Temple University Athletics

Saturday, August 31
Philadelphia, Pa.
3:00pm

Temple University

56
vs
12

Bucknell

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Football Dominates Bucknell in Season Opener, 56-12

8.31.19 | Football

PHILADELPHIA- In front of 26,378 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, the Temple Owls started off the 2019 season hot with a dominant 56-12 win over the Bucknell Bison. The Owls broke the single-season record for yards in a game with 695 total yards on offense and didn't allow a touchdown on defense. It is the largest opening day margin of victory (44 points) since 1969 at Rhode Island when the Owls beat the Rams 47-3.
 
How it Happened

>Temple came out firing in the first quarter and scored on its opening drive of the season. After driving 67-yards into the redzone, QB Anthony Russo pitched a shovel pass to WR Jadan Blue to take the lead 7-0.

>The Owls' defense forced Bucknell to punt again. Temple then took advantage of its great defensive play by scoring on offense, marching 77 yards on 10 plays to push the score to 14-0 with five minutes left in the first quarter. The drive was capped off by an 11-yard touchdown run by RB Jager Gardner.

>The Owls got the ball back again after another Bison punt and drove down the field 77 yards.  Gardner scored again on a one-yard punch-in to lengthen the lead to 21-0. Russo hit Blue for 37-yards to set up the score.

>Following another Bucknell punt, the Owls got the ball again deep in their own territory. Despite starting at their own 4 yard line, the Owls drove the length of the field and scored for the fourth time in a row to go up 28-0. Russo connected with WR Isaiah Wright in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard score.

>Temple forced another punt on the following drive and set up its offense on its own 37 yard line. Bucknell quickly turned the tables and jumped a Russo pass, taking it back for a touchdown. A missed extra-point made the score 28-6 in favor.

>Following a punt by Temple, Bucknell hit another field goal to make it 28-9.

>Before the end of the half, Temple got the ball back and wasted no time scoring. Russo hit true freshman RB Re'Mahn Davis in the flat and he took it up the sideline 51 yards for a half-ending touchdown to bring the lead to 35-9.

>Bucknell opened up the second half with a 13-play drive that led to another field goal to make the score 35-12.

>Temple responded on the next drive with another touchdown pass from Russo. The junior QB hit TE Aaron Jarman for a 10-yard touchdown, the first reception and touchdown in the redshirt freshman's career. Temple led 42-12 halfway through the third quarter.

>The Owls' stout defense forced another three-and-out and capitalized on it with another touchdown. Wright broke off a 34-yard run to get the Owls over midfield. Davis finished a 7-yard carry for the score to make it 49-12.

>The teams traded punts to start the fourth quarter. Bucknell put together a long 15-play drive, but had nothing to show for it after the Owls stood strong in the red zone and forced a turnover on downs inside their own 10-yard line.

>Todd Centeio relieved Russo of QB duties and the Owls continued to attack on offense. Centeio hit Travon Williams down the sideline for an 89-yard touchdown to make it 56-12, and end the scoring.
 
NOTES

>Most passing yards by Temple in a game (507).

>Russo is the first Temple QB to throw for two 400+ yard games in his career.

>First career touchdown for WR Jadan Blue.

>First career multi-touchdown game for RB Jager Gardner.

>First career receiving and rushing touchdown for RB Re'Mahn Davis in his first collegiate game. He became the first Temple freshman to rush for and catch a touchdown pass in a single game since Tanardo Sharps in 1999 (as first reported by Kyle Gauss of OwlSccop.com).

>First career sack for DT Ifeanyi Maijeh.

>First career catch and touchdown for TE Aaron Jarman.

>Two Owls with 100+ yards receiving - Blue (10-117-1) and Branden Mack (9-130-0) - first time since the Military Bowl in 2015.

>First career catch for WRs Jose Barbon and  Thomas Mattioni.

>The following players made their collegiate debut: CB Aaron Adu, DT Khris Banks, Barbon, CB Elijah Clark, Davis, RB Kyle Dobbins, OL Andrew Eisenson, OL J.D. Gomez, SAF M.J. Griffin, DT Shane Hogarth, Jarman, DE Layton Jordan, DE Travon King, TE Sam Kramer, Mattioni, SAF Chauncey Moore, OL David Nwaogwugwu, OL Leon Pinto, DT Wisdom Quarshie, WR Jordan Smith, and OL Victor Stoffel.

>The following players made their Temple debut: P Adam Barry, CB Harrison Hand, OL Joseph Hooper, K Jacob LaFree, DE Nickolos Madourie, and SAF Ayron Monroe,

>The following players made their first career start: Blue, DT Ifeanyi Maijeh, TE David Martin-Robinson, and Monroe.
gdq

Players Mentioned

CB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
WR
/ Football
P
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
CB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
TE
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DE
/ Football
TE
/ Football
K
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DT
/ Football
WR
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DT
/ Football
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
Ep. 14: Temple Athletics Recap & Basketball Preview!
Tuesday, October 21
Allen Haye, 10/20/25
Monday, October 20
Diego Barajas, 10/20/25
Monday, October 20
K.C. Keeler, 10/20/25
Monday, October 20