Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Temple University
PHILADELPHIA – Senior Night is always special, but Saturday night was spectacular for the 22 seniors playing their final home game for Temple Football. These Owls helped their team post a dominating 27-3 win over visiting UConn at Lincoln Financial Field.
The win clinched the American Athletic Conference East Division title and secured the Owls (10-2, 7-1) a spot in the inaugural Conference Championship game at West Division winner Houston (10-2, 7-1). It was also the 10th win of the season, tying the overall school-record set by the 1979 Cherry and White squad.
The Owls’ defense held an opponent without a touchdown for the second-straight game. Led by senior All-America candidate Tyler Matakevich‘s 11 tackles, the Cherry and White limited the Huskies offense to a mere 138 yards and nine first downs. The Owls also had 11 tackles for loss with the front seven allowing just nine rushing yards.
Temple did not allow a first down on eight of UConn’s 11 drives. The Huskies did not get on the scoreboard until their final drive when they settled on a 45-yard field goal by Bobby Puyol rather then being dealt a shutout.
The Owls defense also forced two turnovers. Junior LB Jarred Alwanforced a second quarter fumble that was recovered by redshirt junior LBStephaun Marshall while sophomore DB Sean Chandler made his fourth interception of the season in the fourth quarter.
Offensively, junior Jahad Thomas scored the first and last touchdown for Temple, his 16th and 17th rushing TDs of the season. Junior QB P.J. Walker completed 19 of 29 passes for 160 yards, including a six-yard TD pass to redshirt junior WR Romond Deloatch.
Thomas’s first score came on Temple’s second drive. The junior running back made bursts of eight and 16 yards to start the Owl drive, which began at the UConn 49 due to a shanked Huskie punt. Deloatch then made a 16-yard reception to the UConn 9 before Thomas broke free for a nine-yard touchdown.
Walker then led Temple on an 11-play, 56-yard drive midway through the second quarter to setup a 20-yard field goal by sophomore Austin Jones to make it 10-0. Senior WR Brandon Shippen made three of his season-high four receptions in the drive.
Jones would add another field goal, this one from 37 yards out, on Temple’s first possession of the second half to make it 13-0. It was his 18th field goal (on 23 attempts) of the season, ranking third on Temple’s single-season list behind Don Bitterlich (21 of 31, 1975) and Bob Wright (19 of 25, 1990).
After holding UConn to a second straight three-and-out to start the half, Walker directed the Owls on a 63-yard drive, hitting Deloatch for his third TD reception of the season on just 12 catches.
Thomas then broke the game wide open with a 60-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to make it 27-0. The TD run moved him into sole possession of the number two spot on the single-season list for rushing touchdowns behind Bernard Pierce (27, 2011). Thomas also moved into seventh place on the single-season rushing yardage list and now has 1,188 yards on the season.
The Owls will now travel to West Division champion Houston this Saturday (Dec. 5). The game will kickoff at noon and be televised nationally by ABC.
