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  • With 11 new players this season, Temple wants to ‘play faster,’ coach Adam Fisher says

    With 11 new players this season, Temple wants to ‘play faster,’ coach Adam Fisher says

    Heading into Adam Fisher’s third season at the helm for Temple, the biggest question mark surrounding the team is chemistry. The Owls added 11 new players to the roster with guard Aiden Tobiason and center Babatunde Durodola as the only returning starters from last season.

    The Owls’ 2024-25 season ended in a loss to Tulsa in the American Conference tournament’s first round. The team lost leading scorers Jamal Mashburn Jr., Steve Settle III, and Zion Stanford, as well as guard Quante Berry.

    Despite the changes, the optimism is soaring high before Temple’s season-opener at home against Delaware State on Nov. 5 (7 p.m., ESPN+).

    For one week, Dawn Staley is matching each donation Temple women’s basketball receives

    “We start in a week and a half and we’re excited to be back at the Liacouras Center,” Fisher said. “Eleven new faces to the roster. So there were a lot of things this summer that we had, team-building-wise, to connect us. Putting together a team, we try to do it like a puzzle. ‘Here’s what we’re trying to look for. How do these pieces come together?’ So we were really excited about the guys we brought in the transfer portal.”

    Staying home

    Durodola and Tobiason were comfortable in the starting lineup last season as freshmen and have taken it upon themselves to improve their leadership.

    While the Owls lost five players to the transfer portal, including forward Dillon Battie, who joined the pair in the Owls’ 2024 recruiting class and is now at Wichita State, Tobiason and Durodola never considered leaving.

    “[Aiden and I] kind of talked about it. It made no sense to leave after one year,” Durodola said. “There’s no way after a game with a new team, you’re going to leave. So it was kind of like, ‘Why are you going to leave based on the first year, based on the first year’s performance?’ You always have a next year and years to come.”

    Aiden Tobiason averaged 4.8 points in 22 starts for Temple last season.

    Tobiason started 22 games for the Owls last season. He gave the team a lift on the offensive end of the floor, scoring 4.8 points per game, while using his length to help on defense.

    The Wilmington native is expected to step into the leading scorer role, a mantle that Mashburn left behind when he graduated. Tobiason scored in double figures five times last season.

    “He can’t put pressure on himself,” Fisher said. “I think that sometimes you get that pressure, ‘I got to do this, from this to this.’ You don’t, [you] just have to be who you are. … Rather than taking two, three shots like he did in some games last year, right? That could triple, quadruple this year.”

    New kids on the block

    With Temple losing a chunk of its core last season, the Owls are changing their philosophy approaching the transfer portal, from a more offensive focus to primarily honing in on defense.

    Conference basketball schedules for Temple men and women released

    Temple gave up 77.7 points per game last season, ranking 321st in the country. The additions of guards CJ Hines, AJ Smith, Derrian Ford, and forward Jamai Felt are expected to improve the defense.

    “I think we want to play faster,” Fisher said. “I think we’re going to be more aggressive on defense. We want to create more turnovers. It’s a huge thing. Our defense has to get better than it was last year. We’re going to be a little bit more aggressive.”

    Hines joins the teams after two seasons at Alabama State. Last season, he helped the Hornets to an NCAA Tournament appearance and averaged 14.1 points with 1.1 steals.

    Temple coach Adam Fisher enters his third season with the program.

    Felt has the chance to be plugged in next to Durodola in the frontcourt after transferring from Bowling Green. The Boston, Mass., native spent his first two seasons on the shelf due to injuries. When he played last year, he averaged 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds. He also blocked 1.4 shots per game and was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Freshman team.

    Fisher says he has a sense of the team’s potential lineup, but won’t be sure until the team begins game prep on Sunday.

    “All we have to do is stay together,” Fisher said. “Anytime you have team success, individual success will come.”

  • Temple not shying away from being close to bowl eligibility: ‘We aren’t going to hide from it’

    Temple not shying away from being close to bowl eligibility: ‘We aren’t going to hide from it’

    When coach K.C. Keeler held his first team meeting after he was hired in December, one thing he brought up to his new team was reaching a bowl game.

    Temple had finished its fourth straight 3-9 season, so for Keeler to already be talking about reaching a bowl game seemed unrealistic. But that has been his mantra: Players have to be unrealistic if they want to play for him.

    Ten months later and that unrealistic vision is very much real.

    Temple tight end Peter Clarke’s size is creating an advantage in the passing game: ‘He’s hard to bring down’

    The Owls’ 38-37 win over Tulsa on Saturday moved them just one win away from reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. Keeler said Monday that his team knows how close it is to reaching a bowl game.

    The remainder of the schedule is not light for Temple (5-3, 3-1 American Conference), and its quest for bowl eligibility begins at home against East Carolina on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+). ECU (4-3, 2-1) has an explosive offense and is coming off a bye week.

    “We’ve all talked about it and we aren’t going to hide from it. We know that this is a bowl-eligible game,” Keeler said. “The guys, when I mentioned that this morning in the team meeting, you can see they were already ahead of me. You can see that there is this energy that, yeah, there’s an opportunity to get to a bowl game. It would be a big deal for this program to get back to being bowl eligible.”

    Turning point

    Tulsa gave Temple everything it could handle. The Golden Hurricanes had a two-point conversion try for the win in overtime, but the Owls defense got the stop to escape with the win. Keeler pointed out another response from his team that arguably changed the game.

    The Owls had first-and-goal from inside the 5-yard line and a chance to go up 21-10 before halftime. Instead, they failed to score on their four attempts, and Tulsa marched 98 yards to score with three seconds left to take a 17-14 lead heading into the break. Keeler told his team to take a deep breath in the locker room, and Temple went out and recovered to sneak out the win.

    Temple wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne had 10 catches for 85 yards and three touchdowns against Tulsa.

    “For us to come back after what happened at the end of that first half and find a way to win, I thought that was really impressive,” Keeler said.

    The Owls were led by their offense in the second half, racking up 280 yards with 205 coming through the air.

    Wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne led the team in catches (10), receiving yards (85), and touchdowns (three). Tight end Peter Clarke added three catches for 71 yards as he continued his breakout season. The emergence of Hollawayne and Clarke has helped turn Temple’s offense into one of the conference’s best, Keeler said.

    “We’ll match up with most of the people in the league in terms of putting those [offensive weapons] out there,” Keeler said. “And the offensive line keeps getting better, so all of a sudden, it’s a pretty complete offense. Which I don’t think people thought we would have going into the season.”

    Temple outlasts Tulsa in overtime to earn its fifth win of the season and third in conference play

    ECU averages 293.6 passing yards, ranking third in the American. Keeler believes the Owls are about to play one of the best teams in the conference, and they need a win to be considered among the best themselves.

    “When you look at the best teams in this league, you’re thinking South Florida, Memphis, Navy is having a great year, Tulane. We’re thinking East Carolina,” Keeler said. “That’s where they’ve gotten back to, and if we want to think that we’re in the upper echelon of this league, which is what we want to be, then that’s who you have to beat. That’s the mentality we have.”

  • Temple tight end Peter Clarke’s size is creating an advantage in the passing game: ‘He’s hard to bring down’

    Temple tight end Peter Clarke’s size is creating an advantage in the passing game: ‘He’s hard to bring down’

    On the first offensive possession of the season, Temple faced second and 9 from Massachusetts’ 21-yard line, and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker buzzed down a play call to quarterback Evan Simon.

    The play, called “Buckeye,” sent tight end Peter Clarke down the seam on a double move matched up with a UMass safety. The ball from Simon, which he says was “really overthrown,” somehow found the outstretched right hand of Clarke, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end.

    “You look at his height and weight, and [he’s] just a big target who really makes my job easier,” Simon said by telephone recently. “The missed throws, or whatever you want [to call them], inaccurate throws, they have a little more leeway with [his size].”

    Walker heavily featured his tight ends as Montana State’s offensive coordinator, and he brought the same mindset to the Owls. He recalls meeting Clarke, describing him as “big, athletic, can run and catch the ball well.”

    Clarke, a native of South London, went through the NFL Academy, a platform that helps international athletes learn football. He told Walker that he watched YouTube videos to learn the basics of football, drills, and highlights.

    “He’s got great ball skills, he’s super intelligent,” Walker said. “When he told me that he learned [football] through YouTube, I was surprised, because he’s got football feel that you see from kids who’ve been playing the game their whole life.”

    Philly emulates his home

    Clarke has put up career numbers through eight games in his junior season with 23 catches, 378 yards, and four touchdowns. He entered the season with just five catches and three touchdowns.

    Football began as a hobby for him in England, where he played five-on-five games in middle school before enrolling in the NFL Academy at 16. He equates the NFL Academy to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., with the way it “emulates a college football sort of atmosphere in terms of the intensity and the weight room, the attention to detail in the meetings, the time schedule of early mornings, late afternoons, and really playing on a bigger stage than just an average high school.”

    Temple tight end Peter Clarke runs with the football against Howard on Sept. 6.

    “The NFL Academy did a great job of preparing me just for the transition of how much time, effort and intensity you put into this thing,” Clarke said. “And then once I got here, I had great leaders in my room, people like [former Temple tight end David Martin-Robinson], who’s on the Titans now, to really show me what college football was about and how to live this life.”

    When it came to choosing his future college home, Clarke said the decision was simple.

    “I wanted to go to a school that emulated something of my home environment, London, in a big city, 10 million people. I come from a very, like, inner-city part of London,” Clarke said. “So I wanted to go to a school that was in a city and Temple being in the heart of North Philly, when I came on my visit, it felt like home.”

    Top-rated tight end

    Among the tight ends across 136 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, Clarke is rated No. 1, according to Pro Football Focus, with a 91.8 grade, more than four points higher than the next player.

    His value on the field has been apparent this season. Clarke averages the most yards per catch (16.4) on the team among players with five or more receptions. But his preparation is what separates him, tight ends coach Chris Zarkoskie said.

    “Since I got here, he’s been a kid who has a good skill set and can do a lot of different things, and a young man who works really hard and is ready when his opportunity comes, which is the thing I’m most proud of for him,” Zarkoskie said. “He takes pride in the whole body of work that it takes to be a tight end. And I think that he’s continuing to grow and evolve as a blocker, in-line and out in space.”

    Temple’s tight end corps has representation from three international players: Clarke, Ryder Kusch (Canada), and Daniel Evert (Germany). David Wise is from South Philly and Jake Woods is from California. Zarkoskie said getting to coach this diverse group “is the coolest part of the game that we coach.”

    Temple tight end Peter Clarke enters before a game against Miami at Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 23, 2023.

    Clarke arrived at North Broad weighing 225 pounds and has filled out his frame. He said he relishes most in proving that he is more than a run blocker by doing “freakish stuff” in the passing game. Walker and Simon agree, and both detailed Clarke’s best play this season as a pass catcher.

    “If I had to pick one from this year so far, I think it would be against UTSA in the second half,” Simon said. “Our first drive in the third quarter, we refer to it as ‘the spark,’ and we went down, scored, and his catch over the middle with a linebacker right on him and safety over top that could have really taken his head off. He stuck in there, caught the ball.”

    Added Walker: “Evan put the ball in a window the size of a computer screen, and you saw Peter’s big mittens just coming out of the air and catching the ball above his head. And then on top of that, being able to get the yards after the catch and add on another 15 yards, his pure size, his pure mass. He’s hard to bring down. He’s a little more fluid than people would think, just based off his size.”

    Clarke added to his highlight reel with a career-long 50-yard reception during a 38-37 overtime win over Tulsa on Saturday. With one more win, Temple (5-3) will be bowl eligible for the first time since 2019. And you can bet Clarke will be in the middle of it all.

  • Ohio State remains No. 1 in rankings ahead of game with Penn State

    Ohio State remains No. 1 in rankings ahead of game with Penn State

    Fresh off a bye week, unbeaten Ohio State remained No. 1 in the Associated Press college football Top 25 on Sunday. The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will host Penn State on Saturday at noon (Fox29).

    The Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4) also are coming off a bye week. They have lost four straight, including a 25-24 defeat at Iowa in the debut of interim coach Terry Smith, who has replaced the fired James Franklin.

    The Big 12 has five teams in the Top 25 for the first time this season, Vanderbilt earned its highest ranking in 88 years and LSU dropped out of poll following its third loss in four games.

    The top six was unchanged, with Ohio State holding the No. 1 spot for a ninth straight week followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon.

    The idle Buckeyes received 53 first-place votes and the Hoosiers got 11, six more than last week. Texas A&M was No. 1 on one ballot.

    No. 7 Mississippi and No. 8 Georgia Tech swapped spots, as did No. 9 Vanderbilt and Miami, which is tied at No. 10 with BYU.

    Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dives over the Missouri defense for a touchdown during on Saturday.

    The Big 12’s five ranked teams are BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston and No. 24 Utah. The Big 12 last had five Top 25 teams in the Sept. 22, 2024, poll.

    Houston, which knocked off then-No. 24 Arizona State 24-16 for its first road win against a ranked opponent since 2017, is in the Top 25 for the first time since the first two polls in 2022.

    Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win over then-No. 15 Missouri gave the Commodores a 7-1 start for the first time since 1941 and, at No. 9, its highest ranking since it was No. 7 for one week in 1937. Vandy has a program-record three regular-season wins over Top 25 opponents.

    LSU was ranked as high as No. 3 for three weeks in September and in the top 10 for the first five polls. Road losses to Mississippi and Vanderbilt and this weekend’s 24-point home loss against Texas A&M put the Tigers on the outside looking in.

    It’s the second straight year the Tigers have taken a fast fall. They were No. 8 a year ago and dropped out after three straight losses.

    In and out

    No. 22 Houston, at 7-1, has its best start since 2021, two years before it joined the Big 12. None of the Cougars’ four remaining regular-season games are against ranked opponents.

    No. 23 Southern California, which was idle following its 34-24 loss at Notre Dame, faces a challenging game at Nebraska.

    No. 24 Utah hammered Colorado 53-7 with Byrd Ficklin starting in place of injured quarterback Devon Dampier and leading an offense that rushed for 422 of its 587 total yards.

    No. 25 Memphis rebounded from its loss to UAB with a 34-31 win over South Florida to pull into a four-way tie for third place in the American behind Navy and Tulane.

    South Florida (18), LSU (20), Illinois (23) and Arizona State (24) dropped out.

    Poll points

    • The last time Texas A&M received a first-place vote was Oct. 11, 2015.
    • No. 12 Notre Dame appeared in its 900th poll, tied for fourth-most all-time.
    • No. 15 Virginia has its highest ranking since it was No. 10 on Nov. 7, 2004.
    • The top six were unchanged for the first time since Nov. 12, 2023, when the top eight stood pat.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 9 Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 20 Texas (6-2, 3-1): Status of Texas QB Arch Manning uncertain after he banged his head on the turf on the first play of overtime in the win over Mississippi State.

    No. 17 Cincinnati (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) at No. 24 Utah (6-2, 3-2): Bearcats are on a seven-game win streak. Utes in a must-win situation the rest of season to stay in Big 12 race.

    No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2, 2-2 SEC) at No. 14 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2): Sooners’ best-in-the-SEC defense gave up a bevy of big plays to Mississippi and now face one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

  • Spring-Ford alum Matt Zollers nearly lifts No. 15 Missouri to win against No. 10 Vanderbilt

    Spring-Ford alum Matt Zollers nearly lifts No. 15 Missouri to win against No. 10 Vanderbilt

    Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula dislocated his left ankle and will have an MRI exam Sunday, coach Eli Drinkwitz said Saturday after the No. 15-ranked Tigers’ 17-10 loss to No. 10 Vanderbilt.

    Following the injury, the Tigers turned to freshman Matt Zollers. Zollers entered the game having completed all six of his pass attempts for a total of just 40 yards and a touchdown. He also has a rushing touchdown this season.

    The former Spring-Ford standout gave Missouri a chance until time expired, throwing a 6-yard TD pass to Jude James, tying the game at 10-10 early in the fourth quarter. Zoller moved the Tigers down the field and connected with Kevin Coleman Jr. for a 36-yard pass as time expired, only to have the receiver ruled on review short of the goal line.

    Zollers would finish 14 of 23 for 138 yards passing.

    As for Pribula, the former Penn State quarterback, Drinkwitz said he didn’t have any broken bones but needed his ankle popped back into joint.

    “Don’t have a timetable for his return, but it could be a while,” Drinkwitz said.

    Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula is driven off the field after being injured during the second half of the Tigers’ game against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

    Pribula was hurt early in the third quarter, running out of the shotgun on fourth-and-goal at the Vanderbilt 2. Miles Capers and Bryan Longwell stopped Pribula after a 1-yard gain with 11 minutes, 15 seconds left in the third quarter. One defender landed on Pribula’s ankle as he was folded backward from defenders coming the other direction.

    The quarterback didn’t get up, and trainers quickly brought a bag out and placed an air cast over his left ankle. Then he was put on a cart and taken for further treatment.

    “He’s a guy that’s been such a playmaker for them, and outside of defending him was so much fun to watch on film,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. ”And so we just hope for the best prognosis, and speedy recovery.”

  • Temple outlasts Tulsa in overtime to earn its fifth win of the season and third in conference play

    Temple outlasts Tulsa in overtime to earn its fifth win of the season and third in conference play

    Temple and Tulsa spent three quarters locked in an offensive shootout.

    So when Saturday’s game went into overtime, it came down to which defense could get a stop. The visiting Owls would finally get the stop they needed, as a failed two-point conversion attempt by Tulsa secured a 38-37 overtime win.

    Temple improved to 5-3 (3-1 American) and is just a win away from being bowl eligible for the first time since the 2019 season. Tulsa fell to 2-6, 0-5.

    The Owls got the ball first in overtime and needed just two Evan Simon passes to score: a 24-yarder to Colin Chase and a 1-yarder to Kajiya Hollawayne. The Golden Hurricane responded with a touchdown on fourth down to get within a point, but decided to go for two and the win. A jump pass was knocked down and Temple escaped with the victory.

    Simon completed 24 of his 35 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns went to wide receiver Hollawayne. Simon now has 21 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season as the Owls are one win away from bowl eligibility.

    First-half secondary struggles

    Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes picked apart Temple’s secondary in the first half as he went 11-of-15 for 203 yards and a touchdown.

    Gift Share Temple’s 1-0 approach, more drama at Penn State, and have you heard about Eastern U?

    The redshirt freshman singlehandedly kept the Golden Hurricane in the game during the second quarter. Hayes had 109 passing yards and he led Tulsa on a 99-yard touchdown drive at the end of the second quarter to give it a 17-14 halftime lead. Hayes had completions of 38 and 22 yards before throwing a perfect ball to Brody Foley in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown.

    Temple’s corners struggled to keep up with Tulsa’s wide receivers and Foley proved to be a difficult matchup for anyone on the Owls’ defense. The Owls’ secondary trio of Ben Osueke, Avery Powell, and Jaylen Castleberry routinely got beaten downfield for big gains as Hayes completed seven passes of at least 20 yards.

    However, Temple’s defense contained Hayes for much of the second half. The defensive front started to get more pressure on Hayes, forcing him out of the pocket and making him throw the ball away multiple times. Hayes went just 8-of-16 for 93 yards in the second half and Temple’s defense, which struggled for much of the first half, was crucial in getting the win.

    Explosive offensive plays

    While Temple’s defense was struggling to slow down Tulsa, its offense did everything it could to keep up.

    The Owls’ offense struggled a little in the first half as it was outgained by more than 100 yards. However, Simon started pushing the ball downfield in the second half and Temple relied on explosive plays to keep pace with Tulsa.

    Temple tight end Peter Clarke, seen here in a game earlier this season, had a 50-yard catch-and-run on Temple’s first drive of the third quarter that set up a touchdown pass.

    Simon connected with tight end Peter Clarke for a catch-and-run of 50 yards on Temple’s first drive of the third quarter that set up a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Jay Ducker to give the Owls a 21-17 lead. Simon completed another 50-yard pass on the next offensive drive, this time to wide receiver JoJo Bermudez. That completion set up another Temple touchdown on a 6-yard pass to Hollawayne to take a 28-24 lead.

    Temple finished the game with 447 total yards of offense: 267 passing and 180 rushing.

    K.C. Keeler earned his 275th career win. The first-year Temple coach recounts how he got there.

    Simon to Hollawayne connection

    Hollawayne has only been playing wide receiver for a couple of seasons after transitioning from quarterback, but he has developed into Simon’s favorite target. Hollawayne entered the game as Temple’s leading receiver with 341 yards and was Simon’s go-to-guy against Tulsa.

    Hollawayne got the Owls on the board with a 24-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, but truly made his impact felt in the second half.

    Simon found Hollawayne eight times in the second half for 58 yards. He reeled in his second touchdown of the day late in the third quarter, which gave Temple a 28-24 lead. Hollawayne routinely made himself available as a safety blanket for Simon while also being a deep threat with his size. Hollawayne came up clutch one more time with the overtime touchdown.

    Hollawayne finished as Temple’s leading receiver with 10 catches for 85 yards and three touchdowns.

    Up next

    Temple returns to Lincoln Financial Field next week to host East Carolina (4-3, 2-1) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Temple athletics right here!
  • A two-TD day from Luke Colella highlights Villanova’s win against Albany on homecoming weekend

    A two-TD day from Luke Colella highlights Villanova’s win against Albany on homecoming weekend

    A second-half surge propelled Villanova to a 29-16 homecoming weekend defeat against Albany.

    The Wildcats’ win against Albany marked their 20th consecutive victory at Villanova Stadium and the fifth straight win this season. Villanova (6-2, 5-1 Coastal Athletic Association) had a slow first half offensively, settling for two field goals in the red zone. Villanova’s defense held Albany (1-7, 0-4) at bay despite allowing a touchdown on the first Great Dane drive.

    “If I had the answer to that one, I would bottle it up and take it on the road with us,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said when asked about the home win streak. “It’s great. These guys love playing at home. The environment today was great. The Wildcat Walk was probably the best one we’ve had so far this year, with everyone in the back there. Whatever the record is or the streak is, it is what it is.”

    Villanova wide receiver Luke Colella (1) scores one of his two touchdowns against Albany on Saturday.

    David Avit had five consecutive rushes on a second-quarter drive, with the final run for Villanova’s running back resulting in a touchdown. Avit finished the game with 89 rushing yards on 20 attempts.

    The passing game found its rhythm in the second half. Pat McQuaide finished the game with 203 passing yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats’ quarterback completed 15 of his 22 passing attempts (68%).

    Penn drops its first Ivy League loss against Yale as penalties and turnovers take over

    Villanova totaled 256 yards of total offense. Graduate Luke Colella led all receivers with 107 receiving yards, hauling in six passes and two touchdowns.

    Defense wins games

    Villanova’s defense has been rolling through the last four games, and on Saturday held Albany to a season-low 154 yards of total offense.

    Despite allowing Albany to score on its opening drive, the Great Danes did not find the end zone again. It was one of Albany’s two trips to the red zone.

    “I think that after that first drive, you know, a lot of times it takes a little bit of settling in,” graduate linebacker Shane Hartzell said. “Some of these offenses have scripted drives and stuff and whatnot. So I think it just takes a little bit to get a feel of what we’re going up against. And after that, we were able to settle in there.”

    Hartzell totaled a team-high eight tackles, two sacks, and two pass breakups. He currently leads Villanova this season with 49 total tackles (30 solo) and 4.5 sacks.

    In the first half, the Wildcats limited the Great Danes to three first downs and 55 yards of total offense.

    Over Villanova’s last four games, the defense has allowed just 976 yards of total offense and 58 total points.

    Villanova defensive lineman Ayden Howard (91) falls on an Albany fumble in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.

    The duo keeps rolling

    The connection between Villanova quarterback and receiver Luke Colella continued against Albany.

    Colella hauled in two touchdown passes from McQuaide. One was off a 37-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to stretch Villanova’s lead to double digits. Like clockwork, Colella was wide open as he neared the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown pass from McQuaide in the fourth quarter.

    McQuaide has connected with Colella on 35% of his total completions.

    “We all live right in the same hallway,” Colella said. “So spending time with them every day is awesome. And making this connection has been super fun so far.”

    Colella now has five games with 100-plus receiving yards. He has totalled 737 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the season, averaging 91 yards per game.

    Villanova’s Pat McQuaide and Luke Colella have formed instant chemistry on a tight-knit team

    Slow start, strong finish

    In the first half, Villanova was 1-for-7 on third downs and 1-of-3 on fourth down conversions.

    The Wildcats managed to get on the board with a touchdown, but settled for field goals on two red zone trips. Villanova entered the half with 111 total offensive yards.

    “It looked like [Albany’s] D-line was pinning their ears back and kind of beating us off the ball a little bit,” Ferrante said. “And they were bringing a lot of pressure. They were bringing linebackers and safeties. They were loading the box to stop the run, which they did a pretty good job at. We’ve just got to play more consistently.”

    Villanova scored touchdowns on two second-half drives that lasted a total of four plays.

    Up next…

    Villanova heads into a bye week before a return to action on the road against Towson (3-5, 1-3) on Nov. 8 (1 p.m., FloSports). Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Tigers, 14-13, at home and currently hold a 12-7 all-time series lead.

  • Against Yale, Penn suffers its first Ivy League loss, as penalties and turnovers take over

    Against Yale, Penn suffers its first Ivy League loss, as penalties and turnovers take over

    Penn’s offense sputtered and stalled in New Haven, Conn., and with it went the Quakers’ unbeaten Ivy League run.

    A pair of turnovers and missed chances doomed Penn in a 35-13 loss to Yale on Saturday, the team’s first conference defeat of the season.

    Penn (4-2, 2-1 Ivy) repeatedly hurt itself with penalties and failed conversions and struggled to finish drives despite controlling the ball for more than 36 minutes. The Quakers scored fewer than 24 points for the first time this season.

    Yale (4-2, 2-1 Ivy) capitalized on nearly every opportunity. Quarterback Dante Reno threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Josh Pitsenberger powered the Bulldogs’ ground game with 149 yards and a score as they cruised to their third straight win.

    Penn quarterback Liam O’Brien threw for 220 yards and a touchdown.

    “We had too many undisciplined problems with the penalties,” Penn coach Ray Priore said. “It’s just some missed things that our kids wouldn’t have normally done.”

    Self-inflicted wounds

    The Quakers entered the game second in the Ivy League in penalties committed, and their mistakes finally caught up to them, starting from their first offensive drive.

    Following a recovered fumble by linebacker John Lista to give Penn possession in the red zone, an illegal formation penalty killed the momentum and forced a field goal.

    “We got to convert that,” Priore said. “That’s got to be seven points. That’s one of our mottos.”

    Yale responded with a 10-yard touchdown run by Nico Brown to close the first quarter, then took control after two second-quarter fumbles by O’Brien. The first was recovered and returned for a score by Yale defensive end Abu Kamara, an Interboro High School graduate.

    The Quakers trailed, 28-10, at halftime and continued to struggle.

    They finished with two turnovers, 110 penalty yards, and just one scoring drive, despite the defense forcing two turnovers and multiple three-and-outs.

    “We put our defense in tough situations early,” Priore said. “ … When you win, you win as a team, when you lose, you lose as a team.”

    Missing the ‘Juice’

    Julien “Juice” Stokes, Penn’s leading rusher and the national leader in punt return yards, could be out for the season after suffering a broken fibula against Columbia, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.

    Looking to make up for Stokes’ absence, offensive coordinator Greg Chimera relied on O’Brien, who finished with 22 rushing attempts for 45 yards.

    Despite mixing in star receiver Jared Richardson in the backfield alongside backup running back Donte West, Penn’s rushing attack never found traction, averaging just 2.8 yards on 33 carries, though it outrushed Yale, 202-92.

    Penn shakes off a tough start against Columbia to remain undefeated in Ivy play

    “I think we know we can play a lot better football than that,” Priore said regarding the run game. “We have to learn from this, take every game as a learning experience.”

    On special teams, Stokes was equally missed.

    Cornerback Jayden Drayton took over kickoff and punt returns but couldn’t match Stokes’ production and fumbled to start the third quarter.

    Around the league

    Harvard (6-0, 3-0) dominated Princeton (3-3, 2-1), 35-14, to take sole possession of first place in the Ivy League through three games.

    The Crimson were ranked 17th in the FCS entering Saturday’s matchup and led the Ivy League in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, and scoring defense.

    Penn finds is a four-way tie for second place.

    Up next

    Penn will host Brown (3-3, 0-3), which lost to Cornell (2-4, 1-2) in overtime, 30-24, on Friday (7 p.m., ESPN+) at Franklin Field.

  • Jamal Mashburn Jr. selected by the Westchester Knicks in the 2025 NBA G League Draft

    Jamal Mashburn Jr. selected by the Westchester Knicks in the 2025 NBA G League Draft

    Former Temple guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. was selected eighth overall by the Westchester Knicks, the G League affiliate of the New York Knicks, in the 2025 NBA G League Draft held in White Plains, N.Y., on Saturday.

    Mashburn Jr., the son of former NBA All-Star forward Jamal Mashburn Sr., spent one season at Temple after playing three years at New Mexico under Richard Pitino. He also played his freshman year at Minnesota, also under Pitino.

    His season at Temple started strong before being derailed by a toe injury in February.

    Mashburn Jr. led the Owls with 22 points per game and started all 23 games before missing nine of Temple’s final 10, including its American Conference Tournament loss to Tulsa on March 13.

    Temple releases women’s and men’s nonconference basketball schedules

    He provided a scoring punch for Temple after the departure of former guard Hysier Miller, scoring 20 or more points 16 times, including a career-high 34 in a double-overtime win over Charlotte.

    Mashburn Jr. is Temple’s second player to sign an NBA contract this offseason. Former forward Steve Settle III signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Miami Heat and is expected to play for its G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, S.D.

  • For these Olympic squash hopefuls, here’s how Philly kick-started their path to LA 2028

    For these Olympic squash hopefuls, here’s how Philly kick-started their path to LA 2028

    When the Olympics come knocking, you drop everything to answer the door.

    And by the time squash standouts Marina Stefanoni and Aly Abou Eleinen learned that their sport would be included in the Olympics for the first time in 2028, they already were a step ahead.

    Stefanoni, the 25th-ranked women’s player in the world, moved to Philadelphia after graduating from Harvard last year to be closer to West Philadelphia’s Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center — the home of the U.S. national squash team.

    Before joining the pro ranks, ninth-ranked squash player Aly Abou Eleinen competed for Penn.

    Eleinen is the 11th-ranked men’s player in the world. A 2022 Penn graduate, Eleinen moved to his native Egypt a year after graduating to train at the national squash center in Cairo.

    This week, both competed at the U.S. Open Squash Championships in University City and are continuing to put in the hard work on the professional circuit in the lead-up to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

    “I am looking at it as ‘If I happen to make the Olympics, then I’ve probably achieved what I want to on the timeline that I want on the pro tour,’” Stefanoni said.

    Added Eleinen: “[The Olympics] line up well with my [Professional Squash Association] World Tour goals. If I keep focusing on myself, keep focusing on my body, keep trying to rise up the rankings on the TSA World Tour, that’ll put me in a good position for the Olympics.”

    Daunting tasks

    Stefanoni is part of the Big Four of American women’s squash, along with No. 5 Olivia Weaver, No. 9 Amanda Sobhy, and Sobhy’s sister, Sabrina, who’s ranked 89th. The youngest of all four, Stefanoni feels a bond with her USA team members despite having less experience in the PSA.

    What the other three have in experience, Stefanoni makes up for in youth — and fully expects to get her shot at Los Angeles come 2028.

    “We are at very different stages of our career, which makes it extra interesting,” Stefanoni said. “… As you get deeper into your 30s every year, it’s massively more difficult to maintain that high level of squash.”

    Aly Abou Eleinen returns the ball during the U.S. Open Squash Championships this week at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

    Eleinen, having to earn his spot against an Egyptian field that holds seven of the top 20 men’s players in the world, knows that any chance of playing in the Olympics must come through dethroning the nation’s top talents, a plan made more difficult following recent ACL and MCL injuries that ended his 2024-25 season early.

    With a burning need to get back on track, Eleinen knows there’s no better time than the present to begin improving.

    “In Egypt, it is a bit more challenging than other countries,” he said. “But it is what it is. That’s the reality of the situation. And for me, yes, I’m competing with the guys that I’m training with, but that’s also helpful, because you get to raise the level, which also helps on the PSA World Tour.”

    Love-hate relationship

    Stefanoni calls Philly home, but it’s taken a while for her to come around.

    “I hated Philly before coming here,” Stefanoni said. “I was like, ‘This city is the worst.’ Cities are just so hectic … but I’ve slowly been becoming a fan.”

    As the youngest-ever winner of the under-19 U.S. Junior Squash Championship at 13 years old, Stefanoni has been a star in the making since before she could remember. But as she continues her rise, she hopes to enjoy the ride more often on her way to the top.

    “Sometimes I need to take a step back and realize that this is actually a big deal, and what I’m doing is pretty cool,” Stefanoni said.

    On the other hand, Eleinen fell in love with the city during his time at Penn, and he said he frequently misses the area.

    “I still have family in Philly, and every year since graduating, I’ve been coming [back] to Philly over and over,” Eleinen said. “… Philly’s always had a special place in my heart.”

    Despite his fondness for the city, his career and family come first.

    With his parents, coaches, and fiancée in Cairo, the Egyptian star says that’s the best place for him to prepare for 2028.

    “Cairo has been amazing for me,” Eleinen said. “I see myself staying in Cairo for a while. I’m getting married next summer, in July, which is just so exciting. We’re going to have our wedding in Cairo; we’re going to settle in Cairo. So for me, Cairo is the place to be right now.”