Temple Remains Undefeated Headed into Game With Notre Dame

Report From Temple University

GREENVILLE, N.C. –  Redshirt senior WR Robby Anderson and junior RBJahad Thomas scored late fourth quarter touchdowns to lift #22/24 Temple to a 24-14 come-from-behind win at East Carolina Thursday night at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The win moves Temple to 7-0, the best start in program history, and 4-0 in American Athletic Conference play.

Junior QB P.J. Walker was stellar down the stretch, connecting on 19-of-35 for 250 yards and one touchdown on the day. It was his 51-yard pass play to Anderson that set-up the Owls’ go-ahead touchdown. Anderson had a season-best eight catches for 126 yards with his one touchdown, a 23-yard reception, with 3:31 to play to give the Cherry and White a 17-14 lead.

Junior DL Sharif Finch blocked two punts on the day, the second coming on East Carolina’s ensuing possession to help seal the win.  Redshirt freshman WR Ventell Bryant fell on the live ball at the ECU 15, which set up Thomas’ second touchdown of the game, a 14-yard run, making it 24-14.

All-America candidate Tyler Matakevich, the team’s defensive leader, tied his season-high with 13 tackles while also making his team-leading fourth interception. The senior linebacker helped hold the Pirates scoreless throughout the second half and now has 420 tackles for his career.

The Owls now have a two-game lead over East Carolina (4-4, 2-2 American) in the conference’s East Division. Temple also snapped ECU’s streak of 26-straight games that the Pirates had won when leading at halftime.

After a sluggish opening quarter with the only points coming on a 28-yard Austin Jones field goal, both offenses opened things up in the second quarter.

The Pirates took their first lead on their first drive of the second quarter. Marching 80 yards on 14 plays in its second longest scoring drive of the season, ECU converted a huge fourth and eight play with Blake Kemp (31-48, 272 yds, 1 TD) connecting with Trevon Brown to the Temple 19. Two plays later, Kemp found Isaiah Jones cutting over the middle for a 14-yard completion to the one yard-line. Chris Hairston then plowed it in for a touchdown to give the Pirates a 7-3 advantage.

The Owls answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive on their next possession. Two big pass plays, Walker to sophomore WR Adonis Jennings (20 yds) and Bryant (22 yds) moved the ball into ECU territory. Then a fourth-and-two first down run by Thomas kept the drive alive. Thomas completed the drive with a two-yard TD run to give Temple the lead back at 10-7.

East Carolina was not done. On the ensuing possession, the Pirates quickly moved 75 yards on 13 plays to retake the lead, 14-10,  right before halftime.  Another fourth down completion aided the Pirates, this time Kemp hit Bryce Williams for a 21-yard gain to the Temple 16. Following an incomplete pass, Kemp connected with Jones for nine yards and then Quay Johnson across the middle for a seven-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left.

The third quarter, normally the most productive for the Owls, was scoreless for both high-powered offenses. Temple was able to amass just 28 yards offensively. The Owls were set up with good field position after Matakevich picked off Kemp and returned it 26 yards to the ECU 27, but penalties, which plagued the Owls all evening, halted that threat.

Temple’s defense turned up the heat in the fourth quarter. On the Pirates’ first possession of the frame, Owls’ redshirt junior LBStephaun Marshall forced a fumble that was recovered by sophomore DL Jacob Martin at the Temple 45. That set up a Jones field goal attempt from 37 yards out. However, the normally reliable kicker missed the 37-yard FG attempt, his second of the game, after earlier falling short on a 52-yard kick in second quarter.

Finch then partially blocked a punt on the Pirates next drive, but the ball took a favorable bounce for the home team, putting it at the ECU 25 with just under six minutes on the clock.

Trailing by three, Walker engineered a crucial seven-play, 71-yard drive which included the 51-yard strike to Anderson, coming on a second and 24 play. Then he hit his favorite target for the go-ahead touchdown, a 23-yarder over the middle.

It took only 73 seconds for the Owls to score again. After the defense again forced a three-and-out, Finch blocked another punt with Bryant coming up with the ball at the 15. Two plays later, both Thomas rushes, the stellar running back found the end zone to seal the victory.

The Owls next host #11/10 Notre Dame (6-1) on Halloween Night (8:00 p.m.) on ABC’s Saturday Night Football game.