Thomas, Owls Hold on to Top Bearcats 34-26

Saturday, September 12

Nippert Stadium - Cincinnati

8:00 p.m.

Temple University

2-0 , 1-0

Cincinnati

1-1 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Temple

Cincinnati

Photo by: Timothy D. Sofranko

Thomas, Owls Hold on to Top Bearcats 34-26

9.12.15 | Football

Box Score

CINCINNATI – Jahad Thomas rushed for a career-high 193 yards and senior LB Tyler Matakevich made two interceptions, including one in the end zone in the final seconds, as the Temple Owls defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 34-26 at Nippert Stadium in American Athletic Conference play Saturday night. A crowd of 38,122 came out for the conference opener and saw the Owls defense withstand a late Bearcat surge to go to 2-0 and defeat their division rival for the first time on the road since 1985.

Temple took the lead in the first quarter following a Bearcat fumble that gave the Owls the ball on the Cincinnati 45. Initially the Bearcats were ruled to have recovered the ball, but Temple head coach Matt Rhule challenged the call and it was determined that senior safety Will Hayes had recovered. The Owls marched 23 yards in five plays with Austin Jones opening scoring with a 40-yard field goal.

The Bearcats put together two prolonged drives, but settled for two Andrew Gantz field goals to take a 6-3 lead in the second quarter. The Owls responded with a drive before the half. Thomas broke off consecutive runs of 12 and 18 yards to get the ball into the red zone. After a delay of game penalty, junior quarterback P.J. Walker hit Thomas, his high school teammate, for 22 yards down the far sideline for a first-and-goal at the 2. After Thomas plunged for a yard, Walker looked right and hit senior fullback Michael Felton in the end zone for a one-yard strike, his first career catch, silencing the white-clad student section in the end zone.

Thomas was just getting started. He took the second-half kickoff 100 yards to the house, tying a program record, and stretching the lead to 17-6 before fans could return with their halftime concessions. The Bearcats responded with an 88-yard bomb from Kiel to Mekale McKay to cut the lead. Senior cornerback Tavon Young broke up the two-point conversion try to keep the edge at 17-12. Temple responded with another Thomas run, this time 56 yards to stretch the lead to 24-12.

The defense forced another turnover as sophomore cornerback Sean Chandler batted a ball into the arms of Matakevich, who made a sprawling interception at the Bearcats' 27. The Owls turned that into Walker's second TD throw as he found Robby Anderson in the back corner of the end zone from 13 yards out to make it 31-12. An Alex Wells interception on the following Bearcat possession set up a nine-play, 25-yard drive that ate up 5:09 and led to Jones' second field goal of the evening, as he converted from 35 yards.

The Bearcats responded with a drive that ended with a Tion Green direct snap from six-yards out to cut the lead to 31-19. Another late drive was thwarted by a second Wells interception and 57-yard return. Kiel led another touchdown drive with a two-yard pass to Shaq Washington that made it 34-26. However, Matakevich recovered the onside kick attempt at the Bearcats' 45. The game took another twist as Thomas fumbled and the Bearcats recovered. Kiel strung together passes and got his team five yards from a comeback. However, another Chandler tip in the end zone saw the ball fall into the outstretched arms of Matakevich with 13 seconds on the clock. The Owls defense finished the game with five takeaways, including four INTs.

The team travels to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to face UMass next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m.

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