Temple University Athletics
FALCONS BOWL OVER TEMPLE, 70-7
10.1.05 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, OH -- After to falling at Boise State last Wednesday, Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon had his players' names removed from the backs of their jerseys. The move was effective in reminding the Falcons to play for the name on the front of the jersey, as seven different players found the end zone in a 70-7 win over Temple on Saturday at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
Bowling Green, which entered the game ranked 20th in total offense (463.00) and third in passing offense (368.67) did not disappoint its homecoming crowd. The Falcons scored on their first five possessions en route to a 35-0 lead and matched its point total with another 35 in the second half. BGSU recorded 461 yards of total offense and 326 through the air in handing the Owls the second largest defeat in the Bobby Wallace era.
"Our offense didn't help our defense at all," said Wallace. "The first three drives we had an illegal procedure on each drive that put us at first-and-15. We couldn't convert and it kept our defense on the field too long."
Senior RB Umar Ferguson was a bright spot for Temple (0-5) offensively, topping the century mark in rushing yards for the second straight contest. Ferguson carried the ball 28 times for 132 yards and a touchdown in defeat. Seniors Christian Dunbar and Manuel Tapia had 12 and 11 tackles, respectively.
Preseason All-American Omar Jacobs, ranked second nationally in total offense (371.67), put up impressive numbers in a little more than a half of play. Jacobs passed for four touchdowns and 326 yards (26-for-32) in evening Bowling Green's record at 2-2. Steve Sanders had five catches for 108 yards and three touchdowns (two receiving).
"He (Jacobs) is a great player," said Wallace. "That throw he made running to his left, I don't know many quarterbacks that could have made that throw. He had a great game. We couldn't get any pressure on him and he picked us apart."
The Falcons wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Jacobs completed passes on three crucial third-downs to keep the drive alive on the home team's first possession. The Heisman candidate then found Charles Sharon in the corner of the endzone for the game's first score. BGSU drove 80 yards on 11 plays in 4:51 to go ahead, 7-0.
Temple opened its first possession with a 19-yard completion to junior WR Jamel Harris but the drive sputtered on an illegal motion penalty. On fourth and 13 from their own 44 yard line, Wallace called a fake punt in which senior P Jake Hendy attempted to run for the first down. He gained just three yards on the play and gave the Falcons excellent field position.
Bowling Green tried some trickery on the very next drive with a flea flicker and option pass. The former gained 15 yards on a pass interference penalty and the latter was stopped for a loss of five. But despite the imaginative play-calling, the back-breaker resembled a schoolyard play. Jacobs was tracked down by senior Adam Fichter and flushed out of the pocket but scrambled and found P.J. Pope in the back of the end-zone for a 14-0 lead.
The third BGSU possession ended just like the first two, with a Jacobs touchdown completion to Sanders to take a 21-0 lead. Jacobs completed all four passes on the drive for 58 yards to improve to 12-for-13 for 165 yards on the game. The biggest Temple loss on the series may have been senior DE Rodney Wormely, who left the game with an apparent knee injury and did not return.
Freshman Colin Clancy replaced Mike McGann on the next series and the southpaw immediately completed an 11-yard pass to junior WR Bruce Gordon. Senior RB Michael Billops ran for 11 and four yards to midfield, but Temple could not pick up the first down and was forced to punt.
B.J. Lane and the Falcons switched up their scoring play as the running back scampered into the end zone from the nine yard line to take a commanding 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The run was an aberration on the drive, which saw Jacobs complete 5-for-6 for 71 yards.
After a Clancy fumble, BGSU scored on the very next play, as a Sanders end around from 21 yards out put the Falcons ahead, 35-0, with 9:17 to play before halftime.
The Owls got on the scoreboard on their next possession, as McGann engineered a 12-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead to 35-7. Ferguson appeared to have scored on a 16-yard run, but was ruled down at the one-yard line. The senior RB did find the end zone on the next play, a short run for his second score of the season.
On the final possession of the half, Bowling Green scored with just 13 ticks left on the clock to take a 42-7 advantage to the locker rooms. Jacobs (four passing TDs) found Sanders for six yards to cap an impressive first half of offense for the Falcons, which included 355 yards of total offense, including 270 via the air.
After a Temple interception, BGSU drove 56 yards in 13 plays capped by a Pope four-yard touchdown to take a 49-7 lead midway through the third quarter. For the first time all game, Bowling Green ran the ball nearly as much as the pass during the five-minute drive.
The Owls turned the ball over for the second straight possession, this time a Ferguson fumble, and BGSU added another score to go ahead 56-7. Redshirt freshman Anthony Turner, who took over at quarterback for Jacobs to begin the series, ran in from three yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
Tapia picked off a Turner pass for his first career INT, but McGann returned the favor on the next play. Freshman Antonio Smith cut in front of the senior's pass and returned it 53 yards to pay dirt. With 1:31 remaining in the third quarter, BGSU held a 63-7 lead.
Just a minute into the fourth quarter, the Falcons struck again. Corey Partridge returned a Hendy punt 79 yards for Bowling Green's tenth score of the contest.
Temple returns to the gridiron next Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field versus Maryland in a 1:00 p.m. kick-off. The radio broadcast of the game can be heard on WPHT 1210 AM, the flagship station of Temple Athletics. The Terrapins defeated No. 19 Virginia 45-33 at home today to improve to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in ACC play.
