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American college football season
The 1986 Temple Owls football team was an American football team that represented Temple University as an independent during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season . In its fourth season under head coach Bruce Arians , the team compiled a 6–5 record and outscored opponents by a total of 308 to 271.[ 1] [ 2] The team played its home games at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia .
The team's statistical leaders included Lee Saltz with 1,729 passing yards, Paul Palmer with 1,866 rushing yards and 90 points scored, and Keith Gloster with 568 receiving yards.[ 3]
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 6 at No. 6 Penn State L 15–4585,732 [ 4]
September 13 at Western Michigan W 49–1710,159 [ 5]
September 20 Florida A&M W 38–1742,098 [ 6]
September 27 at BYU L 17–2764,221 [ 7]
October 4 at Pittsburgh W 19–1340,136 [ 8]
October 11 East Carolina Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA W 45–2815,384 [ 9]
October 18 vs. Virginia Tech W 29–1323,500 [ 10]
October 25 Syracuse Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA L 24–2719,422 [ 11]
November 8 Boston College Veterans Stadium Philadelphia L 29–3817,952 [ 12]
November 15 at No. 11 Alabama L 14–2460,210 [ 13]
November 22 at Rutgers W 29–2224,386 [ 14]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 15]
1986 Temple Owls football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
^ "1986 Temple Owls Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2020 .
^ "2019 Temple Owls Football Media Guide" (PDF) . Temple University. p. 132. Retrieved May 29, 2020 .
^ "1986 Temple Owls Stats" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2020 .
^ "Owls are a tasty feast for Nittany Lions" . The Daily News . September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Temple romps to victory over mistake-prone Broncos" . The Kalamazoo Gazette . September 14, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Owls overcome Florida A&M for 38–17 win" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . September 21, 1986. Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "BYU tops Temple" . The News-Leader . September 28, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Temple surprises Pittsburgh 19–13" . The State . October 5, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Temple bombs East Carolina as Palmer gaines 417 yards" . The Charlotte Observer . October 12, 1986. Retrieved March 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Hokies zapped by Owls" . Daily Press . October 19, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Late field goal lifts Syracuse over Temple" . The Miami Herald . October 26, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Boston College dumps Temple" . Sun-Journal . November 9, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Owls can't stem Tide; Palmer gains 145 yards" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . November 16, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Scarlet Knights fall short again" . The Record . November 23, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Temple forfeits 6 games after Palmer admits accepting money in '86" . Deseret News . Associated Press. July 26, 1988. Retrieved March 5, 2021 .
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