Temple University Athletics
Saturday, October 9
DeKalb, Ill.
Noon
Temple University
17
at
31
*Northern Illinois
Photo by: Brian Cunningham
Temple Falls to Northern Illinois, 31-17, in MAC Showdown
10.9.10 | Football
Boxscore
Postgame Notes
Coaches Quotes
Temple Player Quotes
DEKALB, IL - Redshirt junior QB Chandler Harnish passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns and senior RB Chad Spann rushed 24 times for 100 yards and a score to lead host Northern Illinois to a 31-17 win over Temple in a battle of the Mid-American Conference preseason favorites Saturday afternoon at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies improve to 4-2, 2-0 while the Owls fall to 4-2, 1-1.
Harnish, who entered the game as the conference's leader in passing efficiency (158.6), completed 20 of 25 passes while also rushing for 65 yards on 12 carries. Spann, the conference's leading rusher (114.5 ypg.), topped the century mark for the third time this season.
After a first half dominated by both offenses ended with a 17-17 tie, the Owls were unable to keep it going in the final 30 minutes. Temple's best drive in the second half was its first one, but the drive stalled when WR Joe Jones dropped a Stewart pass on a third down play at the NIU 25. McManus, second in the MAC in field goals made, missed wide left from 42-yard out.
Harnish then completed four of five passes for 58 yards, the last one a four-yarder off a scramble on a third and goal play to Nathan Palmer in the end zone to put the Huskies ahead for good, 24-17.
After NIU forced Temple into its first punt of the game, a 56-yarder by Jeff Wathne, the Owls defense forced a stop. Then junior DT Adrian Robinson made a big play, diving to partially block a Josh Wilbur punt to give TU great field position at the NIU 46.
Temple, the second least penalized team in the conference, was called for three false starts in the first four plays of the drive. With third and 14 from the 50, Stewart overthrew a wide-open junior WR Rod Streater at the goal-line.
Again it was Harnish directing a double-figure play drive, an 11-play one for his fifth of the game. He started it with his legs, running for 24 yards and eight yards on consecutive plays to bring the ball to midfield. He then hit Landon Cox for 17 yards to the TU 27 before running for eight more. A 10-yard pass to Willie Clark gave the Huskies a first and goal at the nine with Spann carrying it in from six yards out two plays later, making it 31-17 with just under eight minutes remaining.
Stewart was picked off on the first play of the Owls next possession, and after the Owls defense forced a punt, the TU QB drove his team down to the NIU 12 before a sack aided in halting the drive.
One final Temple drive ended as NIU held on a four-and-one on its own 16.
The first half was all about offense as neither team would punt in the opening 30 minutes and the only miscue would come on the second play of the game, when senior FS Jaiquawn Jarrett drilled Spann forcing a fumble that was recovered by senior CB Marquise Liverpool. Jarrett led all tacklers with a career-high 13 stops.
Two plays later, sophomore RB Matt Brown,the reigning MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week, would run 25 yards around right end to paydirt, to give Temple an early 7-0 lead. It was Brown's sixth rushing TD of the season, tops on the team. He also would eclipse 1000 yards for his career in the game as he ended up with 93 yards on 13 carries.
NIU would answer right back as Harnish, the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, led the Huskies down the field. Harnish showed why he is the conference's leader in pass efficiency, completing all seven of his passes for 55 yards in the 15-play drive that was capped when Akeem Daniels scored from nine-yards out to tie the game.
The Owls regained the lead as Stewart led TU down the field on its own 15-play drive. Following consecutive first down runs, first a 12 –yard reverse by James Nixon and then and 11-yarder by Brown, the Owls drive stalled in the red zone. Sophomore Brandon McManus converted a 33-yard field goal to put the Owls in front, 10-7.
Harnish again went to work for NIU, engineering an 18-play drive that ended with a Michael Cklamovski 28-yard field goal. It was a freak snap with Harnish in the shotgun hitting a Huskie receiver in motion causing a fumble recovered for a seven-yard loss by the NIU signal-caller that helped stall the drive in the red zone.
Brown, who continues to excel as the Owls' Heisman hopeful, Bernard Pierce recovers from a high ankle sprain, returned the kickoff 55 yards, a career best for the “bug”. Pierce, who had three carries for six yards, broke off a 39-yarder before being pulled down at the six, but a holding call brought back the big gain. It would be his last carry of the contest.
Stewart then came up with two big passes, first one a 17-yarder in which senior WR Michael Campbell made a highlight reel reception. Following a Brown seven-yard run, Stewart hit a streaking TE Evan Rodriguez down the right sideline for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 17-10.
Harnish went right back to work, leading NIU on its third straight double-figure play drive. The 10-play, 64-yard drive culminated with Harnish connecting with Landon Cox on a 10-yard TD reception with just 30 seconds remaining in the half.
Temple returns to the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field where it owns an eight-game win streak to take on Bowling Green next Saturday, October 16 (1:00 p.m.) in its annual homecoming game. The game will be broadcast on WHAT 1340 AM.
Postgame Notes
Coaches Quotes
Temple Player Quotes
DEKALB, IL - Redshirt junior QB Chandler Harnish passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns and senior RB Chad Spann rushed 24 times for 100 yards and a score to lead host Northern Illinois to a 31-17 win over Temple in a battle of the Mid-American Conference preseason favorites Saturday afternoon at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies improve to 4-2, 2-0 while the Owls fall to 4-2, 1-1.
Harnish, who entered the game as the conference's leader in passing efficiency (158.6), completed 20 of 25 passes while also rushing for 65 yards on 12 carries. Spann, the conference's leading rusher (114.5 ypg.), topped the century mark for the third time this season.
After a first half dominated by both offenses ended with a 17-17 tie, the Owls were unable to keep it going in the final 30 minutes. Temple's best drive in the second half was its first one, but the drive stalled when WR Joe Jones dropped a Stewart pass on a third down play at the NIU 25. McManus, second in the MAC in field goals made, missed wide left from 42-yard out.
Harnish then completed four of five passes for 58 yards, the last one a four-yarder off a scramble on a third and goal play to Nathan Palmer in the end zone to put the Huskies ahead for good, 24-17.
After NIU forced Temple into its first punt of the game, a 56-yarder by Jeff Wathne, the Owls defense forced a stop. Then junior DT Adrian Robinson made a big play, diving to partially block a Josh Wilbur punt to give TU great field position at the NIU 46.
Temple, the second least penalized team in the conference, was called for three false starts in the first four plays of the drive. With third and 14 from the 50, Stewart overthrew a wide-open junior WR Rod Streater at the goal-line.
Again it was Harnish directing a double-figure play drive, an 11-play one for his fifth of the game. He started it with his legs, running for 24 yards and eight yards on consecutive plays to bring the ball to midfield. He then hit Landon Cox for 17 yards to the TU 27 before running for eight more. A 10-yard pass to Willie Clark gave the Huskies a first and goal at the nine with Spann carrying it in from six yards out two plays later, making it 31-17 with just under eight minutes remaining.
Stewart was picked off on the first play of the Owls next possession, and after the Owls defense forced a punt, the TU QB drove his team down to the NIU 12 before a sack aided in halting the drive.
One final Temple drive ended as NIU held on a four-and-one on its own 16.
The first half was all about offense as neither team would punt in the opening 30 minutes and the only miscue would come on the second play of the game, when senior FS Jaiquawn Jarrett drilled Spann forcing a fumble that was recovered by senior CB Marquise Liverpool. Jarrett led all tacklers with a career-high 13 stops.
Two plays later, sophomore RB Matt Brown,the reigning MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week, would run 25 yards around right end to paydirt, to give Temple an early 7-0 lead. It was Brown's sixth rushing TD of the season, tops on the team. He also would eclipse 1000 yards for his career in the game as he ended up with 93 yards on 13 carries.
NIU would answer right back as Harnish, the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, led the Huskies down the field. Harnish showed why he is the conference's leader in pass efficiency, completing all seven of his passes for 55 yards in the 15-play drive that was capped when Akeem Daniels scored from nine-yards out to tie the game.
The Owls regained the lead as Stewart led TU down the field on its own 15-play drive. Following consecutive first down runs, first a 12 –yard reverse by James Nixon and then and 11-yarder by Brown, the Owls drive stalled in the red zone. Sophomore Brandon McManus converted a 33-yard field goal to put the Owls in front, 10-7.
Harnish again went to work for NIU, engineering an 18-play drive that ended with a Michael Cklamovski 28-yard field goal. It was a freak snap with Harnish in the shotgun hitting a Huskie receiver in motion causing a fumble recovered for a seven-yard loss by the NIU signal-caller that helped stall the drive in the red zone.
Brown, who continues to excel as the Owls' Heisman hopeful, Bernard Pierce recovers from a high ankle sprain, returned the kickoff 55 yards, a career best for the “bug”. Pierce, who had three carries for six yards, broke off a 39-yarder before being pulled down at the six, but a holding call brought back the big gain. It would be his last carry of the contest.
Stewart then came up with two big passes, first one a 17-yarder in which senior WR Michael Campbell made a highlight reel reception. Following a Brown seven-yard run, Stewart hit a streaking TE Evan Rodriguez down the right sideline for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 17-10.
Harnish went right back to work, leading NIU on its third straight double-figure play drive. The 10-play, 64-yard drive culminated with Harnish connecting with Landon Cox on a 10-yard TD reception with just 30 seconds remaining in the half.
Temple returns to the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field where it owns an eight-game win streak to take on Bowling Green next Saturday, October 16 (1:00 p.m.) in its annual homecoming game. The game will be broadcast on WHAT 1340 AM.
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