TAMPA – Temple's defense looked well rested after a bye week in posting a dominating performance in a 17-7 win over USF Thursday night in an ESPN primetime matchup at Raymond James Stadium. The Owls defense recorded nine sacks in the contest and senior Sam Franklin returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown. Redshirt senior RB Jager Gardner reached a career-high with 133 yards rushing to lead the Cherry and White offense.
Temple (6-3, 3-2 in AAC) became Bowl eligible with the victory, marking the sixth straight season the program has accomplished the feat.