Temple University Athletics
ROCKETS FLY PAST OWLS FOR A 45-17 WIN
9.25.04 | Football
TOLEDO, OHIO -- Junior quarterback Bruce Gradkowski threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another in leading Toledo to a 45-17 win over visiting Temple in front of 24,836 fans at the Glass Bowl. The win evened the Rockets record to 2-2 while the Owls fell to 1-3.
Living up to his preseason accolades which includes being named to ESPN.com's "Heisman Watch" list, Gradkowski completed 16 straight passes after Toledo fell behind 10-0 midway through the first quarter. He was 22-of-27 for 278 yards. The Rockets, which opened the season with lopsided losses at Minnesota and Kansas, looked like the team picked by most prognosticators to win the Mid-American Conference's West Division.
"I have to give Toledo the credit they deserve," said Temple head coach Bobby Wallace. "They have some very nice players who made good plays. But the bottom line is that is the worst I have seen a team beat themselves and that is very disappointing in all my years of coaching. We had several untimely penalties, dropped passes, underthrown passes and missed tackles."
Junior quarterback Walter Washington continued to be the Owls' main offensive weapon. He rushed 79 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns for the fourth straight game. Including last year's season finale at West Virginia, he has rushed for 12 touchdowns in five games.
Washington, however, was inconsistent through the air, completing just 15-of-36 for 205 yards. He threw his first interception of the season after 111 pass attempts and it was returned by freshman Nigel Morris for an 88-yard touchdown, capping the scoring in the game. He also fumbled twice in the contest.
Phil Goodman pulled in eight catches for 106 yards for the Owls, but he also had a few costly drops. Junior Tim Brown gained 77 yards on 17 rushes on a solid effort in the backfield for Temple.
Things started off well for the Owls for the second straight week. Washington capped an opening drive of 18 plays that accounted for 80 yards when he plunged in from one-yard out for his seventh rushing touchdown of the season. He rushed for 30 yards on the drive while Brown accounted for 36 yards of total offense.
On the ensuing kickoff, Willie Hardemon made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Toledo 41-yard line. Two plays later, Sadeke Konte made a crushing blow on Gradkowski, forcing a fumble that Rian "Goo" Wallace returned to the Toledo 24. The Owls drive, however, stalled at the Toledo five. Ryan Lux then kicked a 22-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 2:51 remaining in the first quarter.
Gradkowski then took over the game. The 6-2 junior completed all 14 of his pass attempts over the remainder of the first half for 174 yards and one touchdown.
He first capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 10-7 on the final play of the first quarter. Following a Temple punt, he marched the Rockets 71 yards before making an errant pitch that was recovered by Troy Bennett at the Temple nine-yard line. That would be his last mistake of the contest.
After forcing another Temple punt, Gradkowski moved the Toledo offense downfield quickly, covering 52 yards in just under three minutes with Trinity Dawkins running in the go-ahead touchdown from seven yards out. That made it 14-10 with 6:36 to play in the half.
Temple again went three-and-out as Washington missed an open Brown on a screen play on a third-and-six from the TU 38. Gradkowski completed five passes for 47 yards. The Owls defense stopped the drive at their 19-yard line, but Jason Robbins connected on a career-high-tying 37-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 1:47 remaining in the half.
It looked like the half would end that way as Temple kept the ball on the ground on its final possession, but Washington fumbled on a sweep play with 13 seconds left. Gradkowski made them pay on the very first play, connecting with Kenny Higgins on a 25-yard scoring play to make it 24-10.
After both teams failed to gain first downs on their opening possessions of the second half, Washington directed the Owls on a 76-yard drive that he ended with a five-yard touchdown run. The big play on the drive was a 40-yard diving catch by sophomore Michael Loveland. It was Loveland's first career reception and it gave Temple the ball on the ball on the Toledo nine.
The Owls got a big break as Lux's kickoff took a crazy bounce, hitting a Toledo player in the back and was recovered by Loveland at the Toledo 28. The Rockets defense pushed the Owls backwards, however, and Temple ended up punting from the Toledo 48.
The Rockets marched down the field on a 10-play, 84-yard drive with a Scooter McDougle three-yard touchdown run making it 31-17. The drive appeared to be stalled as Gradkowski missed a receiver in the end zone on a third down-and-15 play. The Owls, however, were whistled on a roughing the passer call, setting up a first and goal at the eight-yard line.
The Owls failed to garner a first down on their next possession, and then the Rockets put the game away. Gradkowski hit Steve Odom for an 18-yard touchdown reception with 12:29 to play in the game to make it 38-17.
All that was left was the interception return to complete the scoring.
Durrell Davis led the Temple defense in tackles with 12 while Wallace and Konte each added 11. Konte also added a sack to go along with his forced fumble.
Temple will try to rebound next week when it hosts another foe from the MAC, Bowling Green, at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
