Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE TO HOST RUTGERS IN BATTLE FOR BIG EAST REGIONAL BRAGGING RIGHTS
10.20.03 | Football
Temple and Rutgers are meeting for the 33rd time in a series that dates back to 1948, with RU holding a 17-15 advantage. The Owls have won four straight meetings between the schools. TU's senior class will be looking to become the second straight to exit Owl Country having never lost to the Scarlet Knights.
Wallace heads into the game seeking his 100th career head coaching victory. Schiano visits the "City of Brotherly Love" in search of his first Big East Conference win.
Temple leads the league in three statistical categories. The Owls top the conference in opponent fourth down conversions, permitting only an 18.2 percentage, and kickoff coverage, allowing just 14.8 yards per return. Temple's 16 sacks ties for the Big East lead with Miami and Rutgers.
Temple is coming off a 52-14 loss to No. 2-ranked Miami before a crowd of 49,144 at the Orange Bowl last Saturday. The Hurricanes generated 601 total net yards and held the Owls' passing offense, which entered the game ranked first in the Big East, to 21 total yards. Temple junior RB Jamil Porter rushed for two first half TDs, including a 69-yard scoring jaunt, as the Owls entered the locker room at the midpoint facing a 24-14 deficit. After the break, Miami produced 28 unanswered points to win the game going away. UM gained 342 yards on the ground and had two players hit the century mark, as senior Jarrett Payton gained 115 yards on 16 carries, including two TDs, and freshman Tyrone Moss produced 135 yards and a score on 15 attempts.
Porter ranks 14th nationally in kickoff returns, averaging 26.79 yards per return. He is joined among Division I-A's best by sophomore LB Rian Wallace, who ranks tied for fifth in solo tackles (8.71 per game) and tied for 11th in total stops (12.14).
Rutgers is fresh from a 42-32 home loss to Pittsburgh last Saturday in a game which the Scarlet Knights trailed 42-7 at half time. RU Sophomore QB Ryan Hart posted his first 300-yard game, completing 27 of 52 passes for 384 yards and two TDs. Fellow sophomore Shawn Tucker was on the receiving end of nine passes en route to 186 yards. The Scarlet Knights produced 516 total yards of offense but were unable to stop Panthers sophomore WR Larry Fitzgerald, the nation's leading receiver, who had eight receptions for 207 yards and two TDs.
