TEMPLE VERSUS PITTSBURGH GAME NOTES

Temple (2-4, 1-2) and Pittsburgh (1-5, 0-3) meet Saturday at Veterans Stadium in a Big East Conference football match-up scheduled for a 12 noon start, the earliest kickoff for the Owls thus far this season. Both teams are coming off disappointing league road defeats last Saturday. Temple dropped a 45-3 decision to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. The Orangemen took the field wearing both orange pants and jerseys for the first time in 50 years and handed the Owls their worst loss this season. Pittsburgh suffered a 45-7 loss at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass. It was the Panthers fifth straight defeat and worst loss in the past five years.

Syracuse sophomore quarterback R.J. Anderson passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns and classmate Jamel Riddle amassed 177 all-purpose yards, to propel Syracuse to the convincing win, its sixth straight. The loss marked the Owls 16th consecutive defeat to the Orangemen. Once again, the Cherry & White lost the battle of field position, starting at its own 25-yard line while the home team averaged a starting spot of its own 41-yard line. Syracuse scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and led 21-0 at the 6:35 mark of the first quarter. Limited to 11 first downs, the Temple offense was held to a total of 185 yards, while Syracuse amassed 471. Freshman quarterback Mike McGann completed 11-of-22 passes for 111 yards and was intercepted once. Lester Trammer was the Owls' top rusher, netting 43 yards on 13 carries. Terrance Leftwich and Dan Klecko paced the Temple defense with eight tackles each. The Owls' only score came on a 42-yard Cap Poklemba field goal in the third quarter.

Temple ranks second in the Big East in rushing defense, allowing just 110.8 yards on the ground per game.

William Green ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns to lead Boston College past Pittsburgh. Brian St. Pierre, who finished 14 of 21 for 241 yards, threw three touchdown passes, all in the first half, as the Eagles opened a 35-7 lead. The loss matched Pittsburgh's most lopsided under head coach Walt Harris, now in his fifth season in the Steel City. The Panthers lost the 1998 season finale 52-14 to West Virginia. The Panthers took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead on Rod Rutherford's 1-yard run. But Pitt was held to 52 yards for the remainder of the half while Boston College piled up 307. Green had 109 yards and 17 of his 29 carries, and St. Pierre threw for 174 yards in the first half. Biletnikoff Award winner Antonio Bryant had three catches for 21 yards in the loss.

The first 2,500 fans ages 14 and under through the gates for Saturday's game receive replica Temple uniform t-shirts.

Temple University Athletics

TEMPLE VERSUS PITTSBURGH GAME NOTES

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