OwlScoop.com - The Scoop

After a disastrous loss to Charlotte dropped Temple to 2-5 before a listless crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, K.C. Keeler stripped Brian L. Smith of his defensive coordinator title, promoted cornerbacks coach Henry Baker to interim defensive coordinator and fired defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun. Will it be enough to save the Owls’ season? We talked about that and discussed the news of Temple’s newest verbal commitment, JUCO offensive lineman Card’a Thompson.

With the men’s basketball opener less than two weeks away, we talked to South Carolina transfer Cam Scott about what he’s seen fro...

Changes are coming for a 2-4 Temple football team ahead of Saturday’s game at winless Charlotte. We’ll tell you whyK.C. Keeler was sending midnight texts to his coordinators and why Jaxon Smolik’s days as the Owls’ quarterback are far from over.

Intro: 0:00 – 2:12

Questions remain after the UConn loss: 2:12 – 12:02

Changes are coming ahead of Charlotte: 12:02 – 25:34

JMU is joining The American: 25:34 – 32:46

All-conference hoops honors and scrimmage news: 32:46 – 33:55

Mailbag: 33:55 – end

With a chance to turn around its season, Temple went down to Tampa and knocked off previously undefeated USF 17-13 Saturday night to improve to 2-3 ahead of this weekend’s  Homecoming game against UConn. Speaking of the Huskies, we were joined on this week’s show by former OwlScoop reporter Javon Edmonds, who now covers Syracuse football for the Syracuse Post-Standard. The Orange beat UConn 42-41 in overtime last weekend in East Hartford, and Javon got a good look at the Huskies at Rentschler Field and passed along what fans can expect from UConn when they take on Templ...

We took a break from our regularly-scheduled football programming to talk to Temple men’s basketball coach Adam Fisher on this week’s podcast. With the start of his fourth season on North Broad Street about a month away, Fisher joined the show to talk about the return of Derrian Ford, the details behind this year’s schedule, and the addition of assistant coach Courtney Eldridge.

And we got into plenty of football conversation, too – the Army loss, Saturday’s upcoming road game at USF, and a closer look at why we feel Jaxon Smolik could be getting an...

There have been 14 one-point losses in Temple’s history. K.C. Keeler has three of them in his first 15 games as the program’s head coach.

Last Saturday’s setback, a shocking 49-48 overtime loss at Toledo in which the Owls blew a 14-point lead in the last two minutes of regulation, has Temple in a must-win situation this Friday when Army comes to Lincoln Financial Field for a nationally-televised 4 p.m. game on ESPN.

Why, exactly, is Temple playing a 4 p.m. game this Friday, and what does AC/DC have to do with it? Ca...

Is Saturday’s road game at Toledo (3 p.m, CBS Sports Network) the most important game to date of the K.C. Keeler era at Temple?

We think so.

We’ll tell you why on this week’s podcast and bring you the latest injury updates, our perspective on the Penn State loss, and what the Owls can expect from the Rockets this weekend.

Intro: 0:00 – 3:58

Can Temple grow from its 27-9 loss to Penn State?: 3:58 – 20:03

A mostly promising injury report: 20:03 – 25:02

Previewing Saturday’s road game at Toledo: 25:02 – 39:24

It looks...

The last time Temple played Penn State at Lincoln Financial Field, the Owls sacked Christian Hackenberg 10 times and turned in the program’s first win over the Nittany Lions in 74 years on a memorable day in South Philadelphia. But 11 years later, K.C. Keeler’s Temple team is facing some significant injury challenges along the offensive line and still trying to find its starting quarterback as a 16th-ranked Penn State team under new head coach Matt Campbell comes to the Linc. We broke down some of Saturday’s key matchups, answered more mailbag questions, and talked to Blue White Illust...

Temple’s season opener is quickly approaching Saturday, with the Owls set to host a top-10 FCS program in Rhode Island at 2 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field. We broke down some of Saturday’s key matchups, talked about who we expect to start at quarterback, and answered close to a dozen mailbag questions. Oh, and there’s the possibility of a familiar face rejoining Temple’s men’s basketball roster, too.

0:00 – 5:53: Intro

5:53 – 9:48: The QB question and injury updates

9:49 – 15:41: A closer look at Rhode Island and key matchups

15:41 – 38:06: Mailbag

Frank Sinatra once sang about having a few regrets. Geoff Collins has them, too.

The biggest, he told OwlScoop.com this week on The Scoop, was departing Temple in 2018 after two successful seasons as the program’s head football coach.

“The best two years of my life,” Collins said, “and my biggest regret was leaving.”

Collins opened up about a story he said he had only previously told his wife, Jennifer. Just before Collins left Temple to take the head coaching job at Georgia Tech, former Temple and NFL head coach Bruce Arians told him n...

Temple still has not named a starting quarterback just 10 days ahead of its season opener against Rhode Island, and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker said it’s possible that both Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard could play. He offered some insight into last Saturday’s scrimmage, and you’ll also hear from Special Teams Coordinator Brian Ginn on this week’s podcast, along with answers to your mailbag questions.

0:00 – 1:36 – Intro

1:36 – 4:19 – A look at our upcoming coverage and schedule

4:19 – 12:03 – Saturday’s scrimmage summary and audio from Tyler Walker and Brian Ginn

12:03 – 31:10 - Mailbag

Ray Dunne joined us on The Scoop this week to talk about his role as the new midday host at 97.5 The Fanatic and his work broadcasting Temple men’s and women’s basketball games. Just four years removed from graduating from Temple’s Klein College of Media and Communication, Dunne has carved out a sports talk radio career in the nation’s fifth-largest media market and was on the air when the news broke of LeBron James signing with the 76ers last month. Dunne shared his expectations for the seasons ahead for Diane Richardson and Adam Fisher and explained why he’s...

In 33 previous years as a college head coach, K.C. Keeler has never encountered two consecutive losing seasons. Maybe that’s a sign of good things on the horizon for a Temple program that went 5-7 in 2025, Keeler’s first season with the Owls. He, along with his general manager, Clayton Barnes, talked about that and several other topics in their interview with OwlScoop.com for this week’s podcast. They discussed roster management, how they’ll approach their recruitment of the 2027 class, tight end Peter Clarke’s future, the quarterback position and what else they would do to try to imp...

August is here, and the beginning of Temple’s preseason football camp is marked by another quarterback battle, this one between Penn State transfer Jaxon Smolik and Washington State transfer Ajani Sheppard. We shared our notes from the Owls’ first practice, talked about positions of strength and concern, and answered questions from a full mailbag as we kicked off our 12th season.

And although this was a football-heavy episode, we also talked about why fans should keep an eye out for one more name to be added to Adam Fisher’s Temple men’s basketball roster.

Intro...

While it was important for head coach Adam Fisher to replenish his roster with nine transfers and an incoming freshman, maintaining some continuity on the roster with a player like rising sophomore guard Cam Wallace was important, too. Wallace, a former start at the Westtown School, played in just 19 games as a true freshman and averaged 2.1 points per game, but a full college offseason in the weight room and a month of workouts with his new teammates have him feeling more confident heading into his sophomore season on North Broad Street. Wallace talked about all of that and much...

What’s in a name? Temple forward Sir Issac Herron had plenty to say about that on this week’s episode of The Scoop.

The 6-foot-10 forward who joined the Owls via the transfer portal from Louisiana Tech talked about the origins of his name, recovering from two injuries, and why he feels better than he ever has as he attempts to build upon last season and improve coach Adam Fisher’s frontcourt.

Herron had some high praise for fellow Temple big man Christian Beam and forwards Edwin Suarez and Baboucarr Njie, and we’ll tell you...

Temple women’s basketball coach Diane Richardson joined us on The Scoop this week for a deep dive into a roster that includes an even mix of six returnees and six newcomers as the Owls head into the 2026-27 season. Why did Kaylah Turner, Tristen Taylor and Saniyah Craig decide to come back? What could the additions of players like Penn State transfer Shayla Smith and JUCO All-American Myla Benton mean to the Owls’ depth? How is forward Anastasia Bulanova recovering from the knee injury that kept her out last season? Richardson answered all those questions – and many more – on this...

Temple’s backcourt is comprised of two point guards head coach Adam Fisher and his staff nearly got prior to last season before circling back and landing them this time around. Former USC guard Jordan Marsh, who joined us earlier this month on The Scoop, is one of them.

The other, former Indiana point guard Deuce Drake, sat down for an interview with us this week to talk about his well-traveled basketball journey that has taken him from Michigan’s Ferndale High School through four college stops and finally to North Broad Street, where he is healthy agai...

Temple literally got a courtside view of what Baboucarr Njie could do when the former UTSA wing guard dropped a career-high 25 points on the Owls back in January and added 10 rebounds for a double-double. And now that Njie has signed with Temple out of the transfer portal, head coach Adam Fisher and his staff can gameplan with the 6-foot-6, 185-pound junior instead of having to prepare to play against him. Njie joined us on The Scoop this week to talk about why he signed with Temple and why he believes his versatility, athleticism and shot-blocking ability will be an...

K.C. Keeler’s 2027 recruiting class is starting to round into shape after another successful official visit weekend, and we’ll get you caught up on the latest verbal commitments. And on the basketball front, you’ll hear our 1-on-1 interview with Christian Beam, the 7-foot-1 transfer center who just might give coach Adam Fisher the interior presence he’s been missing in his three previous seasons at Temple.

 Intro: 0:00 – 9:45

Temple is up to 13 2027 football verbal commits: 9:45 – 13:45

Christian Beam joins the show: 13:45 – 36:52

Mailbag: 36:52 – end

Last week on The Scoop, Temple head coach Adam Fisher talked about why he was excited to bring USC transfer Jordan Marsh to Temple. This week, you’ll hear from Marsh himself in our 1-on-1 interview with the rising senior point guard. After averaging 18.8 points per game at UNC Asheville two seasons ago, Marsh entered the portal and nearly committed to Temple after a visit with the Owls before USC swooped in at the last minute to sign him.

When Marsh hit the portal again after this season, he said he didn’t need to think twice abou...

Tyler Matakevich told us he was “speechless” when he found out he was included on the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. The former Temple linebacker, consensus All-American and NFL veteran talked on this week’s show about what the honor meant to him and why he’s looking forward to coming back to watch the Owls take on Penn State this fall. You’ll also hear Temple men’s basketball coach Adam Fisher talk about why he was excited to land USC transfer Jordan Marsh out of the portal, and former OwlScoop staff reporter Declan Landis dropped in this week to...

Edwin Suarez Jr. arrived eight years ago in Reading with a dream of playing basketball in America and not knowing the language. Now, after stops at Muhlenberg High School, Arizona Western Junior College and Weber State, the 6-foot-6, 205-pound forward has transferred to Temple with the hope of providing some defense and rebounding to Adam Fisher’s frontcourt. You’ll heart part of our interview with him on this week’s podcast, along with a way-too-early educated guess at the Owls’ starting five and a hint of what’s to come with Temple football’s June recruiting.

Intro: 0:00...

After a career that spanned stints in the NFL, XFL and the CFL, former Temple quarterback PJ Walker announced his retirement earlier this month at the age of 31. The Owls’ all-time leading passer joined us on the podcast this week to reminisce about his time on North Broad Street with former head coach Matt Rhule, who later became his NFL head coach with the Carolina Panthers. Walker shared stories about the 2015 win over Penn State,the last-minute drive down at UCF that saved Temple’s season and vaulted the Owls to a 2016 American Conference championship, and the bonds he buil...

Pleasantville High School running back Ta’kiesse Barnes, Temple’s first football verbal commitment from the 2027 class, talked to us about why he chose the Owls, and we’ll give you a hint about who could be next when the program hosts official visitors in June. We talked about why College Football Playoff expansion sounds better in theory but not great in practice, and it looks like Adam Fisher and his Temple men’s basketball staff are going to need to be creative in adding more size to their roster. We also paid tribute to several of our past interns...

USC transfer point guard Jordan Marsh gave Temple’s roster a big boost when he signed with the Owls this week. Marsh is one of four portal players – along with Deuce Drake, Cam Scott and Sir Isaac Herron - who have helped replenish Adam Fisher’s roster over the last seven days. We have you covered with scouting reports on each player on this week’s podcast, along with details about Pleasantville High School running back Ta’Kiesse Barnes, Temple’s first 2027 football verbal commitment.

0:00 – Intro

5:12 - Three guards – AND A BIG – bolster the men’s hoops roster

Division II All-American Dallis Dillard, one of Temple’s two newest portal additions, joined us on the pod this week to talk about why he chose the Owls and what he can bring to yet another revamped Temple men’s basketball roster. We also discussed the addition of former UTSA forward Baboucarr Njie, a player who dropped a career-high 25 points on the Owls earlier this season, and we’ll tell you why NCAA Tournament expansion is a bad idea and why Bonnie Rosen’s Temple women’s lacrosse team could upset top-seeded USF in the American Conference tournament Thursday. And on the...

Temple picked up its first 2026 transfer portal addition with the signing of former Oregon State guard Dez White. You’ll hear part of our interview with him on this week’s podcast, along with a closer look at the Owls’ roster reconstruction and what the addition of HBCU All-American Taliyah Logwood means for Diane Richardson’s women’s team.

Intro: 0:00 – 2:55

A reset on the Temple men’s basketball roster: 2:55 – 5:05

Dez White talks about choosing the Owls: 5:05 – 24:17

Diane Richardson lands an HBCU All-American: 24:17 – 30:50

Mailbag:30:48 – end

Jaxon Smolik looked as sharp as he has all spring, throwing three touchdown passes and completing 19 of his 23 throws in last Saturday’s Cherry and White game. In addition to our post-spring position group analysis, you’ll hear part of Temple football general manager Clayton Barnes’ interview with reporters that lent more insight into how the Owls have constructed and developed their roster, and you’ll also hear more about Adam Fisher’s new assistant coach and the latest men’s and women’s hoops transfer portal developments, along with answers to your mailbag questions.  

Intro: 0:00 – 5:02

Cherry and Whit...

The NCAA’s two-week transfer portal window opened Tuesday, and we’ll tell you on this week’s podcast who’s staying with and who’s leaving Adam Fisher’s Temple men’s basketball program. And although he was one of three Temple players to enter the portal early this week, Aiden Tobiason reached out to us during the show to tell us why he’s still open to coming back to North Broad Street for his junior season. On the football front, we’ll tell you what to watch for this Saturday at Chodoff Field in the Owls’ annual Cherry and Wh...

After knee and foot injuries slowed his career at Rutgers, Sam Brown has found new life at Temple and looked like the player who was once ahead of Kyle Monangai on the Scarlet Knights' depth chart. You'll hear from Brown and running backs coach Andrew Pierce on this week's podcast, along with answers to your mailbag questions and an announcement about our upcoming OwlScoop series on the 2001 Elite Eight team. 

Intro: 0:00 – 4:42

Sam Brown has sparked Temple’s RB room: 4:42 – 16:03

Previewing our 2001 Elite Eight team series: 16:03 – 17:21

Mailbag: 17:21 – end 

K.C. Keeler talked this week about how and when the staff might select a starting quarterback, and placekicker Carl Hardin spoke about his approach to the position as he enters his second season as the starter.

Is Peter Clarke more likely to catch 50 passes than Keveun Mason is to rush for 700 yards this season? That’s one of five ‘this or that?’ scenarios we threw at the staff on this week’s podcast, brought to you each week by Greenspan & Greenspan Injury Lawyers. 

Intro: 0:00 – 6:50

More on the Jaxon Smolik-Ajani Sheppard QB battle: 6:50 – 16:36

Specia...

After early conference tournament exits in Birmingham last week, what’s next for Diane Richardson’s and Adam Fisher’s Temple basketball teams? We broke down the rosters and took some early educated guesses about what’s to come in the transfer portal. You’ll also hear from Temple football coach K.C. Keeler and quarterbacks Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard as our spring football coverage continues, and Andrew Hope, a Philadelphia attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, joined us to talk about the ongoing legal issues in college athletics and what congressional reform could look like in the future.

Int...

Diane Richardson’s Temple women’s basketball team has already won a game in the American Conference tournament in Birmingham while Adam Fisher’s men’s team prepares to play Wednesday night. And beyond the news in Birmingham, we’ll bring you updates and audio from Temple football’s first spring practice, as well as the answers to your mailbag questions. Former Temple offensive lineman Drew Peterson joined us on The Scoop as well to pay tribute to his former teammate and close friend, Tre’ Johnson, who passed away last month.

Intro: 0:00 – 3:10

Women’s hoops beats Tulane in OT...

Colin Thompson’s football career has now taken him to the United Football League’s Orlando Storm, where he will serve as the team’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. The former Temple and NFL tight end joined us on The Scoop this week to talk about how he landed with the Storm, what he learned along the way from coaches like Joe Brady and Will Muschamp, what he saw from working this past season as an offensive assistant at Navy and why he thinks Temple is headed in the right direction under K.C. Keeler.

And ye...

Temple has one of the city’s top players headed its way in the 2026 class in Father Judge High School guard Derrick Morton-Rivera, who spoke with OwlScoop this week about leading the Crusaders to their second consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League championship and what he sees ahead for his college career on North Broad Street. With spring football practice set to kick off March 10, it’s time to start talking about some players who will be carving out important roles for the Owls in the second season of the K.C. Keeler era. And in case you’ve missed it, Bonnie...

After injuries cut his pro career short, former Temple star Shaun Bradley announced his retirement last Friday from the NFL. He joined us on The Scoop this week to talk about how he found peace with his decision and shared memories of his time as a single-digit linebacker with the Owls, becoming a 2020 sixth-round pick of his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, and what it meant play alongside guys like Darius Slay, Zach Baun, Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce. Bradley shared a story about the exact moment he said he knew Jalen Hurts was destined to be the Eagles’s starting qu...

We’ll tell you why it’s not irrational to think Adam Fisher’s Temple men’s basketball team could win the American Conference tournament next month in Birmingham and land the Owls’ first NCAA Tournament berth in seven years. And this week’s mailbag includes a special appearance by Baltimore Sun Ravens reporter and OwlScoop alumnus Sam Cohn, who talked to us about covering former Owl and current Ravens practice squad player Keith Kirkwood and life in the Charm City. 

Intro: 0:00 – 9:56

Reasons why Temple will - or will not - go to the NCAA Tournament:  9...

Temple guard Aiden Tobiason joined us on the show this week to talk about the Owls’ win over South Florida Saturday night and why he thinks the team has as good a chance as anyone to win March’s American Conference tournament in Birmingham. And in the mailbag, Ryan Mack casually told about his connection to a three-time Grammy Award winner and one of the greatest artists ever to come out of Philadelphia.

Intro: 0:00 – 14:03

Aiden Tobiason joins the show: 14:03 – 31:13

Temple beats USF to stay in second place: 31:13 – 38:40

The Owls had a road test...

After capping his time at Temple with third-team All-America and first-team all-conference honors, Matt Ioannidis forged a seven-year career in the NFL, including six seasons in Washington and one reunited with his former college head coach Matt Rhule with the Carolina Panthers. Ioannidis joined us on The Scoop this week to talk about his time in the NFL, explained his decision to retire at the age of 29, and reflected upon Temple’s 2015 season that included the win over Penn State and the arrival of College GameDay in Philadelphia as the Owls nearly knocked off Notre Dame. He shared his th...

You'll hear from Temple head coach K.C. Keeler and general manager Clayton Barnes as we discuss some of the Owls' most important transfer portal additions, including quarterbacks Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard and edge rushers JaMair Diaz and Jaylon Joseph. We also talked about what we've learned from the Temple men's basketball team's last two losses to Memphis and Florida Atlantic and answered questions from a full mailbag once again. 

Intro: 0:00 – 8:48

K.C. Keeler and Clayton Barnes talk about Temple’s portal pickups: 8:48 - 28:51

What we learned from Temple’s men’s hoops los...