Football's Comeback Bid Falls Short Against Houston, 20-13

Saturday, September 30

Philadelphia, Pa.

12:00 p.m. EST

Temple University

Houston

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Football's Comeback Bid Falls Short Against Houston, 20-13

9.30.17 | Football

PHILADELPHIA – After struggling through a tough first half, laced with close calls and no points, Temple (2-3, 0-2 AAC) battled back throughout the remainder of the game, coming up short, 20-13, to visiting American Athletic Conference foe Houston (3-1, 1-0 AAC) on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls defense competed spectacularly, holding the high-powered Cougar offense to just 388 total yards on the day. Meanwhile, the Temple rushing attack got back on its feet, racking up 142 yards on 37 carries.

Keys to the Game
> Following a string of scoreless possessions to kickoff the game, Houston found the endzone on a 13-yard misdirection rush up the left sideline midway through the first quarter. The touchdown came one play after a Temple interception was reversed in lieu of a pass interference call, setting up the Cougars deep in the red zone.
> As the second quarter began, Houston extended its lead to 10-0 off a 25-yard field goal from Caden Novikoff, capping a 10-play, 55-yard drive.
> Novikoff returned less than five minutes later to knock through another attempt, this time from 35-yards out, pushing the Cougars to an eventual 13-0 halftime advantage.
> Houston continued the second half just as they had the first: with a scoring drive. The Cougars maneuvered their way 85 yards on nine plays, sealing the possession with a nine-yard touchdown pass from QB Kyle Postma to WR Linell Bonner III.
> The ensuing Temple drive proved fruitful for the first time in the matchup, as the Owls moved the ball 41 yards before K Aaron Boumerhi drilled a 41-yard field goal, cutting the lead down to a 20-3 Houston edge.
> One unsuccessful Cougar possession later, Temple managed an 11-play, 85-yard drive all the way into the endzone. Following a touchdown overturned on second down and a stuffed run on third, QB Logan Marchi shoveled the ball to RB David Hood for the one-yard score, moving the Owls within striking distance.
> The Temple defense proceed to come alive, dominating the Cougar offense for the remainder of the game. The excellent field position set up Boumerhi with a 29-yard chip shot, finally closing the gap to one possession, 20-13.
> Throughout the final minutes of the game, the Owls had two offensive opportunities to knot the score at 20, but came up short each time. With time expiring, Houston intercepted Marchi for the third time, sealing the 20-13 victory over Temple.

Game Notes
> The first half shutout composed by the Houston defense marked the first time in 51 games Temple was unable to find the scoreboard in the opening two periods. The stretch dates back to October 7, 2013, when the Owls fell to then-No. 7 Louisville.
> Boumerhi went perfect for the first time this season, going 2-of-2 on fields goal (35, 29).
> Sophomore LB William Kwenkeu recorded a career-best in tackles with seven, topping his previous high of five earlier this season against USF.
> Similarly, redshirt senior DB Mike Jones racked up a season-high in tackles, notching six on the game. Previously this year, Jones had two games (@Notre Dame & vs. UMass) with four total tackles.

Up Next
The Owls take to the road for the third time this season for yet another conference matchup, traveling to Greenville, N.C., to face division opponent ECU on Saturday, October 7 (Noon, ESPNU, 97.5 The Fanatic).