Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE QB WALTER WASHINGTON NAMED BIG EAST CONFERENCE CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
11.15.04 | Football
PHILADELPHIA -- Temple junior quarterback Walter Washington, the nation's leading scorer among Division I-A signal-callers with 92 points and a 9.20 points-per-game average, has been named the Big East Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week with Pittsburgh junior quarterback Tyler Palko.
Washington tied the Temple record for TDs in a season with 15 after carrying into the end zone three times en route to 185 rushing yards in the Owls' 34-24 win over Syracuse on Saturday that snapped a six game losing streak and a string of 12 consecutive Big East losses. The Daytona Beach, Fla. native is tied in the Temple annals with former RB Paul Palmer, who had 15 TDs in 1986.
Washington, who is responsible for the last 14 Temple TDs, accounted for four scores versus the Orange, including a 24-yard TD toss. His 315 total yards Saturday gives him 2,740 total yards this year (816 rushing; 1,924 passing), breaking the Temple record for total yards in a season (2,577), set by QB Henry Burris in 1994.
Washington's 816 rushing yards also breaks the Big East record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a season, previously held by West Virginia's Rasheed Marshall with 666 rushing yards in 2002.
Washington, the only Temple signal-caller in school history to rush for over 100 yards in a game, carried 29 times for 185 yards (6.4 avg.) against Syracuse to mark his fifth career 100-yard rushing game and third this season. It also marked his highest career output on the ground, breaking his previous high of 151 versus Virginia Tech in 2003 and ranking second in the conference annals behind Michael Vick's 210 rushing yards against Boston College in 2000. His 315 total yards marked his seventh career game with over 300 total yards and fifth this season. Washington completed 10 of 19 passes for 130 yards versus Syracuse without an interception and engineered two touchdown drives of 80 yards, as well scoring drives of 71 (TD), 58 (FG), 52 (TD) and 15 (FG) yards.
Washington ranks first in the Big East and 11th nationally in scoring (9.20), first in the conference and 14th nationally in points responsibility (14.00) and third in the Big East and 15th nationally in total offense (274.0).
Washington has a Temple-record 495 total plays to his credit this season, which ranks third in the Big East record books behind former Pittsburgh QB Rod Rutherford, who posted 549 total plays in both 2002 and 2003. Washington already holds Big East records for rushing TDs in a season by a quarterback (15, current), total offensive plays in a game (69, at WVU, 2003) and most rushes by a QB in a game (36, at WVU, 2003).
Temple returns to the gridiron for its 2004 season finale versus Boston College at 12 noon this Saturday (Nov. 20) at Lincoln Financial Field. The game is being produced by ESPN Plus+ and will be televised in the Philadelphia market on WB 17.
