2026 PSU at Temple

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General Pre-Game Information

• Game Two of 2026 season—This is the first road game of the 2026 season and the only non-conference road game. This is the first game PSU (0-0) has played in Philadelphia since 2015 against Temple and was scheduled to be part of the celebration of “America 250” (Semiquincentennial). This is the first of two games currently scheduled with Temple. PSU and the Owls will meet again in 2027 at Beaver Stadium. Penn State and Temple did something similar for the Bicentennial when PSU moved its 1975 home game with the Owls to Franklin Field in Philly and then they played the 1976 game at Temple’s homefield in that era, Veterans Stadium. Temple (0-0) is coming off its 2026 season & home opener vs. Rhode Island. The Owls will have some familiar faces on their sidelines having picked up 4 former Penn State players in the Transfer Portal back in January—Jaxon Smolik QB, Joey Schlaffer TE, Kolin Dinkins S, & Kaleb Artis DT.

• PSU in Road Openers since 1993 Big Ten debut season: 21-12—Last loss in road opener, 42-37 at UCLA in 2025. Last non-conference road opener loss, 42-39 at Pitt in 2016 (PSU has won 25 straight non-conference regular season contests since the 2016 Pitt loss).

• Last PSU Game played (Sept. 5): Penn State X Marshall X in season opener

• Current Rankings: AP Poll-TBA / US LBM Coaches Poll-TBA

• Temple 2025 Record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 in AAC (closed 2025 season with 4 straight losses)—Head Coach: KC Keeler (2nd season)

• 46th meeting with Temple all-time (1st meeting since 2016/4th meeting at the Linc): Penn State leads the series, 40-4-1 and is 12-4 all-time on the road & 3-0 at neutral sites. The series dates to 1931 and a 12-0 loss at Temple Stadium (Temple football debuted in 1925). Penn State’s first victory came in 1940 at Temple Stadium, 18-0 on 2 TDs by Pepper Petrella and 1 by Chuck Peters. PSU is unbeaten in 26 games at home vs. Temple with the lone tie in the series coming in 1950 at New Beaver Field. Penn State is 2-1 in three games played at Lincoln Financial Field with wins in 2007 (31-0) and 2011 (14-10) in addition to the lone Nittany Lion loss in 2015 (27-10).

• Last PSU Game vs. Temple (2016): The Nittany Lions avenged their 2015 upset loss in Philadelphia with a narrow 34-27 victory at Beaver Stadium. Trace McSorley passed for 287 yards and 1 TD and rushed for 1 TD in the 7-point win in Matt Rhule’s last season as Temple head coach. Penn State had 5 starters (4 on defense) out with injury and Saquon Barkley was also dinged up and missed a chunk of the game.

• Last PSU Game at Lincoln Financial Field (2015): Former Nittany Lion (and current Nebraska Head Coach) Matt Rhule and his Temple Owls stunned James Franklin and company, 27-10 in the season opener at Lincoln Financial Field. PSU blew a 10-0 lead and QB Christian Hackenberg was sacked 10 times in the loss. Penn State had not lost to Temple since 1941. The 2015 loss ended a non-losing streak of 39 games (38-0-1) from 1943 through 2014 (a 1942 game was cancelled due to WWII issues). The Nittany Lions also had their 31-game winning streak snapped (dating to the 7-7 tie in 1950).

• The Bicentennial meetings with Temple (1975 & 1976): As part of Philadelphia’s celebration of America’s 200th birthday, PSU agreed to move its November 1975 game with the Owls from Beaver Stadium to Franklin Field to become the season opener on Sept. 6. Penn State regards this game as one of its three “neutral site” meetings in this series, but it was technically a “home” game for the Lions considering the tickets carried the Penn State seal (not Temple’s), media credentials were issued by PSU, and the gameday program was, in fact, a Beaver Stadium Pictorial. The 1975 meeting was a nailbiter for #6 PSU as it pulled out a 26-25 win. In October 1976 at Veterans Stadium (PSU’s first ever game at this venue), Temple officially played host and we had another squeaker with PSU pulling out its second straight 1-point victory in this series, 31-30. LINK FOR MORE ON THE BACK-TO-BACK BICENTENNIAL BATTLES

• PSU last game vs. a member of the AAC: PSU beat Memphis, 53-39 in the 2019 Cotton Bowl.

• 1st xx ET kick for PSU in 2026.

• Penn State’s new road white uniforms from Adidas—

  TV/Radio Information

• TV Gameday Announcers: TBA

• First game televised on TBA since xxxx. Last PSU game televised by

• This is the xxxx game this season to be televised on a traditional or non-traditional TV Network—

• Penn State Radio Network Announcers: Steve Jones (PBP), Jack Ham (Analyst), & Brian Tripp (Sidelines). Jones & Ham are in their 27th season in the booth together. Ham, a member of both the CHOF (1990) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988), played linebacker at Penn State (1968-70). Jones (Class of 1980) & Tripp (Class of 2011) are also Penn State grads.