Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Army
Harris Sets School Records in Seven TD Day, Leads Temple to 63-32 Win at Army
11.17.12 | Football
Boxscore
Postgame Notes
Postgame Quotes
VIDEO
Addazio
Harris
Granger/Matatkevich/McManus
Harris TD Highlight Video [courtesy of the BIG EAST]
Owls Re-write 22 Records in Historic Game
WEST POINT, NY - Senior RB Montel Harris had a career day, rushing for 351 yards and seven touchdowns - both BIG EAST and school records -- to lead the Owls to a 63-32 win at Army. The win snapped a four-game skid for Temple, which improved to 4-6 overall. Army fell to 2-9.
The 63 points scored ties the Temple NCAA Division I-A record set back in 1973 in a win over Holy Cross. The Owls also established a new team record for rushing yards with 534, breaking the old mark set in 1977 against Drake (477 yards), just two yards shy of the BIG EAST mark. The nine rushing touchdowns were a new BIG EAST and school record.
[for complete list of records, please see postgame notes above]
Harris, who did not practice the entire week after suffering a mild knee injury against Cincinnati, also set a new rushing record by at Army's MIchie Stadium, shattering Hall of Famer and former Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett's 268 yards compiled in 1975 in a Pitt win at Army.
“Obviously we went out there today and ran the heck out of the football,” said Temple coach Steve Addazio. “Montel (Harris) broke the school rushing record with 351 yards and broke the touchdown record with seven TDs, and we tied for the most points scored in the history of Temple football."
The offensive line blocked really well today. I thought we knocked them off the ball, I thought there was great holes in there. I thought (Montel) also, when there wasn't, he bulled his way and twisted his way and drove his way for those extra yards on those scores. He just ran really hard.”
Harris was not the only record-breaking Owl in what was a great day for the Cherry and White. Lost in the historic rushing attack was senior PK Brandon McManus breaking Bernard Pierce's record for career points. The always reliable McManus connected on nine-of-nine extra points to increase his four-year total to 330 points, six more than his good friend and former teammate's mark.
Junior Juice Granger made his first start at QB, and also set a mark – fewest passes completed (2) and attempted (4) in a game. That was also a Temple team mark. Granger, whose first completion of 11 yards was on the Owls' third play and provided a key first down.
That helped set up Temple's first score, a 12-yard run by senior Matt Brown. After the Owls defense forced a Black Knights punt on their opening drive, Brown added a second score, this one a 36-yarder to put TU ahead 14-0.
Army answered with a 12-play, 83-yard drive of its own capped by a seven-yard TD run by senior QB Trent Steelman. The Black Knights then recovered an on-sides kick at the Owls 40, but again the TU defense held, forcing a punt fielded by Brown, who was injured on the play.
Brown, who had all of his 71 rushing yards on four carries in the first quarter, would not return. This opened the door for his teammate and good friend, Harris, to take over.
“Whenever you have a big player go down, you know you have to step it up and try and fill his shoes, and that's just what I was trying to do,” said Harris. “The offensive line picked it up, we all knew we had to pick it up with Matt down, and that's what we did.”
Following an Army field goal to cut the score to 14-10, broke off a 60-yard run, his longest of the day, to extend the lead to 21-10. On Temple's next possession he scored again, this time on a one-yard run following a 19-yard shovel pass from Granger to Kenny Harper.
That was Granger's last completion, but there was no need to throw the ball as the Owls' offensive line was opening gaping holes for the running game.
Army took little time to score on its first possession of the second half as a Larry Dixon 43-yard run set up a Steelman one-yard TD. Raymond Maples scored a two-point conversion to make it 28-18.
Temple did not let up, however, as Harris scored touchdowns on the team's next five possessions. They came on runs of one, 37, two, 37 and one yards to put the game out of reach.
Granger also set a new career-high in rushing yardage as the new starter carried the ball nine times for 85 yards
Defensively, freshman Tyler Matakevich (13) and Vaughn Carraway (11) each contributed double figures in tackles while Matakevich and Nate D. Smith also recovered fumbles.
Temple hosts Syracuse on Friday, November 23 in an ESPN2-televised game kicking off at 11:00 a.m. The Owls' seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony and the first 3,000 fans entering Lincoln Financial Field will receive free knit ski caps presented by Jack Frost Big Boulder.
