Temple University Athletics
OWLS ROUT SCARLET KNIGHTS FOR FIRST BIG EAST WIN, 30-5
10.13.01 | Football
Temple (2-3, 1-1 Big East) ended a three-game skid that started after a 45-26 win over Navy in the season opener. The Owls also posted a third-straight win over the Scarlet Knights, their nearest Big East Conference rival. Under first-year head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers (1-5, 0-4) remains winless in the Big East and has dropped five straight since opening with a 31-15 win at Buffalo on Aug. 30.
The Owls opened the scoring at the 9:42 mark of the first period, when junior placekicker Cap Poklemba connected on a 38-yard field goal to close out an eight-play scoring drive. Senior safety Lafton Thompson gave Temple possession its 41-yard line, when his jarring tackle separated Rutgers pass receiver Delri Fletcher from the ball and it was recovered by Owl cornerback Chonn Lacey. Poklemba booted his second field goal of the contest with 2:36 left in the period, converting from 32 yards out after a Temple drive stalled at the Rutgers 15.
Junior owlback Jairo Almonte and the Temple defense finally gave the Owls their first six-pointer of the day, when Almonte intercepted a Ryan Cubit pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown with 14:08 to play in the second quarter. Cubit, who was harried by the Owl defensive line throughout the game and threw three interceptions, was pressured time and again by junior tackle Dan Klecko and ends Raheem Brock and Akeiff Staples. Klecko finished with two sacks and four tackles for loss, while Brock and Staples each had one sack. Senior linebacker Taylor Suman, who returned to the Owl starting lineup after a three-game disciplinary suspension, led the Temple defense with 10 tackles, including seven unassisted stops.
The Owls got their running game in high gear later in the second period, when Sharps broke loose off left tackle and sprinted for 71 yards down the left sideline to set up the next score. Senior wide-receiver Greg Muckerson covered the final 13 yards of the four-play, 89-yard drive by catching McGann's pass at the six and diving into the end zone. Poklemba converted for a 20-0 lead and the Owls were firmly in control.
Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 56-yard drive that finally stalled at the Temple 20, from where Ryan Sands made good on a 38-yard field goal to make it 20-3. But Temple's Dante Coles returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Rutgers 45, from where McGann needed just one play --a perfect touchdown strike to wide receiver Sean Dillard down the middle-- to get the Owls on the board again. Poklemba's conversion gave the Owls a 27-3 lead at the half.
In the second half, both teams struggled to sustain offensive drives. Temple added a third Poklemba field goal --this one from 24-yards out at the 12:41 mark of the third period-- to close out the scoring at 30. A bad snap to Temple punter Jace Amore with 1:05 remaining led to Rutgers' final score, a safety attributed to the team.
Temple will continue its Big East Conference slate in a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Syracuse next Saturday. Rutgers will host Navy in its 2001 Homecoming game.
