Charlotte @ Temple preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2015 ) Temple 37, Charlotte 3

After trouncing Charlotte last season, Temple will be out for blood once again when the teams collide Saturday in Philadelphia. The Owls are looking to get back to the .500 mark and likely will succeed if they can match their effort against the 49ers from last year's 37-3 road triumph.

Jahad Thomas ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns in that contest and appears to be healthy after missing the first two games with a hand injury. He returned last week and rushed for two scores in a 34-27 loss at Penn State - a game in which the Owls committed 13 penalties and struggled on special teams, among other issues. “It’s hard to win on the road if you beat yourself with penalties,” coach Matt Rhule said in his postgame press conference. “We overcame a lot of them, but not all of them, and that’s where you end up being a play short.” The 49ers have lost 12 of their last 13 games, including last week's 37-19 setback at Eastern Michigan.

TV: Noon ET, American Sports Network. LINE: Temple - 27.5.

ABOUT CHARLOTTE (1-2): The 49ers snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 47-14 rout of Elon on Sept. 10, but Kevin Olsen threw two interceptions last week before Hasaan Klugh passed for two late TDs to make the final score more respectable. Freshman Robert Washington rushed for a career-high 120 yards on 20 attempts the last time out (after scoring two TDs against Elon) and likely will get a heavy workload again this weekend. Austin Duke and T.L. Ford II each have two TD catches this season and have combined for 30 catches and 409 yards in three games.

ABOUT TEMPLE (1-2): Phillip Walker (286 passing yards against Penn State) enters this matchup with three touchdowns and five interceptions on the young season. That explains the team's reliance on Thomas, who ran for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns last season while delivering five 100-yard rushing efforts, including one in the matchup with Charlotte. On the other side of the ball, Temple is giving up 128.7 passing yards per game, which ranks sixth in the country.

EXTRA POINTS

1. No active FBS player has more career punt blocks than Temple DL Sharif Finch (five).

2. Owls DL Praise Martin-Oguike has nine career forced fumbles - tops among active NCAA players.

3. Charlotte has allowed at least 27 points in 10 of its last 11 outings.

PREDICTION: Temple 37, Charlotte 23