Temple’s annual Cherry and White game showed flashes of good, alongside room for improvement

In a new age where there is much uncertainty surrounding Temple football and many questions surrounding the new K.C. Keeler regime, Temple fans received some clarity on those questions.

Temple held its Cherry and White spring game at Edberg-Olson Hall on Saturday afternoon, and the defense flourished, showing off the talent the Owls newfound coaching staff has raved about.

“We’ve improved so much, it’s been dramatic,” Keeler said. “But we have a long way to go. We’re not shooting for okay; if we’re shooting for okay, we’re pretty close to that. We’ve made a lot of strides in terms of just building a foundation and a culture and a family.”

The defensive line has shown promise all spring, a unit that has been praised by Keeler and his staff.

That defensive prowess was on full display for the fans, limiting the offense to just one touchdown. However, a rushing touchdown by quarterback Evan Simon was called back so that the offense could work on its short-yardage packages.

The defense also dominated those short-yardage situations, stopping two fourth-and-goal opportunities from inside the five-yard line.

“We have to watch the film back and figure that out,” said offensive lineman Chris Smith. “We definitely don’t want that.”

Anytime the offense seemed to get into a groove, the defense found ways to stop them.

Linebacker Curly Ordonez led the defense with eight total tackles, including seven solo tackles. Safety Javier Morton and outside linebacker Cam’Ron Stewart added five tackles each.

This spring, Stewart has also been working on changing positions from defensive end to outside linebacker, something he’s really enjoyed.

“It’s pretty dope with our new system,” Stewart said. “The outside linebacker position is more complex. I’m dropping back in coverage, I’m learning what’s going on in the back end. So I have to learn and understand what’s going on back there, while also knowing what’s going on up front.”

Late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Tyler Douglas tried to lead the offense down the field, but his pass to Jamar Taylor Jr. was bobbled and picked by linebacker Katin Surprenant.

He took the ball and ran with it all the way down the field to the bleachers, as the entire defensive unit chased him putting a cap on the defense’s dominant showing.

When Keeler first arrived on campus, former Temple kicker Maddux Trujillo told him that the second-best kicker in the American Athletic Conference last season was on Temple’s roster — and was a walk-on.

The kicker he was referring to was Carl Hardin. On Saturday, Hardin knocked in both of his field goal attempts, one from 44 yards and another from 36.

“[Trujillo’s support] meant a lot,” Hardin said. “Kicking with him everyday, I think that made me a lot better. I also think that I made him better in practice. Maddux’s word is pretty strong, for him to say that about me felt really good.”

Hardin wasn’t the only kicker who had success on Saturday. Darren Wu and Lucas Glassburn also knocked through all of their attempts, making the kicking unit perfect for the day.

Hardin, who was recently moved to a scholarship player, talked about how Wu and Glassburn kept him on his toes and pushed him to improve this spring.

“They were money today, and they’ve been pretty accurate all spring,” Hardin said. “They’re definitely putting the competition on, putting the pressure on, but that just drives me to do my best every time as well.”

Saturday wasn’t the best showing for the Owls offense, punching in just one official touchdown thanks to a four-yard touchdown catch from tight end Peter Clarke.

While the day wasn’t perfect, there were still some flashes of success. One of those bright spots was in the tight end room as Clarke and freshman Ryder Kusch both had success, combining for seven catches and 84 yards.

The tight end room is one that Simon sees a lot of success.

“You look at them last year, they were making some big plays,” Simon said. “That room is very promising. You got young guys, you got old guys, and they all can do some of everything. It’s very promising.”

Keeler and new offensive coordinator Tyler Walker have noted how Temple’s offense is focused on running the football. Within that rushing offense, there were many movements and shifts pre-snap. Running back Jay Ducker took the bulk of the carries for the offense, finishing with 66 yards on 21 carries.

One of the pieces of the offense that has really impressed Keeler this spring is how far along the offensive line has grown in just a few short weeks. The line was a weak point for the Owls last season, but Keeler says he’s seen a noticeable jump in their improvement.

“It’s dramatic how much the offensive line has improved,” Keeler said. “We still have a long way to go, but it’s dramatic. That’s the one position that’s really noticeable. Just as a unit, they’ve gotten better.”