Temple University Athletics
Saturday, October 30
Lincoln Financial Field
1 p.m.
Temple University
30
vs
0
*AKRON
Defenders Adrian Robinson & Maurice Jones
Defense Leads Way in 30-0 Win Over Akron
10.30.10 | Football
Temple posts consecutive shutouts for first time since 1971
Boxscore
Postgame Notes
Postgame Quotes
Photo Gallery
PHILADELPHIA - Temple's defense posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1971, and the Owls offense scored 24 second half points in a 30-0 victory over visiting Akron on Breast Cancer Awareness Day at Lincoln Financial Field Saturday afternoon. The Owls won for the third straight week and improve to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
Temple also tied its school record with its 10th consecutive home win. The Owls have also won 10 consecutive MAC?wins at home, the best in league play, and their 13-2 home record in league play since joining the conference in 2007 is also the best in the MAC. Today's shutout is Temple's second consecutive.
“It's hard ever to be really good or championship team if you can't defend the home (field),” Temple head coach Al Golden said. “Our guys like playing here and they play with energy.”
It was a total team effort on the defensive front with two players – DE Sean Daniels and CB Maurice Jones – contributing two sacks each. Three players – Daniels, Jones and LB Tahir Whitehead – had two tackles for loss. Whitehead also forced a key fumble while SS Kevin Kroboth made his first interception of the season.
The Cherry and White held the Zips to just 154 yards of total offense, including a mere 28 yards on 20 carries. Akron only had the ball across midfield twice, and once came on a Temple fumble. Temple also limited Akron to eight first downs. The total offense and first downs for an opponent were season bests for the Owl defense.
“They have an opportunity to build their own memories,” Temple assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Mark Donofrio said. “No one can take away what they did the last two weeks, but at the same time that's not our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is to get better and win a championship.”
Coming off a game where the Owls scored 21 first quarter points en route to a 42-0 win at Buffalo, Temple had trouble getting its offense in gear against a winless Akron. The Zips (0-9, 0-5), who entered play allowing 40.1 points per game, limited the Cherry and White offense to just two Brandon McManus field goals in the first half in trailing 6-0 at intermission.
“They did some really good things against us defensively,” Golden said. “They came out fired up as we knew they would. We knew they were going to play loose and aggressive.”
Temple was only able to amass 48 yards on the ground against the Zips defense over the first 30 minutes with Heisman hopeful Bernard Pierce limited to 24 yards on nine carries.
Making his second straight start, redshirt junior QB Mike Gerardi used his arm to set up both Owl field goals. In his second drive of the game, Gerardi connected with Michael Campbell on a 35-yard pass play to move the chains to the TU 40. The southpaw signal-caller added first down passes to tight ends Matt Balsavage and Alex Jackson, the latter giving the Owls a first and goal at the nine.
The Zips, which ranked 10th in rushing defense (172.9 ypg.) in the MAC, stopped Pierce on consecutive runs before Gerardi was just long on a pass to WR Rod Streater in the end zone to halt the drive. McManus, who moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time Temple field goal list with Bob Wright (28 made, 1988-90), then buried a 27-yard to make it 3-0.
Gerardi's third consecutive first down pass of the Owls' opening drive of the second quarter went for 45 yards to Campbell and put the ball on the Akron 11. Again Temple ran into a Zip wall as Pierce, who 15 yards on two rushes to start the possession, carried for four yards before being hit behind the line for a loss of one on his second down rush. Another incomplete pass in the end zone brought out McManus who connected from 24 yards out to make it 6-0.
Shawn Lemon then made the play of the game for the Zips. The senior defensive end drilled Gerardi, stripping him and recovering on the Temple 32.
The Owls defense, which has been strong all season, held again. After QB Patrick Nicely connected with WR Richard Hall on a six-yard pass play, Whitehead made a play for the Temple defense, forcing a fumble on a Nicely pass attempt with the ball going out of bounds for a 10-yard loss. Two plays later, Igor Iveljic lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt which was blocked by CB Kee-Ayre Griffin with 30 seconds to play in the half.
Senior PR Delano Green jump-started the Temple offense in the second half, returning an Akron punt 38 yards to the Zip 37. Streater took a reverse 16 yards to the 21 yard-line with RB Matt Brown (13 carries, 69 yds) moving the ball to the 10 on an 11-yard run. After settling for field goals in the first half, Gerardi found Jackson in the back of the end zone on the next play, a 10-yard TD for the red-shirt freshman's first career score.
Kroboth made his interception on the next possession, giving the offense the ball on the Akron 24. The Owls were unable to move it this time with the sure-footed McManus hitting his third field goal, this one from 45 yards, to make it 16-0.
Temple tacked on two more touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, to break open the contest. First Gerardi led the Owls on a 64-yard, six play drive, hitting Streater on consecutive short passes, and then following a 20-yard Pierce run, Streater picked up his first rushing touchdown, a 24-yard reverse that made it 23-0 with 9:03 remaining.
On the Owls next possession, Pierce capped a nine-play drive with his 10th touchdown of the season, this one an eight-yard gallop to paydirt to account for the final points.
Gerardi ended the day with career highs in attempts (22), completions (15) and yards (209). Streater made a career high five catches while also adding a career best 46 yards on three rushes. Pierce led the ground game with 86 yards on 19 rushes and Campbell had 96 yards on three receptions.
The Owls next travel to Kent State for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, November 6. The game will be broadcast on 1210 AM WPHT.
Postgame Notes
Postgame Quotes
Photo Gallery
PHILADELPHIA - Temple's defense posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1971, and the Owls offense scored 24 second half points in a 30-0 victory over visiting Akron on Breast Cancer Awareness Day at Lincoln Financial Field Saturday afternoon. The Owls won for the third straight week and improve to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
Temple also tied its school record with its 10th consecutive home win. The Owls have also won 10 consecutive MAC?wins at home, the best in league play, and their 13-2 home record in league play since joining the conference in 2007 is also the best in the MAC. Today's shutout is Temple's second consecutive.
“It's hard ever to be really good or championship team if you can't defend the home (field),” Temple head coach Al Golden said. “Our guys like playing here and they play with energy.”
It was a total team effort on the defensive front with two players – DE Sean Daniels and CB Maurice Jones – contributing two sacks each. Three players – Daniels, Jones and LB Tahir Whitehead – had two tackles for loss. Whitehead also forced a key fumble while SS Kevin Kroboth made his first interception of the season.
The Cherry and White held the Zips to just 154 yards of total offense, including a mere 28 yards on 20 carries. Akron only had the ball across midfield twice, and once came on a Temple fumble. Temple also limited Akron to eight first downs. The total offense and first downs for an opponent were season bests for the Owl defense.
“They have an opportunity to build their own memories,” Temple assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Mark Donofrio said. “No one can take away what they did the last two weeks, but at the same time that's not our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is to get better and win a championship.”
Coming off a game where the Owls scored 21 first quarter points en route to a 42-0 win at Buffalo, Temple had trouble getting its offense in gear against a winless Akron. The Zips (0-9, 0-5), who entered play allowing 40.1 points per game, limited the Cherry and White offense to just two Brandon McManus field goals in the first half in trailing 6-0 at intermission.
“They did some really good things against us defensively,” Golden said. “They came out fired up as we knew they would. We knew they were going to play loose and aggressive.”
Temple was only able to amass 48 yards on the ground against the Zips defense over the first 30 minutes with Heisman hopeful Bernard Pierce limited to 24 yards on nine carries.
Making his second straight start, redshirt junior QB Mike Gerardi used his arm to set up both Owl field goals. In his second drive of the game, Gerardi connected with Michael Campbell on a 35-yard pass play to move the chains to the TU 40. The southpaw signal-caller added first down passes to tight ends Matt Balsavage and Alex Jackson, the latter giving the Owls a first and goal at the nine.
The Zips, which ranked 10th in rushing defense (172.9 ypg.) in the MAC, stopped Pierce on consecutive runs before Gerardi was just long on a pass to WR Rod Streater in the end zone to halt the drive. McManus, who moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time Temple field goal list with Bob Wright (28 made, 1988-90), then buried a 27-yard to make it 3-0.
Gerardi's third consecutive first down pass of the Owls' opening drive of the second quarter went for 45 yards to Campbell and put the ball on the Akron 11. Again Temple ran into a Zip wall as Pierce, who 15 yards on two rushes to start the possession, carried for four yards before being hit behind the line for a loss of one on his second down rush. Another incomplete pass in the end zone brought out McManus who connected from 24 yards out to make it 6-0.
Shawn Lemon then made the play of the game for the Zips. The senior defensive end drilled Gerardi, stripping him and recovering on the Temple 32.
The Owls defense, which has been strong all season, held again. After QB Patrick Nicely connected with WR Richard Hall on a six-yard pass play, Whitehead made a play for the Temple defense, forcing a fumble on a Nicely pass attempt with the ball going out of bounds for a 10-yard loss. Two plays later, Igor Iveljic lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt which was blocked by CB Kee-Ayre Griffin with 30 seconds to play in the half.
Senior PR Delano Green jump-started the Temple offense in the second half, returning an Akron punt 38 yards to the Zip 37. Streater took a reverse 16 yards to the 21 yard-line with RB Matt Brown (13 carries, 69 yds) moving the ball to the 10 on an 11-yard run. After settling for field goals in the first half, Gerardi found Jackson in the back of the end zone on the next play, a 10-yard TD for the red-shirt freshman's first career score.
Kroboth made his interception on the next possession, giving the offense the ball on the Akron 24. The Owls were unable to move it this time with the sure-footed McManus hitting his third field goal, this one from 45 yards, to make it 16-0.
Temple tacked on two more touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, to break open the contest. First Gerardi led the Owls on a 64-yard, six play drive, hitting Streater on consecutive short passes, and then following a 20-yard Pierce run, Streater picked up his first rushing touchdown, a 24-yard reverse that made it 23-0 with 9:03 remaining.
On the Owls next possession, Pierce capped a nine-play drive with his 10th touchdown of the season, this one an eight-yard gallop to paydirt to account for the final points.
Gerardi ended the day with career highs in attempts (22), completions (15) and yards (209). Streater made a career high five catches while also adding a career best 46 yards on three rushes. Pierce led the ground game with 86 yards on 19 rushes and Campbell had 96 yards on three receptions.
The Owls next travel to Kent State for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, November 6. The game will be broadcast on 1210 AM WPHT.
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