Temple University Athletics
Temple University
*Connecticut
Temple Downs UConn, 17-14 in Overtime
10.13.12 | Football
Boxscore
PHOTO GALLERY
POSTGAME NOTES
POSTGAME QUOTES
VIDEO (to come)
Addazio
McManus
Matakevich
Coyer
Harris
EAST HARTFORD, CT -Sophomore WR Jalen Fitzpatrick hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining to tie the game and senior PK Brandon McManus' 29-yard field goal in overtime propelled Temple to a 17-14 win Saturday afternoon at Rentschler Field. Temple improves to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the BIG EAST Conference. UConn falls to 3-4, 0-2.
"There's a lot of fight and a lot of will on 10th and Diamond," said Temple head coach Steve Addazio. "This team has got that fight in them that will in them, they got that stuff that's a great foundation for the building of a program. It wasn't pretty, in fact at times it was downright ugly, but the moral of the story here is we found a way to win."
Fitzpatrick and McManus were two of a plethora of stars for the Owls, who won consecutive BIG EAST games for the first time in program history.
Senior RB Montel Harris, who has the most active 100-yard games among all Division I players, reached the milestone for the second straight week and 24th time in his brilliant career. He carried the ball 30 times for a game-high 142 yards while scoring Temple's first touchdown on a 24-yard run in the closing minutes of the first half.
Then there was junior WR Deon Miller. He not only made an acrobatic grab on a third-and-13 play for a 33 yard gain to set up the tying TD, but also recovered a blocked a field goal by Levi Brown minutes before that kept the Huskies from putting the game out of reach. It marked the second straight game the Owls blocked a fourth quarter field goal to help facilitate a victory.
Last, but certainly not least, was freshman LB Tyler Matakevich, who seemed to be everywhere on the field in posting a game-high 19 tackles. It marked his second straight double-digit tackle game, as he posted 15 against USF last week.
What made the win so incredible was how the contest started. UConn jumped all over Temple, scoring two first quarter touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead. The Huskies amassed 192 yards of total offense while its highly-touted defense limited the Owls to a mere 11 yards. UConn QB Chandler Whitmer was 8-10 for 159 yards and two TDs, as he methodically directed the Huskie attack.
The Huskies also missed a 36-yard field goal attempt, one of four costly misses on the day by Chad Christen.
It looked like the homecoming for Addazio, a native of Farmington, CT, was not going to be a pleasant one.
Then the Owls started to find their legs offensively, while the defense started to put pressure on Whitmer.
Temple, which had just eight total yards on its first four possessions, used Harris' strong legs on its fifth drive. Starting at their own 20, Owls' QB Chris Coyer (13-26-1, 126 yds) connected with redshirt freshman Jason Christopher for a 13-yard first down. Harris, who had been held to 10 yards on his first six carries, broke off a 33-yard run to the UConn 32. Two plays later Harris broke free again, this time finding paydirt, to cut the deficit to 14-7.
After the Owls defense forced a three-and-out, the offense again moved the ball effectively. Coyer, who had 51 rushing yards, broked off a 20-yard run to the Huskie 38. He then connected with C.J. Hammond on a first down catch. With the ball inside the 30 and time winding down in the half Harris was stripped of the ball to end the drive and the quarter with the score 14-7.
Neither team was able to threaten in what proved to be a defensive battle in the third quarter.
The Huskies moved the ball downfield to start the fourth, but Temple's defense forced UConn to attempt a field goal with Christen missing wide right from 42.
After another three-and-out possession for the Cherry and White, Temple senior DE Marcus Green sacked Whitmer forcing a fumble that was recovered by redshirt freshman Brandon Chudnoff at the UConn 33.
Rushes by Coyer (4 yds) and Harris (5 yds) gave the Owls a 3rd and one at the 24. UConn then held on consecutive runs up the middle by Harris, as Temple turned the ball over on downs.
Temple quickly forced a punt, but the Owls drive stalled again, this time at the UConn 39. It ended in the same fashion too with Harris be stymied on consecutive runs while needing one yard for a first down.
A 20-yard rush by Max DeLorenzo put UConn in field goal position, but again Christen could not convert, this time though it was Miller deflecting it with his fingertips to thwart the 44 yard attempt.
With just under three minutes remaining, Coyer engineered a 12-play, 72-yard drive. Ironically four plays into the drive it was Harris taking the ball on a fourth-and-one and rushing three yards for the first down. After an offensive pass interference call put Temple in a second-and-25 situation, Coyer broke off an 18 yard run. Two plays later he then hit Harris on a key fourth-and-seven conversion to the UConn 44. Then, following a penalty and a sack, Coyer hit Miller on the big third down play to the Huskie 15, and then found Fitpatrick in the end zone to tie the game.
The Owls allowed one first down on the Huskies overtime possession before forcing a Christen field goal attempt. The UConn placekicker, who entered the game converting seven of 10 field goal attempts, again missed wide right.
Following a Harris 10-yard gain, the Owls went to McManus, arguably one of the best in the nation, on third down for a 29-yard attempt. The senior kicker connected on his eighth (10 tries) of the season to lift the team to victory.
Temple next hosts nationally-ranked and unbeaten Rutgers (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is set for noon with the game being televised on the BIG EAST Network (6ABC) and broadcast on 1210 AM WPHT.
