Temple @ Central Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2015 ) Central Florida 16, Temple 30

Well-rested UCF will try to add to their growing confidence when they host Temple on Saturday night in a key American Athletic Conference matchup. The Knights won their previous two games on the road before last week’s contest with Tulane was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Matthew, and they face a Temple squad coming off a rough 34-27 loss at Memphis.

“I felt really good about our mojo,” UCF coach Scott Frost told reporters Monday. “Now with a little bit of time off, we’ve got to recapture that. I felt really good about our momentum, and it’s up to us to attack this preparation this week to make sure that we continue that momentum.” The Knights will lean on a rushing attack that averages 232 yards and the Owls look to get back on track after coughing up a 13-3 halftime lead last time out. Temple has forced 13 turnovers this season – tied for 13th in the nation – but gave the ball up three times itself against Memphis to waste a 531-yard effort. “I am very disappointed in the outcome of the Memphis game,” Owls coach Matt Rhule told reporters. “There were a lot of kids who played good football and gave us a chance to win, but we had too many penalties, we didn’t run the ball nearly enough and had too many turnovers.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: UCF –3.5

ABOUT TEMPLE (3-3, 1-1 AAC): Senior quarterback Phillip Walker has thrown for 1,415 yards - 445 last week - through the first half of the season, but his nine interceptions are a concern. The Owls were held under 100 yards on the ground by Memphis, but running backs Ryquell Armstead and Jahad Thomas have combined for 562 with 13 rushing touchdowns overall, while Keith Kirkwood is the top receiving threat (21 catches, 315 yards). Senior lineman Haason Reddick leads a Temple defense, which is good against the pass, with 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

ABOUT UCF (3-2, 1-0): The Knights have depth in their running game as senior Dontravious Wilson leads the way with 279 yards and seven scores while freshmen Adrian Killins (254 yards) and Jawon Hamilton (227) have also contributed. The extra rest should help UCF’s quarterback duo of senior Justin Holman (368 passing yards) and freshman McKenzie Milton (29-for-50, 433 yards passing), who have both been hampered by injuries. Senior linebacker Mark Rucker (38 tackles, two sacks) leads a defense that yields just 112.6 rushing yards per contest.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Temple’s junior K Austin Jones, who has made 10-of-12 field-goal attempts in 2016, suffered a knee injury against Memphis and is lost for the season.

2. UCF sophomore WR Tre’Quan Smith is the team’s top target with 16 receptions for 221 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

3. Thomas, who ran for a career-high 199 yards and three touchdowns in Temple's 30-16 win over the Knights last year, is 117 shy of 2,000 for his career.

PREDICTION: UCF 28, Temple 21