Three Temple Players To Watch On Saturday Against Georgia Tech

Here is who Georgia Tech should watch out for on Saturday against Temple

Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Temple Owls quarterback Evan Simon (6) passes the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Game day is almost here, and Georgia Tech has another opponent on the horizon who will come to pay them a visit in Atlanta. Let’s take a look at Temple and some of their key players that the Yellow Jackets will have to account for if they want to advance to 4-0 on the season. ​

1.QB Evan Simon-

Sep 26, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Temple Owls quarterback Evan Simon (12) throws a touchdown pass against the Army Black Knights during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Simon has been efficient to start the season and has continued to take care of the football. He’s thrown for 497 yards and nine touchdowns on a 66.7% completion rate. He had one of his best games in the season opener against UMASS. Simon went 19-25 for 248 yards and six touchdowns. In that game, he finished with a 91.6 overall grade and a 92.1 passing grade, per Pro Football Focus. He is always poised and makes plays from within the pocket, which has made Temple dangerous this season scoring a lot of points early in the year. The Owls are averaging 33.3 points per game. Despite the struggles last week against Oklahoma, he’s been having a stellar season for Temple and has led them to a 2-1 record. Temple will be a competitive team in the AAC conference, especially with Simon’s veteran leadership and experience leading them.

2. RB Jay Ducker-

Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman David Stone (0) leads a tackle against Temple Owls running back Jay Ducker (20) in the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Ducker is the leading rusher this season for the Owls and has been leaned on heavily as a playmaker in the offense. He’s rushed for 239 yards and a touchdown so far this season. He ran for over 100 yards in a win over UMASS. This season, he is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He is also one who can get loose in the open field and make plays. He had a 55-yard scamper this season where he made multiple defenders miss on his way to a long gain on the ground. The senior running back is on pace to have a 1,000-yard season, which would be just the second of his career. Georgia Tech has done a good job for the most part against the run, but will have to account for Ducker and not let him get going in the game on Saturday.

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3. DB Avery Powell- Powell is a hard-hitting safety and a player who stays around the football. His instincts and ability to be an elite run defender make him special. In a loss against Oklahoma, he finished with a season-high nine tackles and continued to make plays. When you look at his PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade, he ranked highest in his run defense, posting a 70.1. One thing Georgia Tech likes to do is run the football, and will have to account for Powell in the run game especially trying to hit the second level. He is a great 1 on 1 tackler in space and does a great job of bringing the big hit while also wrapping up the running back. Of his team-leading 16 tackles, he has 11 solo tackles. He will be one that the Yellow Jackets will have to plan for and make sure he doesn’t disrupt the game.