Temple University Athletics
Temple Falls To Western Michigan, 41-7
9.23.06 | Football
Sept. 23, 2006
KALAMAZOO, MI - Turnovers and a blocked field goal proved to be the downfall for the Temple football team Saturday evening as the Owls dropped a 41-7 decision to Western Michigan in front of 15,739 at Waldo Stadium. Temple falls to 0-4 with the loss while WMU improves to 3-1.
The Owls had four turnovers, all costly. After a scoreless first quarter which featured Temple holding Western to one first down, sophomore E.J. Biggers intercepted freshman Vaughn Charlton, returning it six yards to the TU 42-yard line. Temple's defense held, but the turnover changed the field position advantage the Owls had controlled.
WMU punter Jim Laney pinned the Owls with a 39-yard punt to the Owl one-yard line. Temple failed to advance the ball and Jake Brownell (8 punts, 41.6 avg.) made a strong 39-yard punt under pressure at the back of the end zone.
With the ball at the Temple 40, senior quarterback Ryan Cubit, playing in his first game since a suffering a finger injury at Indiana, hit Joe Chapple for 18 yards to the Owl 17. He followed that with consecutive completions to Brand Ledbetter, the last a one-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 with 6:49 to play in the half.
On the Broncos next possession, Cubit found Jamarko Simmons for 28 yards on a key fourth-and-four play from the Temple 30, setting up a first-and-goal from the two. The Owls goal-line defense held WMU to a 25-yard Nate Meyer field goal, making it 10-0.
Then sophomore quarterback Adam DiMichele moved the Owls 53 yards in the final two minutes to the WMU 27 yard-line on Temple's best drive of the half. That set up a Danny Murphy field goal attempt with one second to play. The kick was blocked by Cory Flom and recovered at the 38-yard line by Londen Fryar. The son of former Eagle Irving Fryar picked up the fumble and ran it into the end zone, making it 17-0 at the half.
Temple finally found the end zone, scoring its first touchdown of the 2006 season, at the start of the second half. Senior Chris Page recovered a muffed Brownell punt by Chapple at the WMU 38. DiMichele hit sophomore Bruce Francis with a 28-yard completion on a third-and-11 play to give Temple the ball at the Bronco 11. Sophomore Jason Harper then rushed up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown on the next play.
Western Michigan answered immediately with Cubit directing the offense on a 10-play, 76-yard drive culminating in a one-yard TD run by Mark Bonds. It was the first of two rushing TDs by Bonds, and the start of 24 unanswered Bronco points.
DiMichele fumbled while being sacked on the Owls' next possession, giving WMU the ball on the TU 15. Cubit made Temple pay right away, hitting Herb Martin in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard TD on the first play. That made the score 31-7 with 5:15 to play in the third quarter.
A 10-yard Bonds' TD run to start the fourth quarter and a 22-yard Mike Jones field goal with just under four minutes remaining accounted for the remainder of the scoring.
For Temple, Harper led the offense, rushing for a career-high 84 yards on 14 carries. DiMichele completed eight of 18 passes for 94 yards, but was intercepted twice. Charlton completed four of eight passes for 46 yards as Temple coach Al Golden continued his two-quarterback attack.
Junior Domerio Hamilton led the Owl receivers with four catches (26 yards) while Francis accounted for 44 yards on two receptions.
Cubit compiled 143 yards through the air, completing 15 of 24 with two touchdowns. Bonds rushed 15 times for 87 yards while Brandon West had 58 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Temple travels to Vanderbilt Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff at Vanderbilt Stadium.
