The Temple Owls holding up the trophy for winning the American Athletic Conference East Division.

After being bowl-eligible in 2014 and not getting an invitation, the Temple football team adopted the slogan, “Leave no doubt.” With a dominating defensive performance against Connecticut in a 27-3 win on Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field, the Owls clinched the American Athletic Conference East Division title. There is no doubt, this season Temple (10-2, 7-1 AAC) will be going to a bowl game. Another phrase that head coach Matt Rhule and the players use all the time is, “What’s next?” The answer to that question is a trip to Houston to take the West Division champs from the University of Houston in the first-ever AAC Championship game. The winner of that game figures to be selected by the College Football Playoff Committee for a spot in one of the New Year’s Six Bowl games.

“I’m just real proud of our kids,” said Rhule after the latest biggest win in school history. “We talked about as a team, that Perseverance conquers. It’s the story of this team over the last three years. It’s the motto of Temple University and we said that’s what would have to happen in this game.”

Perseverance may conquer but so does a defense that allows just 138 total yards and forces seven three-and-outs against a team that had won three in row to become eligible for a bowl and featured the reigning conference offensive player of the week in wide receiver Noel Thomas, who had seven catches for 108 yards and both touchdowns in the Huskies 20-17 win over what had been an undefeated Houston team. Against Houston, the conference’s fourth best defense, UConn running back Arkeel Newsome had 114 yards.

Against the Owls, who possess the top defense in the league, the Huskies (6-6, 4-4 AAC) had just nine yards on the ground, Newsome was held to a single yard on 13 carries. While Thomas was limited to 63 yards on five receptions.

“We couldn’t run it or block,” said UConn head coach Bob Diaco, whose team was without starting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs. “There were guys roaring through the backfield. We had off-target passing. It was just abysmal.”

One of the Owls roaring in the backfield and everywhere else on the field was Chuck Bednarik Award finalist Tyler Matakevich. In addition to a game-high 11 tackles, the Connecticut native had 1.5 tackles for loss including half a sack. He was influencing the path of passes and shedding a blocker to make an open field tackle.

“Playing how we’ve played the last two weeks,” said Matakevich after his college game at the Linc, “that’s Temple defense. That’s the defense I know.”

The Owls have not allowed a touchdown in their last two games, holding Memphis and UConn to just five field goals combined. In the two games prior to this, they allowed a total of 84 points against SMU and USF.

The Owls have been slow starters on offense this season but that wasn’t the case against UConn. After trading punts to open the game, Temple took advantage of field position to take a 7-0 lead. They started at the Huskies 49-yard line and Jahad Thomas carried three times in a four-play drive. He scored on a nine-yard run and also had a 16-yard run. Additionally, P.J. Walker connected with Romond Deloatch on a pass play that covered 16 yards.

The Owls were not able to capitalize on a fumble by Newsome that was forced by Jarred Alwan and recovered by Stephaun Marshall. However, they did get the ball in a good spot after they forced another punt. Starting from their 41, they moved to inside the Huskies five-yard line before the drive stalled and Austin Jones kicked a 20-yard field goal.

With their first opportunity with the ball in the second half, Temple went on a drive that lasted over seven minutes and ended with another field goal by Jones. Before the quarter ended, Walker and Deloatch hooked up for a touchdown on the fade pattern that they’ve completed a few times as of late. On first-and-goal from the six, it looked like they had a score but it was reversed by replay. So they just threw it to the other side of the field and Deloatch didn’t let go of the ball until he was on the Owls’ sideline.

“P.J. trusted me,” said Deloatch, a 6-4, redshirt junior. “He told the coaches to run it again and I got the touchdown for my team.”

Midway through the fourth quarter, Jahad Thomas would race 60 yards to cap the scoring for the Owls. The Huskies avoided the shutout with a 47-yard drive for a field goal. Thus gaining about one-third of their total yardage on one drive but it did matter for once again Temple left no doubt what was next.

Email Rock Hoffman at Rock@footballstories.com