#21/22 Football Falls to #9/9 Notre Dame, 24-20

Saturday, October 31

Lincoln Financial Field

8:00 p.m.

Temple University

7-1 , 4-0

Notre Dame

7-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Notre Dame

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

#21/22 Football Falls to #9/9 Notre Dame, 24-20

10.31.15 | Football

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - In a game that was billed by many as Rocky vs. Rudy, #21/22 Temple Football performed much like the fictional Philly boxer, going the distance against #9/9 Notre Dame. As in the movie, it was not enough, as the Irish used a late fourth quarter touchdown to overcome the Owls, 24-20, in front of a record home crowd of 69,280 Saturday Night at Lincoln Financial Field.

Temple (7-1), which saw its record seven-game win streak to start a season end, proved it belonged on this national stage against a perennial college football power. The Owls went toe-to-toe with the Irish (7-1) in the primetime telecast on ABC.

Senior All-America candidate LB Tyler Matakevich, the nation's active leader in tackles, led all defenders with 13 stops. He passed Lance Johnstone (420, 1992-95) to become the school's #2 tackle leader with 433 for his career. He also increased his team and conference lead with his fifth interception of the season.

Junior QB P.J. Walker (13-30-1, 188 yards) and junior RB Jahad Thomas (21 rushes, 82 yards, 1 TD) also played well under the bright lights, as did redshirt-freshman WR Ventell Bryant, who led the Owls with six catches for 91 yards.

The game started off uncharacteristically for Temple, as the Irish took the opening kickoff 74 yards on 12 plays with redshirt freshman QB DeShone Kizer rushing in from four yards out to give Notre Dame an early 7-0 lead. It was the first score that Temple's vaunted defense has allowed on an opening drive this season.

Temple answered on its second possession of the game. After holding the Irish to a three-and-out, Temple used good field position, starting at its own 42, to drive the ball to the ND 24. Consecutive first down completions by Walker, first to Bryant for 14 yards, and then to Robby Anderson for 22, helped to set up a season-long 41-yard field goal by sophomore Austin Jones, making the score, 7-3.

The Irish looked on the verge of scoring early in the second quarter as Kizer moved the ball into the red zone. Redshirt junior DL Hassan Reddick then put pressure on the Notre Dame quarterback, forcing an errant pass that was picked off by redshirt junior DL Praise Martin-Oguike at the Temple six.

Walker and the Temple offense then capitalized, marching down the field on an eight-play, 94 yard drive. Thomas showed the college football world his breakout speed, rushing 39 yards to midfield. Walker then connected with Bryant for another big play, 26 yards, to the Notre Dame 24. A pass interference call on a third-and-10 play gave the Owls a first down at the Irish nine. Three plays later, Walker found Brandon Shippen over the middle, and the senior wide receiver hauled it in for the score to give the Cherry and White a 10-7 advantage.

Notre Dame then showed why it owns its lofty ranking. Following two short completions, Kizer faked a hand-off up the middle and took the ball around right end and down the sidelines untouched for a 79-yard touchdown run to put the Irish back on top 14-10. After stopping Temple on its next possession, Kizer again took the Irish on a long drive. With a third and 10 at the TU 11, Matakevich made a big interception after senior DB Tavon Young broke up a pass to end the drive and allow the Owls to go into the locker room trailing by just four points.

Notre Dame picked up right where it left off in the second half. Following a Temple three-and-out to start the quarter, the Irish marched 80 yards on 15 plays moving the ball to first and goal at the Owls three. Temple's defense then put the clamps on the drive, as Notre Dame eventually settled on a 23-yard field goal by Justin Yoon to make it 17-10.

Temple finally got its offense back on track with its third drive of the quarter. Led by 27 rushing yards by Thomas and a huge Walker to Anderson 31-yard pass play, the Owls had the ball first-and-goal at the ND seven. A personal foul for targeting on a third down play gave Temple the ball at the four. The Owls finally were able to tie the game following a fourth-and-one play when Walker pitched to Thomas who busted into the end zone for his 13th rushing touchdown of the season (15th overall).

With momentum clearly in the Owls' favor, the defense forced a Notre Dame punt on the ensuing possession, giving Temple the ball at its own 39 with 8:33 remaining. Walker rushed 21 yards on the first play to move the ball into Notre Dame territory. Thomas and freshman RB Ryquell Armstead combined to rush for another first down and then Walker hit Bryant for an 11-yard gain to the Irish 19. The drive stalled there, with Jones coming on to nail a 36-yard field goal and give Temple a 20-17 lead with 4:45 to play.

Kizer then proved why he has become one of the top signal callers in the nation. He took just six plays to move his team 75 yards with the big play a 45-yard pass to Alize Jones that gave ND a first down at the Temple 17. Two plays later, he found Will Fuller in the back of the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown to give Notre Dame the lead, 24-20.

With 2:02 remaining, the Owls still had time. Walker scrambled 15 yards on the first play to the Temple 39. Three plays later, on a third-and-17, he tossed just his fourth interception of the season, but this one ended the Owls chance of upsetting the ninth-ranked Irish.

Temple returns to American Athletic Conference play for a nationally-televised (ESPN) contest at SMU on Friday, November 6 (8:00 p.m. ET).

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