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You’re Snorting Penn State Fraternity Cocaine if You Think Rhode Island is Beating the Temple Owls in Philadelphia
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This is not a strawman. I have seen this opinion from a handful of people now and it’s becoming irksome:
Right, so all the talk is about Penn State vs. Temple. But Temple opens with Rhode Island at Lincoln Financial Field on September 5th. The Rams are an FCS school out of the Coastal Athletic Association.
However, Rhode Island went 11-3 and won the CAA in 2025. They also went 11-3 in 2024 and finished as a conference runner up to the 10-3 Richmond Spiders. They were a playoff team in each of the past two seasons and lost in the second round to UC Davis and Mercer, respectively.
The Rams were led in 2025 by a quarterback named Devin Farrell, who threw for 3,746 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 picks. He’s good, and he’s back this season. Leading receiver Marquis Buchanan, who caught 78 passes for 1,337 yards and eight touchdowns, is also back. They did lose leading rusher Antwain Littleton Jr., who played previously for Temple and had more than 1,200 yards on the ground in 2025.
On the defensive side, they lost CAA Defensive Player of the Year A.J. Pena (11 sacks), but return a pair of good linebackers in Rohan Davy and Moses Mesu (210 combined tackles, 12 sacks). There’s an all-conference safety coming back and a returning CB as well, who played more than 300 snaps.
This is one of those experienced FCS playoff teams with a veteran coach. Jim Fleming has been at the helm since 2013. His Rams have played some big games in recent years, but at a much lower level. Last year, they were hammered 47-14 by Western Michigan, a 9-4 MAC team, and also lost to a five-win Brown team before giving up 47 points to UC Davis in their playoff loss. Rhode Island lost to Delaware the year prior, when the Blue Hens were still an FCS team, and got smoked 48-0 by Minnesota out of the Big 10.
So Temple is going to have to out-talent a tested opponent with some continuity. They’ve got better players and they’re playing at the Linc. The quarterback is probably going to be Penn State transfer Jaxon Smolik. Hunter Smith had 6.5 YPC last season and can rip off a big run. Peter Clarke had a breakout tight end season. Four offensive linemen are back.
Defensively, K.C. Keeler played a bunch of dudes last year, but Curly Ordonez is back and they’ve added some transfers on this side of the ball, including defensive backs Saboor Karriem out of Illinois and Penn State’s Kolin Dinkins (Khalil’s brother). Hopefully these guys settle into consistent roles early as Keeler settles on the personnel.
This game is currently a 10-point spread at Pennsylvania sports betting apps, in Temple’s favor. They’re -450 on the moneyline and the total is sitting at 51.5 points. This will be the Owls’ opener, though Rhode Island has FCS independent Merrimack in Week 0, on the road, so they’ll come in with a clean operation and no rustiness, presumably. They will, however, put some stuff on film for Temple, and there’s plenty of film on Farrell already, so it’s not like the Owls are gonna be unprepared. It may just take them a quarter or two to get settled and take this game over.
You don’t bet against the Owls at home. Not now, not ever. Rhode Island is a good team, and we respect the Rams, but they ain’t coming into the Linc to steal this game. Temple will handle business and then shift focus to Penn State University and their coke-dealing (allegedly) frat boys.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com