Penn State–Temple football rivalry

The Penn State–Temple football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Temple Owls.[1] In a series dating back to 1931, Penn State has a series advantage, having won 40 out of 45 games. The schools make up 2 of the 3 universities in the state of Pennsylvania which still compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Penn State–Temple football rivalry

Penn State Nittany Lions Temple Owls
First meeting	1931 Temple, 12-0
Latest meeting	2016 Penn State, 34-27
Next meeting	2026 in Philadelphia
Statistics
Meetings total	45
All-time series	Penn State, 40–4–1
Largest victory	Penn State, 66–14 (1995)
Longest win streak	Penn State, 31 (1952–2014)
Current win streak	Penn State, 1 (2016–present)

🌍

History

Penn State playing Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in 2010

The first game between Temple and Penn State was played in Philadelphia in 1931 with Temple winning by a score of 12–0.[2] Penn State got their first win in the rivalry in 1941 with an 18–0 win over Temple. Temple's 14–0 win against Penn State in 1941 would serve as the last time the Owls had a win in the rivalry until 2015. That win would also secure Temple a 3–1 series lead, which remains the Owl's largest winning lead in the series.[3] The 1942 contest was canceled because of World War II. The first game in State College, in 1943, was a 13–0 win for Penn State at New Beaver Field.[4][5][6][7][8] The 1950 matchup between the two teams ended in the series only tie.[9][10][11]

Penn State's 31–30 victory over Temple in 1976 is viewed as the closest game in the rivalry's history. Temple scored a late goal line touchdown to bring the score within one point, with just seconds remaining, but the Owls attempted game winning two-point was unsuccessful. The matchup, played at Veterans Stadium, was moved up a week to accommodate the United States Bicentennial that was planned to take place in Philadelphia.[12] In 1995, Penn State beat Temple by a score of 66–14, which remains the largest margin of victory for either team in the series. The 1996 iteration of the matchup, a 41–0 win for Penn State, took place at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands Sports Complex.[13] Temple's 27–10 victory over Penn State in 2015 broke a 31-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions. It remains the 4th longest losing streak to an opponent in college football history.[14][15][16]

The Nittany Lions and the Owls last played in 2016 where Penn State beat Temple by a score of 34–27. The schools will renew the series with matchups in 2026 and 2027.[17][18]

Game results

Temple victories

Penn State victories

Tie games

No. Date Location Winner Score 1 October 10, 1931 Philadelphia Temple 12–0 2 November 12, 1932 Philadelphia Temple 13–12 3 October 26, 1940 Philadelphia Penn State 18–0 4 October 18, 1941 Philadelphia Temple 14–0 5 November 13, 1943 University Park Penn State 13–0 6 November 11, 1944 Philadelphia Penn State 7–6 7 November 10, 1945 University Park Penn State 27–0 8 November 9, 1946 University Park Penn State 26–0 9 November 8, 1947 Philadelphia #7 Penn State 7–0 10 November 13, 1948 University Park #8 Penn State 47–0 11 November 12, 1949 Philadelphia Penn State 48–7 12 October 28, 1950 University Park Tie 7–7 13 September 20, 1952 University Park Penn State 20–13 14 September 6, 1975 Philadelphia #6 Penn State 26–25 15 October 30, 1976 Philadelphia Penn State 31–30 16 November 12, 1977 University Park #9 Penn State 44–7 17 September 1, 1978 Philadelphia #3 Penn State 10–7 18 November 17, 1979 University Park #18 Penn State 22–7 19 November 15, 1980 Philadelphia #9 Penn State 50–7 20 October 3, 1981 University Park #2 Penn State 30–0 21 September 4, 1982 University Park #8 Penn State 31–14 22 September 24, 1983 Philadelphia Penn State 23–18 23 September 14, 1985 University Park #11 Penn State 27–25 No. Date Location Winner Score 24 September 6, 1986 University Park #6 Penn State 45–15 25 October 3, 1987 University Park #14 Penn State 27–13 26 October 1, 1988 Philadelphia Penn State 45–9 27 September 16, 1989 University Park Penn State 42–3 28 October 6, 1990 University Park Penn State 48–10 29 October 5, 1991 Philadelphia #12 Penn State 24–7 30 September 12, 1992 University Park #10 Penn State 49–8 31 October 1, 1994 Philadelphia #4 Penn State 48–21 32 September 16, 1995 University Park #7 Penn State 66–14 33 September 21, 1996 East Rutherford, NJ #5 Penn State 41–0 34 September 13, 1997 University Park #1 Penn State 52–10 35 August 30, 2003 University Park Penn State 23–10 36 November 11, 2006 University Park Penn State 47–0 37 November 10, 2007 Philadelphia Penn State 31–0 38 September 20, 2008 University Park #16 Penn State 45–3 39 September 19, 2009 University Park #5 Penn State 31–6 40 September 25, 2010 University Park #23 Penn State 22–13 41 September 17, 2011 Philadelphia #25 Penn State 14–10 42 September 22, 2012 University Park Penn State 24–13 43 November 15, 2014 University Park Penn State 30–13 44 September 5, 2015 Philadelphia Temple 27–10 45 September 17, 2016 University Park Penn State 34–27 Series: Penn State leads 40–4–1

See also

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games

References

1. "NITTANY LIONS AND TEMPLE RENEW RIVALRY". The Mercury. October 21, 1940. p. 8.
2. "Temple and Penn State look to renew in-state rivalry". The Temple News. July 25, 2018.
3. . The Progress. October 26, 1976. p. 27 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/60881506/. Penn State has beaten Temple 10 times in 14 meetings. There has been one tie. The rivalry resumed last year for the first time since 1953. Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. "Lions Kick off 100th Year Saturday Night With Owls". Tyrone Daily Herald. September 4, 1986. p. 5. Penn State has won eleven straight games in its series with Temple, which dates from 1931. The Nittany Lions have also captured 18 of the last 19 games in the rivalry, a streak interrupted only by a 7-7 tie in 1950.
5. "PSU's ugly performance won't stand up in Miami". Indiana Gazette. Associated Press. October 7, 1991. p. 21. Penn State beat Temple for the 17th straight time and boosted its- series lead to 25-3-1 in the intrastate rivalry. Temple hasn't defeated Penn State since 1941.
6. Armas, Genaro (September 23, 2010). "True test: Temple's trip to Penn St". The Republic. Associated Press. p. 9. If Penn State is Temple's measuring stick, the Owls have been off by miles. This Pennsylvania rivalry is decidedly tilted in the Nittany Lions' favor.
7. Connor Whooley - The Daily Collegian. "A history of Penn State football's series with Temple".
8. "Temple vs. Penn State - Game Recap - September 17, 2016 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
9. "Winsipedia - Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Temple Owls football series history". Winsipedia. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
10. "Penn State renews intrastate football rivalry with ... Temple". Centre Daily Times. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
11. "The History Of The Penn State-Temple Football "Rivalry"". Onward State. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
12. "TEMPLE NO MATCH FOR PENN STATE". SB Nation.
13. "A history of Penn State football's series with Temple". Daily Collegian.
14. "Penn State Football: Temple Rivalry Extended at Least through 2016". StateCollege.com. September 21, 2010. The Penn State and Temple University football teams will sustain their cross-state rivalry with scheduled games in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the schools announced Monday.
15. "Temple beats Penn State for first time since 1941, ending 39-game winless streak". The Morning Call. September 5, 2015.
16. "Penn State football vs Temple Owls: Revenge or Repeat for Cross-State Rivals". NBC Sports Philadelphia. September 17, 2016. After falling behind 10-0, TU ripped off 27 unanswered points to secure a win over their cross-state rivals for the first time since Oct. 18, 1941.
17. "A Rivalry Renewed: Temple vs Penn State". Temple Update. August 30, 2018.
18. "Penn States adds a trio of local foes to its football schedule". Philadelphia Business Journal. August 30, 2018. Temple University and Penn State are renewing their rivalry with a game in Philadelphia of Sept. 12, 2026, and a game at State College on Sept. 18, 2027.