PHILADELPHIA -- Redshirt freshman L.V. Whitworth rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and 19-ranked Boston College kept Temple quarterback Walter Washington out of the end zone for the first time in four games as the Eagles (8-2, 4-1) downed the Owls, 34-17, at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday. Washington did complete 25-of-38 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns to become the first player in school history to reach the 3,000 total yard plateau while breaking the Big East record for total plays (554) in a season. Pittsburgh quarterback Rod Rutherford held the previous record of 549, set in 2002 and again in 2003.
Washington, the nation's leading scorer among QBs with 92 points, completes the season with the second-highest point total in school history behind former PK Don Bitterlich's 95-point output in 1975. Washington tied former RB Paul Palmer (1986) for most touchdowns in a season (15) by a Temple player last Saturday versus Syracuse. In addition, Washington was responsible for Temple's final 16 touchdowns and accounted for 25 of 29 scores overall. His 356 total yards (73 rushing, 283 passing) versus the Eagles moves him past Mike McGann (4,639) into fourth place in the Temple career record books with 4,940 total yards of offense.
Boston College, which can clinch the Big East championship and the automatic BCS bowl game berth with a win over Syracuse next Saturday, was efficient on offense and stingy on defense. The Eagles compiled 419 yards of total offense, 183 on the ground and 236 via the air, and did not turn the ball over. Starting quarterback Paul Peterson completed 12-of-15 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown before injuring his throwing hand during the second quarter. Redshirt-freshman Matthew Ryan, from nearby Exton, Pa. was effective as his replacement, completing his first four passes and putting 10 points on the board during his first two series. He finished 8-for-15 for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, BC kept Temple (2-9, 1-5) to its lowest point total since a six-point effort at Rutgers on October 16. Washington rushed for 73 yards on 21 attempts, but could not break a big run as he has in previous weeks. He did spread the ball around to eight different receivers, with seniors Phil Goodman (6-59) and Buchie Ibeh (4-88) each catching touchdown passes. The Owls fought gallantly to comeback from a 27-3 deficit in the third quarter and make the game interesting down the stretch.
"I thought Boston College played a very good game," head coach Bobby Wallace said. "I felt like they were containing Walter better than most teams."
Temple was unable to convert on its first possession, going three-and-out without gaining a yard. The Eagles' Will Blackmon fumbled the ensuing Jake Hendy punt, but recovered it on his own 30 yard-line. Unfortunately for TU, it would be one of the only muffs of the drive. Whitworth carried five times for 58 yards on the drive, including a 29-yard scamper that capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive that took less than three minutes to complete. Ryan Ohliger's PAT was good, giving the visitors an early 7-0 lead.
As it had during last week's win over Syracuse, the Owls controlled the ball on the next possession, driving 69 yards in over nine minutes and finished with a junior Ryan Lux field goal. Washington again carried a bulk of the load, rushing for 39 yards, including two first down rushes of 15 and 11 yards, respectively. The Cherry and White did have a first and goal from the BC 12 yard line, but was unable to find the end zone.
Lux's kickoff caromed out of bounds, giving the Eagles great field possession, but two drops by BC wide receivers forced a punt. The boot pinned Temple back on its own 11-yard line and the hosts couldn't advance past the 38 yard line. Freshman Andre Callender had a 21-yard run and Peterson completed all five of his passes on the drive to lead Boston College 76 yards on eight plays in just 2:46. Tight end Chris Miller caught the touchdown strike from Peterson, a three-yard toss that gave BC a 14-3 advantage.
The Owls couldn't get anything going offensively after advancing the ball to midfield on a Goodman eight-yard reception and Washington nine-yard run. The Eagles took over after the punt and drove 60 yards in three minutes and added an Ohliger field goal to go ahead 17-3 right before halftime. Peterson, who injured his right hand on a rush earlier in the drive and would not return, was replaced by Ryan. The rookie faced a third-and-18 on his first play from scrimmage and calmly completed an 11-yard pass to Miller that put BC into field goal position.
Temple compiled only 132 yards of total offense, as Boston College held Washington to 56 yards rushing and 40 yards passing (8-for-12). The Cherry and White did a tremendous job on Blackmon and special teams just a week after the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week burned nationally ranked West Virginia for a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown and 132 total return yards.
Ryan and Boston College came out of the gates quickly, completing three passes for 64 yards, including a 32-yard strike to Larry Lester to put BC on top 24-3. In his first two drives, Ryan was 4-for-4 for 75 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles got the ball back just one play later after Washington fumbled on his own 22 yard line. Ryan was not as successful, but two runs by Callender and a completion to Lester were enough to for Ohliger to boot his third field goal of the game, this one from 32 yards to give BC a 27-3 lead early in the third quarter.
After both teams failed to produce on their next possessions, Temple found the endzone for the first time all day to cut into the Boston College lead. The Owls drove 59 yards in two minutes and capped the series with a Washington to Ibeh 20-yard touchdown. The score was Ibeh's first of the season.
Temple again covered the kickoff well, tacking Blackmon at his own 12 yard line. The Owl defensive line was able to get significant pressure for the first time all afternoon and forced a three-and-out from deep in BC territory. After a short punt, TU took over on offense at the Eagles' 40 yard line. TU was unable to convert, despite having a first-and-10 from the BC 26 after a 15-yard reception by Ibeh. Three plays later, Lux lined up a 41-yard field goal that was blocked by Boston College's Tim Bulman, keeping the score at 27-10.
After three straight series that produced an only single first down between the two teams, Temple drove 94 yards on 10 plays, capped by a Goodman three-yard touchdown reception. Washington completed passes to all three of his receivers, Goodman, Ibeh and Ikey Chuku, on the drive and found Goodman for his team-leading fifth touchdown reception of the season to cut the BC lead to 27-17. The 10-point defecit, was short lived.
After a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was issued to Goodman for his touchdown celebration, the Owls kicked off from their own 20-yard line. The extra yardage helped Blackmon to return the kick 44 yards down to the Temple 39. Whitworth, who had been quiet since an explosive first half, scampered 39 yards past the TU defense to pay-dirt. It gave the Eagles a comfortable 34-17 cushion with 4:57 to go.
"I felt like we were making a good comeback there and then the unsportsmanlike penalty killed it," Wallace said. "You can not do things like that."
Temple put together a late drive to try to make things interesting, paced by a 40-yard Ibeh reception to start things off. The Owls progressed all the way down to the BC 11 yard line as Washington went 6-for-8 for 74 yards before throwing an interception that ended all hopes of a Temple comeback.
Temple Game at a Glance:
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Junior Walter Washington, the nation's leading scorer among QBs with 92 points, concludes the season with the second best point total in school history, behind former PK Don Bitterlich's 95-point output in 1975. Washington tied former RB Paul Palmer (1986) for most touchdowns in a season (15) by a Temple player last Saturday versus Syracuse.
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Washington generated 356 total yards (73 rushing, 283 passing) to move past Mike McGann (4,639) into fourth place in the Temple career record books with 4,940 total yards of offense.
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Washington's 11-yard TD pass to Phil Goodman in the fourth quarter reduced the deficit to 27-17 (after PAT) and marked the 16th consecutive Temple touchdown that Washington was responsible for.
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Washington concludes the season with 3,096 total yards, besting the previous Temple record for total yards in a season by Henry Burris (2,577; 1994) by 519 yards.
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Washington concludes the season with a Temple and Big East record 554 total plays. He broke the Big East record held by Pittsburgh QB Rod Rutherford, who had 549 plays in both 2002 and 2003. Henry Burris had held the previous Temple record for total plays with 469 during the 1994 campaign.
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Washington concludes the season with 889 rushing yards, smashing the Big East record for rushing yards by a QB in a season, set by WVU's Rasheeed Marshall with 666 yards in 2002.
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Junior LB Rian "Goo" Wallace made 10 tackles (3 solo) to give him 325 total stops for his career to rank eighth on the Temple career tackles list behind former LB Mike Curcio (7th, 1976-79, 332).
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Boston College entered today's game ranked second nationally in kickoff returns (28.57) and 22nd in punt returns (13.26). The Eagles returned 3 kickoffs for 59 yards (19.67 avg.) and 4 punts for 7 yards (1.75 avg.).
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Senior LB Troy Bennett concluded his Temple career by playing in his 46th consecutive game and making his 23rd straight start. Bennett played in every possible contest the past four seasons. Prior to the game, Temple extended its thanks to 18 departing seniors that played in a combined 368 career games in Cherry & White.
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Temple's first quarter scoring drive of 16 plays, 69 yards, that resulted in a 31-yard Ryan Lux field goal, consumed nine minutes, 21 seconds, making the longest drive in terms of time of possession for the Owls this season.
