Army vs. Temple: A Friday Afternoon Ground War at the Linc

By J.J. Pavlick | Philadelphia, PA | September 24, 2026 |

Philadelphia, PA—Army West Point arrives in Philadelphia with a familiar mission and an uncomfortable memory. The Black Knights are 1–1, coming off a bye week that forced them to sit with a South Florida fourth-quarter collapse that included 22 missed tackles, a blown ten‑point lead, and a fourth quarter where the fundamentals they pride themselves on simply vanished. Temple is 1–2, fresh off a 49–48 overtime shootout, and building under Casey Keeler into a program that looks nothing like the one Army beat 14–13 last November.

Friday’s matchup at Lincoln Financial Field, the lone game in the afternoon window, is a meeting of two teams that believe the same thing: run the ball, stop the run, and let physicality dictate the day.

A Rivalry Built on Swings and Streaks

Army leads the all‑time series 8–7, a margin built on eras rather than symmetry. The Black Knights won the first meeting in 1943 by fifty‑one points. Temple answered decades later with a 63–32 explosion in 2012. Army has won the last four, including last year’s one‑point escape. the closest game the rivalry has ever produced.

The history says nothing is simple between these two. The present says both teams arrive with something to prove.

Army’s Offense: No. 1 Rushing Attack, New Dimensions

Army brings the top rushing offense in America into Philadelphia—394.0 yards per game, powered by senior quarterback Cale Hellums and the emergence of Zach Mundell, the converted quarterback who has become the most explosive slot weapon in the AAC. Offensive coordinator Cody Worley called Mundell a revelation, a player who “found his home at slot” and whose impact per touch has surprised even a staff that already believed in his dynamism.

Worley’s definition of balance isn’t run‑pass. It’s positional impact, tight ends, both slots, the backfield, and the offensive line all carrying weight so Hellums can do what Worley says is his biggest area of growth: distributing the ball. Hellums was “lights out” against South Florida, commanding checks and creating plays outside the design. The Bryant tape still holds a few throws he wants back, but Worley believes the trajectory is clear.

Behind them is depth: Godspower running with force, Samari Howard and Aiden Self on the perimeter, tight ends Parker Pulaski and Tex Brandon, and a senior‑heavy backfield of David Clark, Carson Smith, and Jake Rendina. Worley’s refrain never changed: Army rides the hot hand.

Temple’s Offense: Tempo, Multiplicity, and Two Quarterbacks

Temple is not the plodding, predictable team of a decade ago. Keeler has rebuilt the Owls into a run‑first, multiple offense with real perimeter skill. They snap the ball with two to five seconds left on the play clock. They get ahead of the chains on first down. And they have two quarterbacks Monken considers starting‑caliber.

Jaxon Smolik is the polished thrower. Ajani Sheppard is the dual‑threat load, thick, strong, hard to tackle, and a plus‑one in the run game. Their tight end, Monken said, “might be the best in the league.” Their receivers hit explosives. Their punter flips fields. And their defensive coordinator, Coach Smith, has years of experience defending Army’s option principles.

Temple’s identity mirrors Army’s: run first, physical, but far more multiple than the description alone suggests.

Darryl Dixon’s Reset: Tackling, Truth‑Telling, and Urgency

Defensive coordinator Darryl Dixon spent the bye week rebuilding fundamentals. The South Florida tape showed a defense that kept the ball in front of them but played too soft, allowing 20‑ to 25‑yard pitch‑and‑catch throws against prevent‑style zones. The bigger issue was speed—Army left its feet, took bad angles, and missed 22 tackles.

Dixon’s response was physical. Pads on. Live tackling on bodies inside individual drills. Not a scrimmage, but enough contact to rebuild trust in technique before facing another fast, run‑heavy offense.

He also addressed the pass rush—one sack in two games—and made it clear the fix is collective, not heroic. Four, five, or sometimes six rushers attacking lanes together, one winning his one‑on‑one, flushing the quarterback, and another finishing the sack. “It’s gotta be collective,” he said.

Two emerging defenders stood out: linebacker Elijah Walton, who barely played last year and is now stepping into a position of need, and defensive back Julian Porter, who has delivered tight coverage and pass breakups in his first real action.

The Correction List: Cause and Consequence

Monken and Dixon both pointed inward. Army’s collapse wasn’t about a scheme. It was about execution. Monken showed players every unsportsmanlike and unnecessary‑roughness penalty alongside the scoreboard consequence. The message was simple: cause leads to consequence, and the consequences last.

A stalled drive after a penalty to open the second half. A red‑zone possession that settled for three instead of seven. A protection bust on third down while protecting a three‑point lead. A punt return penalty that flipped field position from the four to the nineteen and led directly to a touchdown. Another mid‑drive flag that killed momentum. A punt return penalty inside their own ten that preceded a 90‑yard touchdown drive.

The film didn’t lie; the players lived it, and they know they must hold themselves to higher standards if they want to leave Philadelphia with a victory and sing second.

Explosive Plays: The Deciding Factor

Monken cited the analytics he trusts most: teams with more explosive plays generally win, teams that run the ball more effectively generally win, and teams that win the kicking game generally win. Army’s defensive system is built to keep everything in front, but the South Florida tape showed exactly what happens when tackles aren’t finished—explosive plays after contact.

Temple’s quarterbacks both function as plus‑one runners, just like the USF quarterback who hurt Army late. The corrective is the same: keep it in front, finish at contact, and eliminate explosives born from missed tackles.

Performance at Lincoln Financial Field

Army knows Lincoln Financial Field better than any non‑Philadelphia program in America. Since the stadium opened in 2003, the Black Knights have played 19 games here and carry a 6–13 all‑time record inside the building.

Against Temple, Army is 3–2 at the Linc, including a dominant 42–14 win on October 21, 2017, and a 28–13 victory in 2016. Their last road loss to Temple here came in 2013.

Against Navy, the record is 3–11, a mark shaped by the Midshipmen’s historic 14‑game win streak—most of it played in this stadium. But Army has won three of the last five Army–Navy games held at the Linc, including a double‑overtime classic in 2022, a 20–17 victory that snapped Navy’s grip on the venue.

The building has hosted heartbreak and breakthrough in equal measure. It is familiar ground, and Army veterans know exactly what it means to walk down that tunnel.

The Venue: The Linc

Monken called Philadelphia a neighborhood city, a recruiting base, a food town, and a place rich with American history. Dixon called the stadium “a wonderful venue” and said it’s meaningful for players to compete on an NFL field.

The stage will be set for the Army West Point Black Knights as they look to take down a tough Temple team who has NIL players and high-caliber talent. History is on Army’s side today as they hold a 3-2 record against the Owls at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Stakes

Army is trying to avoid falling behind early in conference play. Temple is trying to snap a four‑game losing streak in the series and prove that last week’s offensive explosion wasn’t a mirage. The numbers say Army should control the game, and history says nothing is ever that simple between these two.

Friday at 4:30pm (16:30), under the shadow of the Eagles’ stadium, Army meets a Temple team built to test every inch of its discipline. The Black Knights arrive with clarity: start faster, finish stronger, widen distribution, tackle better, and eliminate the mistakes that beat you before the opponent ever does.

The moment says everything is on the table, and fans should expect a heavyweight bout in Philadelphia, something this city knows a lot about with their gritty sports teams, known to take a punch and keep on ticking. This will be a battle of wills at the Linc, and the weather will be unpredictable with a possible nor’easter making an appearance during game time.

The Line

Prop Bets & Player Milestones

Cale Hellums (Army QB): Rushing yards over/under set at 89.5 yards.

Godspower Nwawuihe (Army RB): Rushing yards over/under set at 86.5 yards.

Keveun Mason (Temple RB): Rushing yards over/under set at 47.5 yards.

Colin Chase (Temple WR): Receiving yards over/under set at 39.5 yards. 

The Verdict

Army is the favorite to win by 3.5 points over Temple at Lincoln Financial Field, according to the betting markets. The reality is this game will come down to one drive and could very easily be another one-point victory for Army. The keys are simple: run hard and fast and limit Temple offensively with a collective effort.

Our Prediction: Army 21 – 20 Temple

Spread not covered but a win that improves Army to 2-1 on the season and a big bounce back after losing a sure victory at home to South Florida two weeks ago.