PHILADELPHIA – Visiting Georgia Tech and Temple aim to rebound from humbling defeats when they meet Saturday afternoon in a matchup featuring a significant coaching reunion. The Yellow Jackets fell at home to FCS foe The Citadel their last time out, while Temple was trounced at Buffalo.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Temple -9.5
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The first month of the season has been a bumpy ride for Georgia Tech, which was routed against Clemson in Week 1 before sneaking past South Florida and then absorbing the upset at the hands of The Citadel. New coach Geoff Collins, who coached Temple for the previous two seasons, returns to Philadelphia after helping the Owls to 15 wins over the previous two years. Temple got off to a 2-0 start this year, including a win over a ranked Maryland squad, but last week's loss to Buffalo brought the team back to earth with a major thump. The Owls were outgained 217-31 on the ground against the Bulls and also turned it over four times in a 38-22 setback.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (1-2)
Collins has used both Lucas Johnson and Tobias Oliver at quarterback this season, but he was not in the mood to declare a starter after the loss to The Citadel. "So again, we don't talk like that,'' Collins told reporters. "If you noticed out there today, there were probably six safeties that played in the college football game. I don't see people asking me who is going to be the starting safety moving forward. We don't think in those terms. The people can help us play really well - they're going to play.'' Georgia Tech primarily uses Jordan Mason (44 carries, 249 yards, four TDs) out of the backfield, while Jalen Camp leads the team in receiving yards with only 71 on the season.
ABOUT TEMPLE (2-1)
The Owls know that they are at a bit of a disadvantage Saturday due to Collins' familiarity with their players' strengths and weaknesses. "He obviously knows all of our kids," Owls coach Rod Carey observed. "He recruited a good bit of them here. So there's a lot of probably knowledge on their end personnel-wise, more than we have of theirs at this point in the week. But by the end of the week, by the time we get out and play, I don't know that that will have as much of an effect with us." Anthony Russo has thrown at least three touchdown passes in every game this season, but his three interceptions (and 49 percent completion rate) against Buffalo helped doom the Owls' fate.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Temple RB Re'Mahn Davis has averaged 6.8 yards per carry on the season but has only averaged 10.3 rushing attempts per game.
2. Georgia Tech LB David Curry had a career-high 14 tackles and an interception against The Citadel.
3. This is the first ever meeting between the teams.
PREDICTION: Temple 37, Georgia Tech 17