Temple University Athletics
Temple University
*at Bowling Green
Football Falls To Bowling Green, 13-10
10.22.11 | Football
Owls have season-high 12 penalties in first road loss of season
Boxscore in PDF
Postgame Notes
Press Conference Video: Addazio
BOWLING GREEN, OHIO - Sophomore QB Matt Schilz connected with sophomore WR Shaun Joplin on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 7:41 remaining to lead Bowling Green to a 13-10 win over visiting Temple at Saturday afternoon at Doyt L. Perry Stadium. With their first road loss of the season, the Owls fall to 5-3, 3-2 Mid-American Conference while Falcons improve to 4-4, 2-2.
The winning score came just under four minutes after the Owls had taken a 10-6 lead on a two-yard touchdown run by junior RB Bernard Pierce. Pierce's TD, his 18th of the season, enabled him to take over sole possession of Temple's career points lead with 270. He entered the game tied with Paul Palmer at 264.
Matt Brown, who led the Owls with 119 yards (22 carries), set up Pierce's touchdown plunge with a 58-yard run to the Bowling Green 7. Brown and Pierce (107 yards - 17 carries) each rushed for 100 yards for the third time this year, and fourth in their careers. Brown also added 121 return yards for the game.
The Owls had three possessions over the final 7:41, but were unable to mount any real threat. There best opportunity came on the ensuing drive, redshirt senior QB Chester Stewart (7-13, 66 yds) was called for an illegal forward pass after crossing the line of scrimmage on a 45-yard completion to Joe Jones.
That play was symbolic of the game as the Owls were called for a season-high 12 penalties (97 yards), double their previous high this season.
Junior Brandon McManus, who had a career-high nine punts for a 45.2 average, connected on a 27-yard field goal on the Owls' initial drive of the second half to tie the game at 3-3. The Temple all-purpose kicker missed on a second attempt from 39-yards out later in the third quarter.
Bowling Green regained the lead, 6-3, as Schilz (20-34-0, 204 yds, 1 TD) marched the Falcons on a 13-play, 67-yard drive with Stephen Stein connecting on a 29-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.
It was an atypical first half for the Owls. Temple was unable to mount any consistency on offensive,amassing just 121 yards and six first downs. The Owls failed to score in the first quarter for the first time under head coach Steve Addazio.
Bowling Green, who entered the game eighth in the conference in rushing defense (194.1 ypg.), held Temple to 92 first half rushing yards on the ground on 25 carries. Pierce, who leads the MAC and ranks eighth nationally in rushing (120.6 ypg.), had 79 yards on 12 carries, but 35 yards came on one rush.
While the offense was struggling, the Temple defense showed why it is among the nation's leaders. The Owls held the Falcons to eight first downs and 147 yards.
Freshman RB Anthon Samuel (112 yds, 18 carries) accounted for 48 of those yards on one carry, before he was pulled down at the Temple 44 by senior FS Kevin Kroboth. That rush, which was followed by back to-back first down pass plays, set up the only points of the half, a 33-yard field goal by Stephen Stein with 3:19 remaining in the first quarter.
The Falcons had another good scoring opportunity when they drove the ball to the Temple 23 early in the second quarter. But sacks by sophomore LB Blaze Caponegro, the first of his career, and junior LB Ahkeem Smith, ended the drive.
Temple has a bye week before travelling to Athens to take on the Ohio Bobcats on ESPN Wednesday, November 2 (8:00 p.m./1210 AM WPHT).
