(BCSNN) — Temple redshirt senior quarterback Evan Simon has been named one of eight Manning Award Stars of the Week following his standout performance in the Owls’ season-opening win over Massachusetts. Simon threw for six touchdowns in the 42-10 road victory, tying a school record that had only been matched twice before — in 1966 and 2008.

Simon completed 19 of 25 passes for 269 total yards and no interceptions, posting a QBR of 95.8. His six touchdown passes doubled the output of any other quarterback in the American Athletic Conference in Week 1. Notably, 16 of his 17 completions to wide receivers resulted in first downs, showcasing his efficiency and command of Temple’s revamped offense under new head coach K.C. Keeler.

The Manning Award, created in 2004 by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, honors the collegiate achievements of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It remains the only quarterback award that includes bowl performances in its voting criteria. Since 2011, the Manning Award has recognized over 570 quarterbacks from 135 schools as Stars of the Week, with fans voting to determine the top performer each week.

Simon joins a list of elite quarterbacks recognized this week, including Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar and Utah’s Devon Dampier. The Owls signal-caller is now a candidate for the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week, which will be announced following fan voting that closes Thursday morning.

Temple (1-0) returns home to Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday to face Howard in its home opener. The matchup offers Simon and the Owls a chance to build on their early momentum before a high-profile showdown with No. 18 Oklahoma the following week. With Simon’s veteran leadership and Keeler’s aggressive offensive scheme, Temple is looking to surprise in the AAC this fall.