| Owls score 16 unanswered points to claim win over UConn |
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - Adrian Robinson Jr.'s 24-yard fumble return for a touchdown gave Temple the lead and the Owls added 10 more fourth quarter points to claim a 30-16 victory over Connecticut at Lincoln Financial Field.
Running back Bernard Pierce provided six of those insurance points on a two-yard run with 5:54 remaining in the contest. He also carried on all seven plays of a 64-yard drive setting up Brandon McManus' 32-yard field goal to close the game's scoring.
"Bernard started to take over, and I was reluctant to take him out," Temple Head Coach Al Golden said. "It turned into an in between the tackles game. I'm real proud of him. He took a couple of hits, and I'm real proud of the way he performed."
Pierce finished with 169 yards on 26 carries (6.5 ypc) and two touchdowns.
Still, Temple showed overall balance in its offense. In addition to 194 yards rushing, the Owls picked up 162 yards and a TD through the air.
Connecticut, meanwhile, had 390 yards of offense, with 240 coming through the ground game.
Each team had just one turnover, but Robinson's fumble recovery proved pivotal.
Connecticut, a Big East Conference member, opened scoring with a 36-yard Dave Teggart field goal for the only score of the first stanza.
Temple registered the game's first TD at 12:24 of the second quarter when quarterback Chester Stewart hit Pierce with a 27-yard TD strike.
Another Teggart field goal (from 26 yards) closed the gap to 7-6, Temple, two seconds before intermission, and the visitors took their first lead of the game on the second play of the third quarter. Jordan Todman did the legwork with a 59-yard run to paydirt. It was the Huskies only TD of the day.
Temple regained the upper hand following a one-yard Pierce run and PAT at 5:21, but the visitors went up 16-14 with Teggart's 47-yard boot at :51 of the third quarter.
"It was a physical game," Golden said. "Connecticut is a good team; they never beat themselves. It's so hard to get a turnover from them. They ran the ball probably better than anybody had on us (this year)."
Temple will get another stiff test Saturday when it puts its perfect (3-0) record on the line at No. 23 Penn State. Game time is 3:30 p.m. ET.
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