Temple University Athletics
Temple Hosts Akron on Senior Day on Friday in Season Finale
11.24.08 | Football
Nov. 24, 2008
Complete Gamenotes in PDF Format 
THIS WEEK Temple closes out the regular season with Akron on Friday, Nov. 28. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls will honor their Senior Class during a pregame ceremony.
The Owls' radio broadcast will air on WPHT 1210 AM with Harry Donahue calling the play-by-play and Steve Joachim providing color analysis. Live gametracker stats and audio streaming will be available on the Temple Athletics website at www.owlsports.com.
Under the direction of third-year head coach Al Golden, Temple stands 4-7 overall and 3-4 in Mid-American Conference play. The Owls captured a 55-52 home win over Eastern Michigan in a record-setting game. Redshirt senior QB Adam DiMichele (McKees Rocks,Pa.) went 21-of-37 for a career-high 370 yards and a school record six passing touchdowns while rushing for an additional touchdown. Senior WR Bruce Francis (Sicklerville, N.J.) had a career-high four receiving touchdowns which also set the school record for receiving TDs in a game and extended his school record to 23 receiving TDs in his career. Francis' 13 receiving touchdowns tied the school record for receiving TDs in a season.
The duo earned OwlSports.com Athletes of the Week recognition.
Returning 20 seniors and 26 juniors, Temple returns 21 starters this season and the top defense in the MAC. Senior WR Bruce Francis is the Owls' top receiver with 43 catches for 671 yards and a school record 13 touchdowns. Freshman RB Kee-ayre Griffin (East Orange, N.J.) leads the Owl rushers with 356 yards and five touchdowns on 86 carries in six games in the backfield. Redshirt senior QB Adam DiMichele has completed 119-of-201 for 1,691 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for a TD. Defensively, sophomore DB Jaiquawn Jarrett (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has 82 tackles, including a team-best 50 solos, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. The Owls will utilize their East Coast offense and 4-3 defense.
Leading the nation for three weeks, the Owls are ranked No. 2 for the third consecutive week in kickoff returns with 27.20 yards per return, led by All-America candidate Travis Shelton, who is Temple's career KOR leader..
Under the guidance of fifth-year head coach J.D. Brookhart, the Zips stand 5-6 overall and 3-4 in play after a 49-42 loss at Ohio on Nov. 22.
Akron returns 13 starters to its spread offense and 3-3-5 defense. Senior RB Dennis Kennedy leads Akron in rushing with 1,168 yards and 17 touchdowns on 214 carries. Junior QB Chris Jacquemain has completed 211-of-360 for 2,582 yards and 20 touchdowns. In the air, senior WR Andre Jones has 43 receptions for 653 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, senior LB Kevin Grant has 76 tackles, 42 solos, 7.5 TFL, three sacks, three break-ups, and two fumble recoveries.
TEMPLE-AKRON CONNECTIONS
Temple has no players on its roster from the state of Ohio. Akron has 20 players from Pennsylvania but none from Philadelphia. The only player from Southeastern Pennsylvania is sophomore OL Corey Woods (Reading, Pa. / Exeter Twp. HS).
TEMPLE-AKRON-- THE SERIES
Today's game marks the 18th meeting between the Owls and the Zips since the squads' first meeting in 1967. In series action, Temple leads, 10-7.
During their first game as MAC opponents last fall, QB Adam DiMichele threw for three fourth quarter touchdowns, the last a 19-yarder to WR Dy'Onne Crudup with 27 seconds to play to lead Temple to a 24-20 come-from-behind win at the Rubber Bowl. It marked the first time the Owls posted consecutive wins since 2002 and the first consecutive victories in conference play in 40 years when the Cherry and White played in the old MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference). It was also the team's first road win since 2003, snapping a string of 24 straight road defeats.
In the teams' 1999 meeting, Akron scored 25 first-half points en route to a 25-15 win at the Rubber Bowl.  Temple scored all 15 of its points in the fourth quarter. Marcus Godrey led the Owls on the ground with 16 carries for 67 yards. QB Mac Devito scored TU's first touchdown on a two-yard run. Devito closed out the stanza with a 43-yard toss to Sean Dillard for the second touchdown.
SERIES INFORMATION Temple all-time vs. Akron: 10-7 Temple in games at Temple: 5-4 Temple in games at Akron: 5-3 First meeting in series: 1967 at Temple Stadium, W, 22-21 Last meeting in series: 2007 at the Rubber Bowl, W, 24-20SERIES HIGHS Temple Owls Rushing: Todd McNair, 32-127, 2 TD (1987) Passing: Adam DiMichele, 23-34-242, 3 TD (2007) Receiving: Leslie Shepherd, 5-116, 0 TD (1991)
Akron Zips Rushing: Brandon Payne, 25-156, 2 TD (1999) Passing:  Marcel Weems, 13-19-247, 0 TD (1993) Receiving:  Jeff Blakely, 3-133, 0 TD (1993)
Year Site Results TUCoach UACoach 1967 Temple Stadium W, 22-21 George Makris Gordon Larson 1970 Temple Stadium L, 0-21 Wayne Hardin Gordon Larson 1973 Temple Stadium W, 47-33 Wayne Hardin Jim Dennison 1975 Rubber Bowl L, 23-24 Wayne Hardin Jim Dennison 1976 Rubber Bowl W, 23-13 Wayne Hardin Jim Dennison 1978 Rubber Bowl W, 56-21 Wayne Hardin Jim Dennison 1979 Veterans Stadium W, 42-6 Wayne Hardin Jim Dennison 1980 Veterans Stadium W, 16-7 Wayne Hardin Jim Dennison 1987 Veterans Stadium W, 23-3 Bryce Arians Gerry Faust 1988 Rubber Bowl W, 37-17 Bruce Arians Gerry Faust 1991 Veterans Stadium L, 32-37 Jerry Berndt Gerry Faust 1992 Rubber Bowl L, 15-29 Jerry Berndt Gerry Faust 1993 Veterans Stadium L, 7-31 Ron Dickerson Gerry Faust 1994 Rubber Bowl W, 32-7 Ron Dickerson Gerry Faust 1998 Franklin Field L, 28-35 Bobby Wallace Lee Owens 1999 Rubber Bowl L, 15-25 Bobby Wallace Lee Owens 2007 Rubber Bowl W, 24-20 Al Golden J.D. Brookhart
SENIOR DAY
On Friday, Temple will recognize the achievements of its Senior Class during a pregame ceremony.
This fall, Temple honors 22 seniors-- TE Kevin Armstrong (Baltimore, Md.), WR Phil Bartocci (Scranton, Pa.), DE Wallace Bates (Woodland Hills, Calif.), QB Andrew Case (Folcroft, Pa.), QB Colin Clancy (Stonington, Conn.), DB Georg Coleman (Levittown, Pa.), CB Evan Cooper, Jr. (Miami, Fla.), C Alex Derenthal (Davie, Fla.), QB Adam DiMichele (McKees Rocks, Pa.), OT Andre Douglas (New Rochelle, N.Y.), OT Jabari Ferguson (Miami, Fla.), WR Bruce Francis (Sicklerville, N.J.), FB Marcellous Grigsby (Sacramento, Calif.), DT Terrance Knighton (Windsor, Conn.), OG Brison Manor III (Sherwood, Ark.), DE James Namude (Potomac, Md.), PK Anthony Perlozzo (Ocean City, Md.), WR Travis Shelton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), DB Richard Sheppard (Philadelphia, Pa.), DE James Tindall (South Orange, N.J.), LB Tommie Weatherspoon (Jesup, Ga.), and RB Peter Wichmann (Havertown, Pa.).
Also honored will be athletic trainers-- Tina Benson (Somerdale, N.J.), Stephanie Martinez (Philadelphia, Pa.), and Adam Raikes (Tucson, Ariz.); and videographer-- Jimmie Harmon (Philadelphia, Pa.).
