult to give the edge to either squad. Both are built to win tough, gritty games while lacking in the flash department.

Ultimately, the edge has to go to a Temple team that faced far more competition on a consistent basis. QB P.J. Walker is a dual-threat junior who gets it done when it counts. Comparing his abilities to Toledo’s Phillip Ely — who completed just 53% of his passes in 2015 — gets the deciding checkmark in the overall breakdown.

Temple wins a great one, 27-23.