Temple University Athletics
Return Home Spoiled As Golden Flashes Drop Owls, 28-17
10.7.06 | Football
Oct. 7, 2006
Box Score | Photo Gallery
Post-Game Quotes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
PHILADELPHIA - Kent State sophomore quarterback Julian Edelman passed for 211 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 78 and another score, in leading the Golden Flashes past Temple, 28-17, Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. Owls redshirt-sophomore quarterback Adam DiMichele, taking all snaps for the Cherry and White, passed for 144 yards and a touchdown while senior running back Tim Brown recorded 12 carries, 76 yards and one score. Despite a season-high 17 points, Temple (0-6) dropped its sixth contest this season, while Kent State (4-2, 3-0) extended its winning streak to four games.
The Cherry and White wasted no time in establishing their first lead this season, after Brown used back-to-back runs of eight and 19 yards before scampering for 31 and the game's first touchdown. Brown, who returned last week from a two-game hiatus to rush for a career-high 148 yards on 31 carries in a 43-14 loss to Vanderbilt, carried the ball five times for 60 yards in the first quarter before leaving the sidelines with a shoulder injury. Redshirt-freshman Jake Brownell added the extra-point and handed the Owls a 7-0 lead just one minute and 51 seconds into the contest. The touchdown marked the Owls' first opening-drive score since a four-play, 72-yard drive for a touchdown against Western Michigan last season (9/24/05).
Feeding off the offense's early energy, the Temple defense forced a Kent State punt after three plays yielded a loss of nine yards. Redshirt-sophomore Leyon Azubuike stopped Golden Flashes sophomore running back Tony Howard for a five-yard loss before Owls freshman linebacker John Haley dropped Edelman for a sack and loss of seven yards.
Following three plays and out for Temple, Kent State began its second drive at its own 37 yard-line. On an 11-play drive that amassed 63 yards over three minutes and 44 seconds, Edelman and Howard combined for seven carries and 43 yards before the quarterback plunged into the end zone from eight yards out. Sophomore Reid Macko added the extra-point making the score 7-7 at the 5:09 mark of the first quarter.
Kent State freshman kicker Nate Reed's ensuing kickoff was returned by Temple senior defensive back Chris Page to the 42 yard line before a lateral to freshman running back Jason Harper resulted in an additional 39 yards and a Temple first and 10 from the Kent State 19 yard line. After three plays that produced a loss of one yard, Brownell connected on a 32-yard field goal giving the Owls a 10-7 lead with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter.
The Kent State offense responded as Edelman led the Golden Flashes on an eight-play drive before Temple redshirt-freshman Dominique Harris intercepted his second pass of the season in the endzone. DiMichele completed two passes to senior wide receiver Mike Holley and freshman Bruce Francis for 17 yards before being sacked and inducing one of Brownell's seven punts of the afternoon.
The Golden Flashes answered back with an eight-play, 69-yard drive over four minutes and 10 seconds before Edelman connected with senior wide receiver Najah Pruden for a 16-yard touchdown pass and a 14-10 lead. The scoring drive was highlighted by Edelman's 21-yard scramble and four completions to four different receivers. Freshman wide receiver Darren Rogers, junior wide receiver Cameron Bobb and senior tight end Brian Bell each caught one pass on the drive.
After each team traded punts, a stalled Temple drive would result in a 14-yard Brownell punt that trickled out of bounds at the Temple 28 yard-line. Edelman's 27-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver Shawn Bayes set the Golden Flashes up with a first and goal from the Owls' one yard-line. An illegal shift penalty against Kent State and an Edelman 14-yard loss courtesy of Owls freshman linebacker Junior Galette resulted in a Reid missed 37-yard field goal with less than one minute remaining before the intermission.
The Kent State offense started the second half with three Edelman rushes for 22 yards. The Redwood City, Calif. native found Rogers for 17 yards down to the Temple 27 yard-line before freshman defensive back Wilbert Brinson forced a fumble recovered by the defense. The play was originally ruled a catch and first down for the Golden Flashes before Temple head coach Al Golden's challenge resulted in a Kent State lost fumble.
DiMichele started the drive connecting on four passes for 37 yards to four different Temple receivers including Holley (five yards), freshman tight end Marcus Brown (seven yards), junior fullback Josh Bundy (four yards) and senior wide receiver Nick Santa Cruz (11 yards). A delay of game penalty and a 14-yard loss due to Kent State sophomore linebacker Stevon Moss' sack, the Temple drive stalled and ended with a Brownell punt.
The Golden Flashes need just four plays, 58 yards and just over a minute and a half before junior running back Jon Drager carried the ball into the end zone from three yards out. On the drive, Edelman completed a 23-yard pass to Bayes and scrambled for six more before Drager gave the visitors an 11-point cushion.
Following two more Brownell punts and one from Kent State freshman punter Jake Kilroy, Edelman and Drager led a 13-play, 80-yard drive over the next four minutes and 16 seconds. After carrying the ball seven times for 36 yards, Drager pounded the ball in from one-yard out for a 28-10 advantage with 7:20 remaining. The 6 foot, 190-pound junior running back, who did the majority of his damage in the second half, posted 84 yards on 18 carries and two scores.
Temple's next drive featured four plays without a first down before Kent State stalled at the Owls' 18 yard-line. With three minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, DiMichele completed six of his next eight passes before Francis turned a 33-yard completion into six points. On the afternoon's final scoring drive, the McKees Rocks, Pa. native found four different Cherry and White receivers including Holley (10 yards), Brown (6 yards) and senior Jamel Harris (32 yards).
"I think we had a lot of opportunities today that could have changed the outcome of the game, we just obviously didn't capitalize on them," said Golden. "At the same time, I think you can get a sense of where our team is going in terms of the fight, the competitive nature of our team and our coaching staff."
Defensively, Harris and Galette each tallied seven solo tackles for the Owls while Haley posted six stops and forced one fumble. Defensive end Brian Sanford was the 20th true freshman for the Owls to see action this season, the most in Division I-A. Golden Flashes' junior defensive lineman Colin Ferrell led Kent State with five tackles.
The Cherry and White return to the road Thursday night against ACC-member and the 15th- ranked Clemson Tigers. The game, slated to kick-off at 7:30 p.m., will be played in Charlotte, N.C. at Bank of America Stadium and will be aired on ESPNU.
