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Game Recap
The Temple Owls had to start their season on the road two weeks ago, and it wasn't the start they were hoping for. They fell in a 31-29 heartbreaker to the Navy Midshipmen. The Owls might have entered gameday a little too confident, resting on the laurels of their 24-17 victory against Navy when they previously met in October of 2018.
FB Nelson Smith hadn't helped Navy's cause all that much against the Air Force Falcons three weeks ago, but the same can't be said for this game. Smith was the offensive standout of the matchup for the Midshipmen, rushing for two TDs and 120 yards on 20 carries. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Smith has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season. On the other hand, one thorn in Navy's side was the less-than-spectacular play of QB Dalen Morris, who passed for only 48 yards on two attempts.
A silver lining for Temple was the play of QB Anthony Russo, who passed for one TD and 206 yards on 30 attempts in addition to punching in two rushing touchdowns.
The defeat dropped Temple's record to 0-1. The win got the Midshipmen back to even at 2-2.
The Owls will take on the South Florida Bulls at noon ET last week at Lincoln Financial Field. These teams are both seeking redemption after dropping matches that they were favored to win. As for Navy, they will face off against the East Carolina Pirates at noon ET last week at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Like Navy, East Carolina is also coming into the contest bolstered by a recent win.
