Temple-Navy game postponed from Sept. 26 to Oct. 10

The Temple Owls confirmed on Tuesday that the program's football opener at Navy has been postponed from Sept. 26 to Oct. 10.

According to Heather Dinich of ESPN, Temple requested the schedule change because restrictions in Philadelphia related to the coronavirus pandemic prevented the team from engaging in 11-on-11 drills until last week. The Owls aren't practicing this week until the results of COVID-19 tests administered on Tuesday are known.

BYU crushed Navy 55-3 in front of a national television audience on Monday night, something that wasn't lost on Temple coach Rod Carey.

"We're not ready yet," Carey said of the state of his team on Tuesday, per Dinich. "I think you saw that yesterday with Navy [against BYU] as well. I'm not indicting anybody at Navy or anything like that. Everyone has these restrictions. Our team has to be safe to play. I'm not just talking about COVID. I'm talking about football safe. You have to practice football to be able to do that. That's where we are, and that's what we saw coming and that's how we planned for this thing. So far so good. Now we have to be able to practice."

Carey continued: 

"Obviously I want to play, the kids want to play as fast as we could here, but with the restrictions we're under from the city and the guidelines, moving it back, it's kind of the last chip we had to play as far as getting the team ready to play and getting that time back on our side here. I think we're all a little frustrated, to be honest with you, but I don't know who's not frustrated at this point with COVID and the new things we have to deal with. Our guys are dealing with it well, and our coaches are, too. We'll be excited to get to work after this pause."

Dinich added that the Owls are limited to running only 10 plays in scrimmages for unknown reasons as of the start of the midweek. Carey wants to increase that number to between 50-60 plays before Temple opens at Navy.

Following Monday's disappointing result, Navy is idle until a Sept. 19 showdown with Tulane. The Midshipmen are then scheduled to face Air Force on Oct. 3.