Temple University Athletics
#12 Clemson Powers Way to 63-9 Win Over Temple
10.12.06 | Football
Oct. 12, 2006
CHARLOTTE, NC - The Clemson backfield tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller combined for 210 yards and five touchdowns to lead the 12th-ranked Tigers to a 63-9 win over the Temple Owls in front of 30,246 fans at Bank of America Stadium Thursday night. The Tigers improve to 6-1 on the season while the Owls fall to 0-7.
With their five touchdowns, James and Davis now have 20 combined scores, one shy of the Clemson record for a running back duo set by Cliff Austin and Chuck McSwain in 1982. The Tiger backs did all of their damage in the first half to lead Clemson to a 49-3 lead at intermission.
"Obviously Clemson is a team that is too big, too strong, too fast and too tough for us at this stage," Temple head coach Al Golden said. "That is just a high powered team right there. Coach Bowden and his crew have done a great job of building a program."
For the second straight game the Owls drew first blood. Sophomore Travis Shelton, who had not touched the ball since the 2004 season, returned the opening kickoff 53 yards to the Clemson 42. On the drive's first play, Shelton, who red-shirted the 2005 season, carried for 30 yards on a reverse to give the Cherry and White a first down at the Tiger 12. Following a two-yard run by junior Tim Brown, freshman Vaughn Charlton, who played the entire contest, tossed two incomplete passes. Freshman Jake Brownell then converted a 27-yard field goal to give Temple a 3-0 lead.
The Owls lead would be short-lived, however. Following a 49-yard return freshman Jacoby Ford, Davis rushed for 39 yards on four consecutive carries, the last from eight yards out, to put the Tigers ahead, 7-3, with 11:06 on the clock.
Brown, who rushed for 121 yards on 23 carries, fumbled on the first play of the ensuing Temple possession. It was Spiller time on this Clemson drive as the freshman back carried the ball 29 yards on five straight rushes, the last a one-yard plunge to make it 14-3.
It was then off to the races as Clemson demonstrated while they are so highly-regarded on the national stage, and are just a missed extra point from being in the Top 10 in the nation. The Tigers scored on their next five possessions with Spiller accounting for one more rushing TD and Davis two more.
Senior quarterback Will Proctor, who did not attempt a pass until the team's third possession, completed eight of nine attempts in the half for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He first connected on a six-yard TD pass to Aaron Pearson. Then, following a 64-yard Davis run, which tied for the longest rush of his career, Proctor found Ford on a third-down screen pass for a 55-yard touchdown to complete the first half scoring with 1:01 on the clock.
On the first possession of the third quarter, sophomore QB Cullen Harper connected with Andrew Diomande for a 39-yard reception to the Temple five yard-line. Junior cornerback Evan Cooper forced a fumble on the play, but Nelson Faerber in the end zone for a Clemson touchdown.
Demerick Chancellor, who made all of the Tiger second half rushes, fumbled on Clemson's next possession to end a streak of 11 straight scoring drives. Senior defensive end David Fatherly caused the fumble with freshman nose tackle Terrance Banks recovering for the Owls.
Following a Brownell punt, Chancellor made up for his turnover, rushing for 56 yards on 10 carries and capping the 12-play Tiger drive with a one-yard touchdown. That made the score, 63-3 with 1:00 to play in the third quarter.
Chancellor ended the game with 114 yards on 21 second half carries. The Tigers as a team rushed for 337 yards on 45 carries and had 559 yards of total offense to Temple's 221.
The final score of the game came when Charlton tossed his first touchdown pass to freshman Steve Maneri, a 30-yarder to make it 63-9 with 12:20 to play in fourth quarter. It was also Maneri's first TD reception.
Shelton's breakaway speed on kickoff returns were the highlight for the Owls. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native set a new Temple single-game record for kickoff return yards in a game, returning five kicks for 205 yards. He broke the record held by Lew Lawhorn, who had 178 return yards in a 35-0 win over Boston College on September 5, 1992.
"That is the type of student-athlete he is," said Golden on Sheldon. "He is a unique player with truly unique speed. He certainly will make a difference for us in the MAC."
Prior to the game, Golden presented Clemson coach Tommy Bowden with a letter indicating that the Owls would donate $1500 to the Fahmarr McElrathbey Trust Fund. Fahmarr McElrathbey is the brother of Clemson football player Ray Ray McElrathbey, who has been granted custody of his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr. The money was raised by the team and its staff donating their per diem from the game. It marks the second time this season that Owls have donated their per diem to a worthy cause. Temple donated $1530 to the Adam Taliaferro Foundation following the team's opener at Buffalo in the name of Shykem Lawrence, a Woodrow Wilson High safety who suffered a severe spinal cord injury while making a tackle in a scrimmage at Eastern High on August 25.
This is just something we are trying to teach them," Golden said. "Giving is the highest level of living. The kids made the decision. We just gave them an idea."
Temple next travels to DeKalb, Ill. to take on Northern Illinois on October 21. The game will kick-off at 3:00 p.m. EST and will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet.
