Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE FOOTBALL: OWLS PREPARE FOR THE PANTHERS
11.4.02 | Football
Temple is coming off a disappointing 46-20 loss to West Virginia at Veterans Stadium last Saturday. The Owls committed five turnovers, three leading to 21 WVU points. The Mountaineers scored on five of their first seven possessions and held a 40-0 lead in the third quarter before Temple sophomore quarterback Mike McGann threw a career-high three touchdown passes in the second half to diminish the gap. The TU offense struggled into the third quarter. The Owls' first 11 offensive possessions provided five three-and-outs, four turnovers and a safety. Defensively, the Owls limited an explosive WVU rushing attack. Avon Cobourne was held under 100 yards, gaining 94, and had a season-low 3.2 yard-per-carry average. On the flip side, the Temple rushing attack failed to establish itself, gaining only 52 yards on 24 attempts.
Senior running back Tanardo Sharps gained 30 yards on 17 carries versus the Mountaineers to bring his totals to 945 rushing yards on the season and 2,938 for his career, second all-time at Temple. Sharps needs 55 yards against the Panthers to become the second Owl to have multiple 1,000-yard seasons. All-time leading rusher and current TU sideline reporter Paul Palmer (4,895 career rushing yards) gained 1,986 yards in 1986 and 1,516 in 1985.
Pittsburgh, ranked 22nd in the Associated Press and 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today polls is coming off perhaps the biggest victory of the Walt Harris era, a 28-21 upset of then No. 3 Virginia Tech on national television in Blacksburg, Va. The Panthers overcame two 14-point deficits and gained 275 yards rushing against the top ranked rushing defense in the country. True freshman wideout Larry Fitzgerald had touchdown catches of 31, 14 and 10 yards to finish with five receptions for 105 yards. Tailback Brandon Miree, who gained a career-high 161 yards rushing, ran off-tackle on a first down play for a 53-yard touchdown with 4:11 left in the fourth quarter to give UP its first victory over a top three team since a 1982 win over No. 2 Georgia in the 1982 Sugar Bowl.
Pittsburgh has lost two games this season to nationally-ranked teams (No. 20 Texas A&M, 14-12; No. 8 Notre Dame, 14-6) by a combined 10 points. The Panthers have won 13 of their last 15 games and are 7-2 for the first time since 1983.
