"Just the Facts" Machine

News & Notes Following Temple's 35-24 win vs. Tulsa

Temple is now won at least four of its first five games for just the fifth time in the Modern Era (since 1971).
2014       4-1          ???         W-L-W-W-W
2010       4-1          8-4          W-W-W-L-W-L-W-W-W-W-L-L
1979       4-1          10-2       W-W-W-L-W-W-W-W-W-L-W-W
1974       5-0          8-2          W-W-W-W-W-W-L-L-W-W
1973       4-1          9-1          W-L-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W

Not only have the Owls already doubled their win total of a year ago, they have doubled their number of home victories, road victories, and conference victories before the midway point of the season.

Temple is the only team in the FBS to register 36 or more points per game (38.2) and fewer than 15 (14.4).

Temple trailed 24-21 for 4:16 seconds early in the 4^th quarter. It is only the second time all season that the Owls have trailed in a game. They fell behind in the first quarter vs. Navy and didn't recover..

Full House
Three seniors scored touchdowns – WR Jalen Fitzpatrick, RB Kenneth Harper and QB Connor Reilly (Temple lists just five seniors on their two-deep roster – the fewest in the FBS this season). Joining that threesome in the end zone yesterday were a pair of high school teammates – RB Jahad Thomas and QB P.J. Walker were backfield mates at Elizabeth (NJ) High.

Reilly and Thomas became the 14^th and 15^th players to score a TD for the Owls this season surpassing the total of 14 Owls to reach the end zone a year ago. Reilly, a backup QB, scored on a three yard run as the holder on a fake field goal. Thomas scored his first career TD becoming the 10^th Owl to record his first collegiate score this season.

the Joint is Jumping
RB Jahad Thomas, RB Jamie Gilmore and WR Jalen Fitzpatrick all jumped the century mark. Thomas was 14-152 rushing, Gilmore was 2-100 receiving and Fitzpatrick was 5-107-1TD receiving. For Thomas and Gilmore it was the first time they reached that plateau and Fitzpatrick has reached that milestone for the second time this season and the third of his career. It marked the sixth time that Temple had two 100-yard receivers in the same game and the first since 9/20/03 when Zamir Cobb and Phil Goodman did so vs. Cincinnati. It marked only the second time in school history that a 100-yard rusher joined two 100-yard receivers in the same game – that last happened on 10/5/85 when Paul Palmer joined Willie Marshall and Keith Gloster also vs. Cincinnati.

WR Jalen Fitzpatrick has scored a TD in all five games this season. He was the game's leading receiver yesterday with five catches for 107 yards to go with the TD. He now has 24 receptions for 335 yards and 5 TDs. He already has a career high in TDs and is just 94 yards shy of his best season in yards.

QB P.J. Walker threw for a season-high 294 yards and two TDs. He has now thrown a TD pass in 13 straight games. He also rushed for one TD – it marked the second time this season and the fifth time in his career that he reached the end zone on the ground and through the air in the same game.
Jahad Thomas raced 68 yards on the game's first play for the longest run from scrimmage by an Owl since Bernard Pierce ran 69-yards for a TD vs. Kent State on 11/19/11. He later added a 34 yard run and Jamie Gilmore added a 32-yard run for the three longest runs from scrimmage by the Owls this season.

Thomas, in his first significant action at running back, was 14-152 rushing and 1-20-1TD receiving. He also added 36 yards on 2 KORs. He was the first Owl to surpass the 100 yard mark since Kenneth Harper on 9/14/13 vs. Fordham. It was the most rushing yards by an Owl since Montel Harris ran for 351 yards at Army on 11/17/12.

With the score tied 14-14 late in the second quarter, Tulsa advanced the ball from their 20 yard line down the field into the Temple red zone. With first-and-goal at the six, Temple's defense held Tulsa out of the end zone including a stop on 4^th-and-1. With 2:00 minutes to go in the half and 99 yards in from of them, Temple's offense marched 99 yards in five plays for a 21-14 halftime lead. The 99-yard scoring drive ties the longest in football history.

That drive was highlighted by a 64-yard pass to RB Jamie Gilmore. Gilmore had 8 touches for 143 combined yards including plays of 64, 36 and 32 yards.

LB Tyler Matakevich led the Owls with 14 tackles (10 solos), including 2.0 TFL. He also broke up a pass. One of his tackles was a 4^th-and-goal stop on the 1-yard line late in the 2^nd quarter of a 14-14 tie.

"Just the Facts" Machine

Players Mentioned

Jalen Fitzpatrick

Jamie Gilmore

Kenneth Harper

Tyler Matakevich

Connor Reilly

Jahad Thomas

Phillip Walker

Temple University Athletics