Temple University Athletics
Football Topples Miami (OH), 28-10, For First MAC Win
10.4.08 | Football
Oct. 4, 2008
OXFORD, OH - Defense again led the way for Temple, and senior wide receiver Bruce Francis' two fourth-quarter touchdown receptions iced a 28-10 win over host Miami (OH) Saturday afternoon in front of 17,295 fans at Yager Stadium. Temple improves to 2-4, 1-2 in MAC play while Miami (OH) falls to 1-4, 0-1.
Francis' first TD reception, a 43-yarder from redshirt freshman Chester Stewart was his also his first catch in the game It not only extended his school-record streak to 32 games with a reception, it also broke the backs of the RedHawks, who had scored 10 straight points after trailing 14-0 at the half.
Junior DE Brian Sanford recovered a fumble on the six-yard line on yard line on the ensuing possession and Stewart hit Francis for a six-yard TD reception, his fifth of the season, making it 28-10 and sealing the Owls' first conference win.
Stewart, making his second start of the season, looked much sharper than the previous week. Despite being limited in practice the entire week due to injury, Stewart completed 11 of 23 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns.
Temple's defense forced four turnovers on the game with Jaiquawn Jarrett, who led the team with 11 tackles (8 solo) making his first interception of the season. Terrance Knighton, Jamal Schulters (10 tackles) and Brian Sanford each recovered fumbles.
The defense also accounted for six tackles-for-loss, six pass-break-ups and four sacks.
Freshman Kee-ayre Griffin, who played the first five contests at cornerback, moved to running back and scored the first touchdown of the game. The East Orange, N.J. native's 25-yard run up the middle of the Miami defense put Temple in front 7-0 with 2:22 remaining in the quarter.
Griffin's TD gallop was the third longest run from scrimmage by an Owl this season. Freshman James Nixon had a 27-yard run just prior to Griffin's scoring rush. Griffin's run to paydirt also broke a Temple eight-quarter touchdown drought.
The Owls made it 14-0 on their opening drive of the second quarter. The eight-play, 65-yard drive was ignited by a 18-yard Jason Harper run that included a personal foul penalty on Miami that gave TU a first down on the RedHawks 23. Stewart then hit Marquise Liverpool on a 17-yard pass play to the Miami 4. Two plays later, the Owls faked a reverse and Stewart found a wide-open Steve Maneri in the middle of the end zone for his first career touchdown pass, making it 14-0.
Miami head coach Shane Montgomery switched quarterbacks at halftime, going with red-shirt freshman Clay Belton as junior Daniel Raudabaugh (8-18, 65 yards, one fumble) struggled. Belton, who had completed just three passes (9 attempts) for 14 yards on the season, engineered a 10-play, 40-yard drive on Miami's first possession of the second half with Nathan Parseghian connecting on a 34-yard field goal to make it 14-3.
Sophomore RB Thomas Merriweather, who rushed for a career-high 133 yards on 26 carries, capped a nine-play, 49-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter to make it 14-10.
The Owls' offense was completely stymied in the period, failing to pick up a first down in three third quarter series while gaining just 23 yards. Stewart was also intercepted in TU's final possession by Robbie Wilson at the Temple 39. The Owls'defense, held the RedHawks on downs with junior LB Alex Joseph stopping RB Andre Bratton one-yard shy of the first down marker on a fourth-and-four pass play.
Francis then took over the fourth quarter to squelch the Miami hopes of a comeback.
The Owls, winners of four straight October games, travel next Saturday to Central Michigan for a 4:00 p.m. game with the Chippewas. That game will be broadcast by 1210 AM WPHT.
