FACTS & STATS: Site: Lincoln Financial Field (68,532) -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Television: Local. Home Record: Akron 1-4, Temple 2-2. Away Record: Akron 4-2, Temple 2-5. Neutral Record: Akron 0-0, Temple 0-0. Conference Record: Akron 3-4, Temple 3-4. Series Record: Temple leads, 10-7.

GAME NOTES: The 2008 season draws to a close for the Temple Owls on Friday afternoon as they entertain the Akron Zips in a Mid-American Conference showdown in Philadelphia. Temple, which is 4-7 on the season, managed to snap a two-game slide last weekend with a thrilling 55-52 victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles at home. As a result, the Owls now have a 3-4 conference mark heading into the season finale. As for the Zips, who are also 3-4 versus the rest of the MAC, they've fallen in two straight outings, both of which were high-scoring affairs. First it was a 43-40 setback to Buffalo at home on November 13th, then the team was taken down by Ohio University last Saturday in a 49-42 decision, pushing the Zips to 5-6 on the campaign, which means they need a win this week in order to even be considered for the postseason. Temple leads the all-time series with Akron by a count of 10-7, capturing a 24-20 victory on the road in the most recent meeting a season ago.

Akron scored 21 points in the fourth quarter last Saturday, but it was too little, too late because the squad failed to tally a single point in the third frame versus Ohio. Nevertheless, Dennis Kennedy still had a huge outing for the Zips with his 123 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries, while Chris Jacquemain added a rushing score of his own. The signal-caller converted 21- of-36 passing for 235 yards and a TD, but was also sacked three times. Jacquemain has thrown 20 touchdown passes this season by completing close to 59 percent of his attempts, but has also tossed 11 picks which hasn't helped matters. One of the top running backs in the MAC this season, Kennedy leads the program with 1,168 yards and an amazing 17 touchdowns on 214 carries, yet the team as a whole has just 23 scores on the ground and is ranked 46th in the nation with 165.2 ypg.

As weak as the defense was for the Zips versus Ohio, the special teams didn't do the visitors any favors either, allowing both a punt and a kickoff to be returned for touchdowns. Limiting the Bobcats to just 313 yards of offense looks good on paper, but the home team was allowed to convert 8-of-12 on third down and all three chances inside the red zone. Aaron Williams tied for the team high with six tackles for Akron, adding a forced fumble and a recovery to his stat line. The team failed to log a single sack last week, but that's nothing new because the group is second-to-last in the conference and 116th in the country at the present time with an average of just 0.82 sacks per game. Tackles for loss are also at a premium with the team coming up with just 4.7 per outing to rank 98th in the country. The run defense has been shaky, permitting 190.7 ypg (100th nationally), but the pass efficiency defense has been even more of a question with a rating of 146.12 (108th).

It has been almost a decade since the Temple faithful have seen such an offensive display as the Owls put up 55 points in the win over EMU last week. Setting the pace for the group was quarterback Adam DiMichele who set a new school record with six passing scores and logged the fourth 300-yard passing game of his career to tie the school mark. On the receiving end of many a pass was Bruce Francis who reeled in a school-record four TDs, stemming from nine catches for 125 yards. DiMichele has now boosted his touchdown total for the season to 18 and has a mere four interceptions on 201 attempts, certainly a very favorable number considering Chester Stewart appeared in 10 games at the quarterback position and was charged with seven picks in only 106 pass attempts. Francis is now one of the nation's best in receiving touchdowns with 13, which is a pretty good ratio having had only 43 receptions. The so-called rushing attack continues to be listless however, averaging just 90.4 ypg to rank 113th in the country.

While the Temple offense was rolling up and down the field, the defense for the home team was giving up points at an alarming rate as well. The Eagles may have been limited to just 68 yards rushing, but they still came up with four touchdowns on the ground, while the secondary watched the passing attack generate an unsightly 484 yards and three scores in the narrow win. Alex Joseph, John Haley and Elijah Joseph all tallied eight tackles, but it was Haley who came up with the only sack of the game for the victors. Although he missed out on a game, Alex Joseph is still second on the team in total tackles with 76, behind only Jaiqua Jarrett and his 82 stops. More than just a tackles, Jarrett is also tied for the team lead with three fumble recoveries and is tied for second with two interceptions. In terms of total defense, the Owls are eighth in the MAC and 90th in the nation this week with an average of 393.2 ypg allowed.

Both of these teams can score points, but the difference is that Akron has done it on a more regular basis and has much more riding on this week's outcome.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Akron 38, Temple 24

Friday, November 28th, 1:00 p.m. (et).