Temple University Athletics
Temple Shuts Out Stony Brook to Earn First Victory 38-0
9.10.16 | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Under a blazing mid-September heat with 22,296 fans packing the stands, the Temple Owls secured their initial win of the season over visiting FCS-member Stony Brook, 38-0, Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
Despite the high scoreline, the Temple defense proved the most impressive component for the Owls, holding the Seawolves to just 133 yards with no scores. Throughout the first half, Stony Brook only saw the Temple side of 50-yard line on one possession. That came after a tipped-pass interception at midfield.
The early dominance by the defense helped the group reassert its identity, a self-proclaimed aggression and hyperactivity. The consistent pressure and blitz-prone front seven made Stony Brook visibly uncomfortable, forcing four turnovers, three sacks and nine tackles-for-loss. On the day, the Seawolves finished a dismal 0-for-13 on third down conversions.
Head coach Matt Rhule discussed his pride regarding how Temple competed during the shutout, noting the "energy" and "juice" the Owls had against the Seawolves despite a full week of grueling practice and, not to forget, last Friday's loss to Army still fresh in many players' minds.
"I'm really proud of our team over the last eight days, some real key leadership," Rhule said. "It was a really, really hard work. We were not a fresh team out there today. We worked this week. I thought you saw, hopefully, a team that played with a lot of energy, a lot of juice, and did enough to win the football game, and to get a shutout on defense is always special."
Meanwhile, the defensive energy bled its way into the offensive huddle, as senior QB Phillip Walker guided his squad on multiple scoring drives throughout both halves. Walker, who snapped the school record for career passing yards last week against Army, completed a nearly flawless game, throwing 11-of-23 for three scores with the lone interception.
Under Walker's direction, the offense either reached or began in the redzone five consecutive times after a stalled first possession, scoring touchdowns on four of those occasions. The third quarter proved similar as each of the first two drives saw the scoreboard change in Temple's favor, including a 26-yard strike to junior WR Keith Kirkwood, all before the senior sat out the final period.
On the receiving end of the senior's passes were a number of wideouts; none, however, posted a game near Kirkwood, who pulled in a career-high two touchdowns on four receptions for 54 yards. Kirkwood's standout display was supplemented by a first for sophomore WR Brodrick Yancy, who grabbed his initial career score on 15-yard pass in the back of the end zone late in the second quarter.
The Owl offensive engine hit on all cylinders from the get-go, pounding the Stony Brook front all while utilizing a slew of ball carriers for 177 yards on 39 carries for two touchdowns. Sophomore RB Ryquell Armstead saw the most action, generating consistent positive yardage with 48 yards on 14 carries.
A pair of freshmen each made an impact rushing for the Owls, as WR Isaiah Wright made his debut with seven notable touches (42 yards) at tailback while WR Cortrelle Simpson notched two end-around sweeps for 40 yards.
The special teams saw a milestone crossed during the victory, as junior PK Austin Jones' sole field goal midway through the second half jumped him into sixth all-time on Temple's career scoring list, surpassing Cap Poklemba's 190 points from the 1999-02 seasons. Further, P Alex Starzyk showcased his coffin corner skills on two of his four punts against Stony Brook, watching the ball downed at the one-yard line on both kicks.
As for Temple head coach Matt Rhule, the shutout of the Seawolves marks the second of his Owl career, the last of which came against fellow FCS-member Delaware State by a 59-0 mark in 2014.
With the victory, Temple improves to 1-1 (0-0 American), quickly righting the ship after the early stumble against Army. The Owls now turn their attention to their first road test, a trip to central Pennsylvania's Happy Valley to battle rival Penn State (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten), who dropped a 42-39 decision to Pitt early on Saturday.
Final Stats | Video Highlights | Pre-Game Gallery | Game Action Gallery | Quotes
Press Conferences: Rhule | Walker | Chandler
Despite the high scoreline, the Temple defense proved the most impressive component for the Owls, holding the Seawolves to just 133 yards with no scores. Throughout the first half, Stony Brook only saw the Temple side of 50-yard line on one possession. That came after a tipped-pass interception at midfield.
The early dominance by the defense helped the group reassert its identity, a self-proclaimed aggression and hyperactivity. The consistent pressure and blitz-prone front seven made Stony Brook visibly uncomfortable, forcing four turnovers, three sacks and nine tackles-for-loss. On the day, the Seawolves finished a dismal 0-for-13 on third down conversions.
Head coach Matt Rhule discussed his pride regarding how Temple competed during the shutout, noting the "energy" and "juice" the Owls had against the Seawolves despite a full week of grueling practice and, not to forget, last Friday's loss to Army still fresh in many players' minds.
"I'm really proud of our team over the last eight days, some real key leadership," Rhule said. "It was a really, really hard work. We were not a fresh team out there today. We worked this week. I thought you saw, hopefully, a team that played with a lot of energy, a lot of juice, and did enough to win the football game, and to get a shutout on defense is always special."
Meanwhile, the defensive energy bled its way into the offensive huddle, as senior QB Phillip Walker guided his squad on multiple scoring drives throughout both halves. Walker, who snapped the school record for career passing yards last week against Army, completed a nearly flawless game, throwing 11-of-23 for three scores with the lone interception.
Under Walker's direction, the offense either reached or began in the redzone five consecutive times after a stalled first possession, scoring touchdowns on four of those occasions. The third quarter proved similar as each of the first two drives saw the scoreboard change in Temple's favor, including a 26-yard strike to junior WR Keith Kirkwood, all before the senior sat out the final period.
On the receiving end of the senior's passes were a number of wideouts; none, however, posted a game near Kirkwood, who pulled in a career-high two touchdowns on four receptions for 54 yards. Kirkwood's standout display was supplemented by a first for sophomore WR Brodrick Yancy, who grabbed his initial career score on 15-yard pass in the back of the end zone late in the second quarter.
The Owl offensive engine hit on all cylinders from the get-go, pounding the Stony Brook front all while utilizing a slew of ball carriers for 177 yards on 39 carries for two touchdowns. Sophomore RB Ryquell Armstead saw the most action, generating consistent positive yardage with 48 yards on 14 carries.
A pair of freshmen each made an impact rushing for the Owls, as WR Isaiah Wright made his debut with seven notable touches (42 yards) at tailback while WR Cortrelle Simpson notched two end-around sweeps for 40 yards.
The special teams saw a milestone crossed during the victory, as junior PK Austin Jones' sole field goal midway through the second half jumped him into sixth all-time on Temple's career scoring list, surpassing Cap Poklemba's 190 points from the 1999-02 seasons. Further, P Alex Starzyk showcased his coffin corner skills on two of his four punts against Stony Brook, watching the ball downed at the one-yard line on both kicks.
As for Temple head coach Matt Rhule, the shutout of the Seawolves marks the second of his Owl career, the last of which came against fellow FCS-member Delaware State by a 59-0 mark in 2014.
With the victory, Temple improves to 1-1 (0-0 American), quickly righting the ship after the early stumble against Army. The Owls now turn their attention to their first road test, a trip to central Pennsylvania's Happy Valley to battle rival Penn State (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten), who dropped a 42-39 decision to Pitt early on Saturday.
Final Stats | Video Highlights | Pre-Game Gallery | Game Action Gallery | Quotes
Press Conferences: Rhule | Walker | Chandler

Team Stats
SBU
TEM
Total Yards
133
301
Pass Yards
84
124
Rushing Yards
49
177
Penalty Yards
33
20
1st Downs
7
14
3rd Downs
0
7
4th Downs
2
0
TOP
29:28
30:32
1st Quarter

SBU 0, TEM 7
TEM - ARMSTEAD,R. 3 yd run (JONES,Austin kick), 4 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:12

SBU 0, TEM 14
TEM - KIRKWOOD,Keith 5 yd pass from WALKER,Phillip (JONES,Austin kick) 8 plays, 59 yards, TOP 4:27
2nd Quarter

SBU 0, TEM 21
TEM - GARDNER,Jager 4 yd run (JONES,Austin kick), 2 plays, 21 yards, TOP 0:36

SBU 0, TEM 28
TEM - YANCY,Brodrick 15 yd pass from WALKER,Phillip (JONES,Austin kick) 7 plays, 59 yards, TOP 3:30
3rd Quarter

SBU 0, TEM 35
TEM - KIRKWOOD,Keith 26 yd pass from WALKER,Phillip (JONES,Austin kick) 5 plays, 40 yards, TOP 2:37

SBU 0, TEM 38
TEM - JONES,Austin 21 yd field goal 7 plays, 18 yards, TOP 2:45
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
Players Mentioned
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