PHILADELPHIA -- Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski passed for four touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Rockets past Temple, 42-17, on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. The visitors raced to a 28-0 advantage early in the second quarter to hand the Owls their third straight defeat to open the season. The game was the first against a Mid-American Conference opponent for Temple since announcing that it was joining the league on May 17, 2005.
Gradkowski completed 20-for-29 passes for 182 yards and spread the ball around to 11 different receivers. He also set two Toledo (3-0, 2-0 MAC) career passing records in the contest for completions and yards. Trinity Dawson scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, for UT.
Temple (0-3) had its best performance of the young season and offensively, it was senior RB Michael Billops and junior WR Bruce Gordon that carried the load. In his first collegiate start, Billops rushed for 121 yards on 18 carries, including a 78-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The run was the longest by an Owl running back since a Tanardo Sharps 83-yard touchdown run against Connecticut on November 24, 2001.
"I thought our team really showed a lot of character and guts," said Temple head coach Bobby Wallace. "Getting themselves ready to play this week wasn't easy. Thursday until today we really mentally got ourselves ready to play and came out ready..As fragile as our mentality was we could have folded at 10 but we didn't. The score isn't good, the stats were even, but bottom line we fought hard and if we keep doing that we'll be okay. We just have to take out those critical mistakes."
Gordon made several leaping catches and finished with eight receptions for 103 yards, both career highs. Senior QB Mike McGann completed 12-of-29 passes for 160 yards before being replaced by freshman Colin Clancy in the fourth quarter. The rookie southpaw connected on 6-of-9 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, junior Garrett Schultz made 11 tackles while senior Ryan Gore made nine stops.
Turnovers once again hurt the Owls. A McGann fumble and interception halted drives in the first half, but overall the offense had its best showing of the season. The hosts nearly matched Toledo in total yards, 393-381, and outgained the Rockets through the air, 245-197.
The Cherry and White won the coin toss and chose to receive for the first time in head coach Bobby Wallace's tenure. Billops, starting in place of the injured Umar Ferguson (bruised ribs), opened the drive with an 11-yard run. McGann found junior Jamel Harris for 37 yards on a third and nine to give the Owls a first down at the 27 yard line. After a Billops five-yard run, McGann fumbled on an option play and Toledo's David Thomas recovered. The senior ran 41 yards to the TU 31 yard line.
Toledo did not waste any time taking advantage of the turnover. UT drove 31 yards in five plays to open the scoring. Gradkowski found Dawson on a screen play for 13 yards and pay dirt to give the visitors an early 7-0 lead.
The hosts went three and out on their next possession and the Rockets found the endzone for the second straight time. Gradkowski hit a wide-open Chris Hopkins at the far pylon to take a 14-0 advantage. The Temple front four pressured Gradkowski, but the veteran signal caller completed two crucial third downs and became Toledo's all-time leader in passing yards during the drive.
Temple put together a nice drive on its next possession, progressing into Toledo territory. McGann completed passes to Billops and junior William Bradley to give the Owls a first down on the 36 yard line. But McGann's next throw was bobbled by Gordon and then intercepted by Keon Jackson, who ran 66 yards for the touchdown to give Toledo a 21-0 lead. It was Jackson's fourth career interception return for a touchdown, setting a new school record.
The Owls went three and out on their next drive and the Rockets methodically drove 77 yards in nine plays, capped by a John Allen touchdown reception, to make the score 28-0 early in the second quarter.
During the next TU drive, Billops got the handoff on a third and eight and appeared by be wrapped up a trio of Toledo defenders. But the senior broke the tackles, spun to avoid a fourth, and scampered for 78 yards for his first career touchdown.
Neither team could muster much more offense the rest of the quarter and the halftime scored remained 28-7, Toledo. Billops finished the first half with 112 yards on 13 carries.
With Gradkowski out of the game after having his bell rung after being flushed out of the pocket late in the first half, Toledo turned to redshirt freshman Clint Cochran. The Rockets couldn't get anything going under their new signal caller and were forced to punt. The kick bounced down to the six yard line, forcing the Owls to start deep in their own territory.
The field position did not affect Temple, which took over seven minutes and 17 plays to drive the nearly the length of the field. Sophomore RB Mike Neal ran six times for 30 yards and caught another for 17 yards and Gordon caught two passes for 28 yards during the drive. Senior Ryan Lux booted a 29 yard field goal to cut the deficit to 28-10.
With Gradkowski back in the game, Toledo marched down the field (10 plays-72 yards) and got down to the three yard line. The Owl goal line defense stuffed Dawson twice but a Gradkowski sneak got the Rockets in the end zone for a 35-10 lead.
Gradkowski finished his day on the next UT drive and delivered a six yard pass to Nick Moore for his fourth TD pass of the afternoon. The scoring play capped a 52 yard drive in just four plays.
Temple closed out the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Clancy to senior WR Brian Allbrooks.
The Cherry and White return to the gridiron versus Western Michigan at Lincoln Financial Field next Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be televised live on CN8.
