Massachusetts @ Temple preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2015 ) Temple 25, Massachusetts 23

After two less-than-ideal performances to start its season, Temple desperately needs a quality performance Friday when winless Massachusetts comes to town. The Owls, coming off a 10-win campaign, were pounded at Notre Dame in their opener before squeaking by FCS member Villanova last weekend.

Temple needed a late field goal to get past Villanova, 16-13, although first-year coach Geoff Collins was hardly feeling any relief after defeating the Owls' city rival. “If you look around college football, I don’t think there is any sense of relief,” he said to reporters after the win. “You beat a really good football team, you are going to celebrate and be happy and that is the way we look at it.” The Owls defeated the Minutemen in a 25-23 thriller in 2015 and are hoping for another error-free performance by sophomore quarterback Logan Marchi. UMass, which has not won more than three games in a season since 2011, is already 0-3 on the young campaign.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Temple -14.5

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (0-3): UMass gave up 38 points in each of its first two games before the defense stabilized - although the offense struggled - in last week's 17-7 setback against Old Dominion. Andrew Ford was sacked eight times, although he still found Andy Isabella five times for 105 yards and a score. Senior defensive lineman Ali Ali-Musa notched a career-high 15 tackles in the loss.

ABOUT TEMPLE (1-1): Marchi has not thrown an interception through two games and has completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 519 yards with two scores. Ryquell Armstead, coming off a season in which he averaged 5.9 yards per rush, is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry and still is seeking his first touchdown of 2017. Keith Kirkwood leads the team in catches (eight) and yards (121), although Ventell Bryant, who missed the opener with a hamstring injury, is considered Temple's most dangerous wide receiver.

EXTRA POINTS

1. As defensive coordinator at Florida, Collins' squad held UMass to 187 total yards of offense in a 2016 meeting.

2. Bryant needs six catches and 76 receiving yards to move into the Owls' all-time top 10 in both categories.

3. Temple is 10-for-31 on third-down conversions.

PREDICTION: Temple 33, Massachusetts 13