By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

FIU and Temple are pretty evenly matched when you look at the numbers. However, how each team took a different path to the Gasparilla Bowl.

The Panthers became bowl-eligible in early November after defeating UTSA. The Owls needed to win their final game of the regular season against Tulsa to reach the necessary six wins to qualify for a bowl.

Temple won three of its last five games to reach the six-win plateau and the run started when the Owls switched quarterbacks from Logan Marchi to Frank Nutile, who threw for 1,266 yards with 11 touchdowns and six picks.

"On the offensive side of the ball a dramatic change in Temple's entire season happened when they made the quarterback change," FIU coach Butch Davis said. "[Nutile] does a great job throwing the ball, makes really good decisions. Their running backs are very, very good. They are big and physical on the offensive line."

Temple has a balanced offense similar to FIU. Each team has one offensive stat better than the other. FIU runs better than Temple (165 yards per game vs. 136 yards per game) but Temple throws for 252 yards per game and FIU throws for 239 yards per contest.

Running backs David Hood and Ryquell Armstead are the top two ballcarriers for Temple combining for 1,115 and eight TDs. While Adonis Jennings (691 yards, 7 TDs) leads the Owls in receiving, sophomore receiver Isaiah Wright is the speedy playmaker, who also lines up out of the Wildcat and returns kickoffs and punts.

As you might imagine defensively, the teams are also alike. FIU and Temple each gave up more points than they scored in 2017. The Panthers averaged 27.5 points per game and allowed 28.5. The Owls scored 24.8 points per game and allowed 27.6.

FIU defends the run better (174 yards allowed per game vs. 182 yards per game) and Temple defends the pass better than the Panthers. The Owls allow 210 passing yards per game and the Panthers allow 243 yards per game.

Temple defenders Jacob Martin (8 sacks), Sharif Finch (7.5 sacks) and Quincy Roche (6 sacks) have combined for 21.5 sacks.

When Temple coach Geoff Collins was FIU's defensive coordinator in 2010 he loved to bring the heat to the quarterback. Remember, "Get Your Chili Hot!" was his motto.

Under Collins, FIU had 33 sacks in 2010 which is second all-time in program history to the 2011 FIU defense's 35 sacks made up of the same players Collins coached in 2010.

"Defensively, they give you a lot of bad plays," said Davis of Temple's pressure. "Their front four guys on the defensive line and their linebackers they move very well, they can come off the edges, pressure you an awful lot. I got great respect for Geoff for not only what he did here at FIU but what he did at Florida. That's part of his DNA makeup to try and give you bad plays. They are going to check all your protections. They are going to check all your guys. We'll find out early whether or not we'll be able to handle the matchups."

FIU and Temple played two common opponents this season. Both FIU and Temple defeated UMass and each lost to Central Florida. The Panthers beat the Minutemen 63-45. The Owls defeated the Minutemen 29-21. Both FIU and Temple lost big to UCF.

FIU has better numbers punting and on field goals than Temple. The Panthers punting average is 42 yards while Temple's is 35 yards. FIU has made 14 of 16 field goals. Temple has converted 19 of 28 field goals.

Wright has two touchdown returns for the Owls – one on kickoff and one on punt return. Wright had a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown against Cincinnati and a 72-yard punt return touchdown versus Tulsa.

"Their punt return is really good," Davis said. "[Wright] had a touchdown, a bunch of really good returns, 15, 18, 25-yard returns. It's going to be a heck of a challenge on special teams."