Temple University Athletics
FOOTBALL: OWLS TAKE FLIGHT FOR THE BLUEGRASS STATE SEEKING FIRST WIN OF SEASON
9.22.03 | Football
The game marks the fourth meeting between the schools in a series that dates back to 1980, with the Owls holding a 3-0 advantage. Bruce Arians-led Temple defated the Bob Weber-directed Cardinals 24-7 at Veterans Stadium in 1983 in the most recent game between the teams.
Temple ranks 20th nationally with 291.3 passing yards per game as QB Mike McGann currently places 24th individually with 260.3 yards of total offense per contest. WR Zamir Cobb is 24th nationally in receiving, averaging 112.0 yards per game. Cobb is also second in the league and tied for ninth in the country in receptions per game, averaging 7.7 grabs per contest. OS Lawrence Wade is also ranked among the nation's stat leaders. Wade is tied for 29th in Div. I-A in kickoff returns with a 25.75 avg.
Temple is coming off its second consecutive overtime loss after having entered the 2003 campaign having never played an overtime contest. The Owls lost at Cincinnati, 30-24, last Saturday in triple overtime after having dropped a 23-20 decision to Villanova at home on Sept. 6 in double OT. For the first time in school history, TU had three 100-plus yard receivers, as Zamir Cobb (9-120-1TD), Phil Goodman (8-129) and Terrence Stubbs (6-123) all eclipsed the century mark against the Bearcats. It marked the first time in Big East history that three receivers accumulated 100 yards in the same game. Cobb and Goodman also became just the second receiving duo (Van Johnson and Marc Baxter, 1994) in Temple's annals to exceed 100 yards in consecutive games. McGann passed for 338 yards, fourth most in school history, as the Owls accumulated 522 total yards, their best offensive output since generating 544 yards against UConn in 2001. Unfortunately, a run is what decided the game. Richard Hall entered the end zone for the third time with a 25-yard scamper to ensure a UC win in a game that lasted 3 hours and 56 minutes before an evening crowd of 30,405 at Nippert Stadium.
Lousiville is coming off a 42-14 win at home over Texas-El Paso last Saturday. The Cardinals scored 42 consecutive points to secure the win after the Miners opened with a 7-0 lead. Louisville generated 437 total yards as nine players had rushes and nine made receptions.
