CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Evan Simon accounted for four touchdowns and Temple’s defense forced four turnovers, helping the Owls roll to a 49–14 win over Charlotte on Saturday at Jerry Richardson Stadium .
Simon completed 15 of 22 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns, added a five-yard rushing score, and directed a balanced offense that amassed 384 total yards on just 53 plays.
Running back Jay Ducker rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, while Kajiya Hollawayne, Colin Chase, and Peter Clarke each caught touchdown passes as Temple (4–3, 2–1 American Conference) put up 42 unanswered points after the opening quarter .
Charlotte (1–6, 0–4 American) struck to tie it at 7–7 late in the first on Grayson Loftis’ 2-yard TD pass to Gus McGee, but the 49ers never scored again until the final minute of the game.
The Owls’ defense and special teams dominated the middle quarters.
Early in the second, Simon’s five-yard keeper capped a quick 42-yard drive to put Temple ahead for good. Just 37 seconds later, Adrian Laing intercepted Loftis and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown, making it 21–7.
Simon then connected with Hollawayne for a 46-yard strike late in the half, extending the lead to 28–7 at halftime .
The onslaught continued in the third quarter with a Clarke 8-yard TD reception and a Ducker 1-yard plunge, followed by Louis Frye’s 73-yard fumble return for a touchdown, sealing a 49–7 lead heading into the final period.
Temple scored on seven of its first nine possessions, converting both fourth-down attempts and going 4-for-4 in the red zone. The Owls averaged 7.2 yards per play and committed no turnovers .
The Temple defense limited Charlotte to 357 yards despite 76 plays, forcing two fumbles and an interception.
Tyree Alualu led the Owls with eight tackles, while Frye, Curly Ordonez, and Khalil Poteat each contributed key stops. Temple registered two sacks and nine tackles for loss, and scored 14 points off turnovers .
Charlotte rotated quarterbacks as Loftis finished 10-of-22 for 108 yards, one touchdown, and an interception, while Zach Wilcke went 5-of-7 for 50 yards and a rushing TD late in the game.
The 49ers ran for 199 yards, led by Wilcke’s 39 and Cameren Smith’s 38, but lost two critical fumbles that led directly to Temple points.