Temple University Athletics
Brown's Career Day Spoiled in 43-14 Loss to Vandy
9.30.06 | Football
Sept. 30, 2006
NASHVILLE, TN - Junior Cassen Jackson-Garrison rushed for 142 and two touchdowns to lead host Vanderbilt to a 43-14 win over Temple in front of 34,319 fans at Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday evening. The Commodores improve to 2-3 on the season while the Owls fall to 0-5.
Jackson-Garrison, who carried the ball 13 times, broke free for a 43-yard run on the Commodores second play from scrimmage to set the tone for the contest. Vanderbilt added a career-long 51-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt with 1:16 left in the opening quarter to make it 10-0. A 16-yard run by Jackson-Garrison with 9:16 remaining in the second quarter made the score 17-0.
Sophomore QB Chris Nickson (9-20, 162 yds, 2 TDs) connected with senior fullback Steven Bright for the first of two touchdown passes, this one a 29-yarder, to push the margin to 24-0 Vanderbilt with 5:03 left.
Senior running back Tim Brown then gave the Owls a lift in the final play of the half. The 5-8, 190-pounder broke through the line and made a nifty move at midfield to break away en route to a 78-yard touchdown run. It tied for the fourth longest rush in school history and third longest touchdown run.
Brown, who returned to the Temple backfield after a two-game absence, carried the ball 31 times for 148 yards, both career bests. It was his first 100-yard game of his career and the first for TU since Michael Billops ran for 121 yards versus Toledo (9/17/05). He also caught two passes for 14 yards.
Vanderbilt answered the Temple score at the start of the second half. Following a failed onside kickoff by the Owls, the Commodores needed just four plays to find the end zone. Nickson hit sophomore wide receiver Earl Bennett for 36 yards on a third-and-10 play and junior RB Jared Hawkins scored on a 13-yard run on the next play to make it 31-7.
Sophomore QB Adam DiMichele, who relieved starter Vaughn Charlton for the team's second series, then guided the Owls on their best offensive drive of the season. DiMichele, who completed 11-of-16 passes for 148 yards, led a 14-play, 80-yard drive which culminated in a 10-yard TD reception by freshman tight end Marcus Brown. It was the first TD pass of the season by the Owl offense, and made the score 31-14 with 1:46 to play in the third quarter. A key play on the drive, which exhausted eight minutes and 44 seconds, was a 10-yard first down completion to senior WR Mike Holley on a third down from the VU 19 yard-line.
Vanderbilt answered with two touchdowns over the next two minutes and five seconds to put the game away. Nickson hit Bright for a 38-yard TD reception on the third play of ensuing possession to make it 37-14. Following a Brown fumble at the TU 16, Hawkins scored his second touchdown of the game on an eight-yard run to make it 43-14 with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.
That ended the scoring for the game, although DiMichele led the Owls into the red zone one more time, hitting sophomore wide receiver Bruce Francis (4 catches, career-high 96 yards) for a 54-yardreception to the VU 12 yard-line. The drive stalled and the Owls turned the ball over on downs with 2:17 left in the contest.
Freshman Wilbert Brinson led the Temple defense with seven solo tackles, including a forced fumble in the first quarter which was recovered by sophomore OLB Leyon Azubuike. Sophomore nose tackle Terrance Knighton made four tackles, two for a loss, and accounted for the team's lone sack.
Redshirt sophomore Jabari Ferguson saw his first action of the season and earned the start at tight end, as the Owls opened the game with two tight ends (Marcus Brown) in the lineup. Ferguson (6-5, 295) recently made the switch to TE after playing in 10 games last season at offensive tackle.
Redshirt junior walk-on linebacker Brent Fisher saw his first career action.
Temple returns to Lincoln Financial Field this Saturday to take on Kent State. Kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m.
