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Late Field Goal Lifts Owls by RedHawks |
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Written by Mike Smith
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PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Brandon McManus booted a 19-yard field goal with :03 seconds left as Temple dodged an upset bid by Miami with a 34-32 victory Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.
McManus got the chance to kick the game winner thanks to the work of freshman sensation Bernard Pierce and a big 31-yard pass from quarterback Chester Stewart to Joe Jones.
Down one point at 32-31 with 2:36 remaining on the game clock, Temple almost never got the chance to start its game winning drive.Seth Phillip's kickoff was fumbled by Joseph Alex. But after sorting out the pile of players scrambling for possession, officials awarded the ball to Temple.
Pierce started the drive with an 18-yard burst on one of his 40 carries that netted 172 yards on the evening. After getting Miami's attention focused on the freshman running back, Temple went to the air on the next play. Stewart's 31-yard completion to Jones at the Miami 15 put the Owls in field goal range. Two more Pierce rushes gave Temple a first down at the Miami two, but the RedHawks stopped him at the one-yard line with six seconds left to force McManus field goal attempt.
"This is a 60 minute game ... and we just didn't finish it out," Miami head coach Mike Haywood said.
McMannus' kick allowed Temple to register its seventh straight win and raise its overall record to 7-2. At least equally important, the victory also kept the first place Owls' MAC record unblemished at 5-0.
Miami, which won its first game of 2009 Saturday against Toledo, continued to demonstrate the improvement which has made it a dangerous team down the stretch.
Once again leading the way for the RedHawks was quarterback Zac Dysert. The redshirt freshman not only established yet another career high, his 426 passing yards against Temple is the fourth-best single game yardage by any Miami quarterback. Former RedHawk and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger owns the top three spots.
Dysert, who completed 31 of 51 passes, tossed three touchdown passes and threw one interception against Temple. Two of his three TDs came during a furious fourth quarter rally that wiped out Temple's 31-13 lead.
Dysert hit tight end Steve Marck on a 25-yard TD strike at 13:52 and followed that with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Armand Robinson at 8:52.
Robinson, one of nine RedHawks to catch at least one pass, had 10 catches for 118 yards and two TDs to pace Miami receivers.
"I think the wide receivers on the whole played really well today, (and) I think the offensive line did a sufficient job of blocking - good enough for us to win," Haywood said. "Danny Green stepped in here and did some nice things for us in protection and also running ... and catching the football."
The RedHawks final touchdown came on a two-yard Thomas Merriweather run. The RedHawks, as they had done following Robinson's TD, went for two points on the PAT but failed to convert on either attempt.
Temple looked at though it might blow out the RedHawks early in the game. Pierce scored on two touchdown runs and Vaughn Charlton turned a fake field goal attempt into a one-yard TD run as the hosts built up a 21-3 lead.
Miami rebounded with 10 straight points before intermission, but Temple got another Pierce touchdown and a McManus field goal for the only scores of the third quarter.
Stewart, getting his first start of the season, completed 6 of 11 for 143 yards with no TDs and no interceptions.
NOTES:
-Temple's continues its stretch run against MAC East teams when it travels to Akron Nov. 13.
- Miami return to Yager Stadium for its last two games. Next up is Bowling Green Nov. 12.
- Temple's last winning season was in 1990 (7-4)
- Both teams were perfect on fourth down conversions: Miami went 3 for 3, while Temple was 2 for 2.
- Miami had six penalties for 60 yards. Temple was flagged just twice for a total of 20 yards.
- Pierce tied his season high of carries in a game (40). The freshman was bidding for a third straight 200-yard performance, but fell short with 172 yards.
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