PHILADELPHIA - Under the direction of seventh-year head coach Bobby Wallace Temple concluded its 2004 campaign with a 2-9 mark, including a 1-5 league record in its final season as a member of the Big East Conference. The Owls played a schedule that ranked as the ninth toughest in Division I-A according to the NCAA, based upon the 57-38 (.600) cumulative record of Temple's 2004 opponents. Six of the 11 opponents were nationally-ranked at some point during the season and 10 were at least in the "receiving votes" category. Eight opponents will conclude their 2004 campaigns by playing in bowl games.
The Owls led the Big East in fewest penalties (47.7 avg.) and in fourth down conversions (15-24; 62.5 pct.), while placing second in the league in time of possession (31:09 avg.). Temple ranked third in the Big East and 38th nationally in rushing offense, generating 173.0 yards on the ground per game. The Owls also passed for 2,428 yards, the fourth-most in program history, en route to 4,331 total yards (393.7 avg.) to finish the regular season 40th in total offense among I-A schools.
Wallace, who earned his 100th career head coaching victory during the season, and his staff had to make numerous adjustments to account for an abundance of student-athletes lost or injured. Eight players, including five starters, from the team's preseason depth chart in the 2004 media guide were unavailable for the entire season due to injury, personal, or academic reasons. In addition, 11 players from the team's spring depth chart were out for the season, while three others were limited to playing time in just one contest. Fifteen players that earned starts during the 2004 campaign also missed playing time due to injury.
Despite a multitude of adversity, Temple gave its fans reason to cheer. Many of those cheers were in response to performances turned-in by quarterback Walter Washington. The junior was the top scorer among Division I-A quarterbacks with 92 points (8.36 avg.) and led the nation in rushing touchdowns by a signal-caller with 15, setting the Big East record for a quarterback and tying the Temple mark for total scores in a season (Paul Palmer; 1986).
Washington led the Big East with 3,096 total yards (281.5 avg.), to become Temple's first 3,000-yard player. He bettered the school's previous mark for total offense (2,577) set by Henry Burris in 1994 by 519 yards. He set a Big East and Temple record for yards rushing by a quarterback in a season with 889 net yards (1,104 total) and was responsible for the Owls' final 16 touchdowns, while accounting for 25 of 29 (86%) overall. Washington led the Big East and ranked 11th nationally in total offense (281.5), 20th in point responsibility (13.82) and 21st in scoring. He set the Big East and Temple record for total plays with 554. His 2,207 passing yards ranks second and 889 rushing yards is 10th in Temple's single season annals.
Washington, who received the Owl Award as Temple's Most Valuable Player in voting conducted among his teammates, was named to the All-Big East Conference Second Team in a vote by the league's head coaches. He was joined on the all-conference squad by fellow juniors Rian "Goo" Wallace and Mike Mendenhall, who earned first and second team honors, respectively. Wallace, a repeat selection after earning second team honors in 2003, became the fourth Temple player since 1991 to earn multiple citations on the All-Big East squad, joining former DT Dan Klecko, LB Lance Johnstone and OT Tre Johnson. The linebacker made 101 total tackles (10.1 avg.) to rank second in the Big East and 21st nationally in stops. Mendenhall started all 11 games at rush defensive end, making 41 tackles (18 solo), including nine tackles for 32 yards in losses and 3.5 sacks for 22 yards.
Senior linebacker Troy Bennett captured team Defensive MVP honors while senior center C.J. Blomvall earned the "Top Hog" Award as the team's top offensive lineman. Bennett ranked sixth in the Big East in total tackles (8.6 avg.) while Blomvall did not give up a sack the entire season while playing every snap, a total of 806 plays. He averaged 4.0 pancake blocks per game.
Temple opened the season with a 44-14 loss to No. 16-ranked Virginia at Lincoln Financial Field in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2. The Cavaliers compiled 504 total yards while the Owls hurt themselves in the early going, fumbling on each of their first two possessions. Temple was not called for a single penalty, marking the first time since 1988 (East Carolina) that the Owls were not whistled for a foul. Eighteen Temple players competed in their first collegiate I-A game, including four starters.
A week later, Temple played its second straight nationally-ranked ACC opponent, meeting No. 21 Maryland in an evening contest at College Park. The Terps scored on their first four possessions to open-up a 28-0 lead en route to a 45-22 victory. Temple was flagged for its first penalty with 1:09 remaining in the first half. The Owls played the season's first 88 minutes and 51 seconds penalty-free. Bennett made a career-high 16 tackles and returned a fumble 18 yards to set-up Temple's first scoring drive.
On September 18, Temple earned its first victory at Lincoln Financial Field and Wallace earned his 100th head coaching victory as the Owls defeated Florida A&M 38-7. Washington compiled 341 yards of total offense and three touchdowns while junior running back Umar Ferguson rushed for a career-high 118 yards and two scores on a rainy, windswept afternoon.
Temple was unable to find success in the following weeks against two Mid-American Conference opponents, Toledo and Bowling Green State. At Toledo, Rocket quarterback Bruce Gradkowski threw for two scores and rushed for another in leading his team to a 45-17 win at the Glass Bowl. Toledo concluded its regular season with nine wins and the MAC tile. A week later, Temple was unable to slow down a potent Bowling Green State offense in a 70-16 loss to the Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field on October 2. BGSU controlled the game and imposed its will on offense, compiling 639 total yards. For the Owls, it was the most points allowed in a game since a 76-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, 1977 and the worst loss since a 55-0 defeat at the hands of Miami (Fla.) on December 4, 1999.
Temple rebounded against Pittsburgh, a team that would share the Big East title and gain a berth in the Fiesta Bowl against Utah. The Owls held a 16-3 halftime lead and were poised to take a 23-3 advantage but were stopped at the one yard line late in the third quarter. Twice Temple lined up at the Pitt one yard-line and both times the Panther defense made the stop. The loss spoiled a career day for Washington, who set career marks for completions (30), attempts (44), yards passing (314), TD passes (3) and total offense (396).
The Temple defense did its job at Rutgers on October 16, forcing five turnovers and keeping the hosts out of the end zone until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. It was not enough, however, as the Owls turned the ball over four times and failed to find the end zone in a 16-6 loss to the host Scarlet Knights. Temple made four interceptions, its most since making four aerial thefts in a 29-10 victory in the 1990 season finale at Boston College.
Three big first quarter scoring plays provided Connecticut with a 21-0 lead and the Huskies never looked back in posting a 45-31 win over visiting Temple on October 23. Washington again carried the bulk of the load for the Owls. He was involved in all four of Temple's touchdowns, rushing for two and passing for two others. He compiled 360 total yards of offense, 84 yards rushing on 20 carries while completing 21-of-44 passes for 276 yards.
After a bye week, Temple traveled to Morgantown to meet No. 12-ranked West Virginia. Washington, battling a sore right throwing shoulder and a case of tonsillitis, generated 323 total yards but it was not enough as Temple fell 42-21. He carried for a pair of touchdowns and passed for another score. West Virginia scored 21 consecutive points after halftime on the heels of a hard fought first half that featured a 14-14 tie. The Owls, without starters Tariq Sanders (OT) and Rodney Wormley (DE) due to injuries, finished with a 443-411 advantage in total yards.
It was a record-breaking day for Washington, as the Owls recorded their first Big East win in a 34-24 victory over Syracuse at Lincoln Financial Field on November 13. He rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns to set a slew of Temple and conference records and nearly single-handedly carried the team to victory. The Owls held a 21-3 halftime lead and had a 35:29-24:31 advantage in time of possession. Washington engineered touchdown drives of 71, 80, 52 and 80 yards.
Temple concluded the season with a 34-17 home loss to No. 19 Boston College. The Eagles' L.V. Whitworth rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and the visitor defense kept Washington out of the end zone for the first time in four games. Washington completed 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. His 356 total yards versus the Eagles moved him past Mike McGann (4,639) into fourth place in the Temple career record books with 4,940 total yards of offense.
Sixty-two players saw game action for the Owls in 2004 to earn varsity letters. Forty-six lettermen, including 24 that earned starting assignments, have the opportunity to return in 2005. Among the 46 are offensive guard Stephen Bell, free safety Durrell Davis, offensive lineman John Gross, Mendenhall, offensive tackle Elliot Seifert and Washington. The six started all 11 games. Wallace (10), running back Tim Brown (10) and Wormley (9) are underclassmen that received starting nods in each game they played this season.
