Temple University Athletics
Temple University
*#12/10 Louisville
Temple Falls at #12/10 Louisville, 45-17
11.3.12 | Football
POSTGAME NOTES
POSTGAME QUOTES
VIDEO
Addazio
Coyer
Brown
LOUISVILLE, KY - Sophomore QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for 324 yards and a career-high five touchdowns to lead #12/10 Louisville to a 45-17 win over visiting Temple in front of 44,609 fans at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium Saturday afternoon. Louisville improves to 9-0 for the first times in its school history, and 4-0 in BIG EAST play while Temple falls to 3-5, 2-3 in conference play.
The Owls started the game strong as senior Matt Brown took the opening kickoff 93 yards to paydirt to give Temple an initial 7-0 lead. It was Brown's second career kickoff return for a touchdown. He would end the day with 227 kickoff return yards, breaking the school record previously set by Travis Shelton (205, 2005).
Bridgewater quickly answered that, leading his Cardinals on a 10-play, 86-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard touchdown reception by Eli Rogers.
Temple would answer with a five yard touchdown run by senior RB Montel Harris with 2:05 left in the opening quarter. Harris, who rushed for 115 yards on 15 carries, had 41 yards on five rushes during the drive.
It took Louisville just two plays to tie the score as Bridgewater connected with Ryan Hubbell on a 72-yard touchdown.
A mishandled snap on Temple's first play following Hubbell's TD gave the Cardinals the ball on the TU 21. That led to a 36-yard John Wallace field goal to give Louisville its first lead of the game.
Two big rushes by junior QB Chris Coyer (20 yds) and Harris (25 yds) set up a Brandon McManus 34-yard field goal. The senior PK converted it to tie the game, as well as the TU mark for career field goal attempts (78).
Two explosive pass plays by Bridgewater, a 27-yarder to DeVontae Parker and a 22-yarder to Andrell Smith, set up a Jeremy Wright three-yard touchdown run to make the score 24-17.
The Owls drove the ball to midfield on their next possession with Harris converting a huge fourth-and-one at the Temple 48 to keep the drive alive. Then, on the next play, a snap that soared over Coyer's head put TU in a second-and-28 hole that stalled the drive.
Louisville then went on a back-breaking 90-yard drive that culminated in a 12-yard Bridegwater to Smith touchdown pass to give the Cardinals a 31-17 lead just prior to intermission.
The Cardinals capitalized on two Coyer third quarter fumbles in the third quarter to put the game away, The first one followed a huge 30-yard punt return that gave the Owls the ball at the Louisville 45. The junior QB lost the ball on a third down and two play after he appeared to have a first down. Bridgewater hit Parker on a 25-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive to make it 38-17. Two possessions later Coyer lost the ball at the Temple 31. Bridgewater connected with Smith on his fifth touchdown pass, a nine-yarder, to complete the scoring for the game.
Both Clinton "Juice" Granger and Kevin Newsome saw action at quarterback in the fourth quarter for the Owls. Granger completed three-of-seven passes for 21 yards while rushing for 14 yards. On his first touch of the season, Newsome rushed for 42 yards. He finished with 52 yards on three carries.
Temple will try and snap its three-game losing streak when it hosts Cincinnati on Saturday, November 10. Game time will be announced Sunday.
