Football Heads to Buffalo for First Road Trip of the Season

9.16.19 | Football

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This Week
The Owls are 2-0 halfway through non-conference play as the Owls head on the road for the first time this season. The Owls knocked off #21 Maryland, 20-17, in a hard fought defensive battle that pitted the high-flying Owls' defense against the potent Terrapin offense. The win, gave Temple a 5-5 record vs. ranked teams since 2014 (after losing 31 straight to ranked opponents). After outlasting Maryland, Temple travels north to Buffalo where the Owls will take on the University at Buffalo Bulls. Kickoff is set for Saturday, September 21, at 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPNU, 97.5 The Fanatic, and WHIP Radio.

Last Week
Against Maryland, the offense was able to gain yards and advance the ball down the field, but had a tough time translating that into a lot of points. However, the Owls did execute when they needed it the most in order to take the lead early and come back and win in the fourth quarter. All three of Temple's touchdowns came in the air but the Owls had a well-rounded offense throughout the game. QB Anthony Russo finished 20-37 for 277 yards and three touchdowns. His longest touchdown came on a 79-yard go-ball to Jadan Blue. Blue finished the game with five catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. He became the first Temple receiver to have consecutive 100-yard receiving games since Jalen Fitzpatrick in 2014. Isaiah Wright also had five catches for 58-yards and caught the first touchdown of the game. TE Kenny Yeboah had four catches for 48-yards and what ended up being the game-winning score. RB tandem Jager Gardner and Re'Mahn Davis split carries in the backfield again. Both had productive outings as Gardner finished with 16 carries for 82 yards, and Davis had 15 carries for 92 yards.

The defense as a whole is what kept the Owls in the game this week. They showed how they can go toe-to-toe with one of the most lethal offenses in the country averaging 71 points per game. The Owls dominated in all parts of their defense and shut out Maryland's offense in the first half. The Owls continuously got pressure upfront rushing only four linemen, and that allowed the linebackers and secondary to make plays. DT Ifeanyi Maijeh spearheaded the pressure on the quarterback. He had six tackles, two sacks, and three TFLs in the contest. DT Quincy Roche and DE Zack Mesday also got in the backfield and registered a sack a piece. CB Harrison Hand dominated his side of the field against Maryland. He led the team with 10 tackles and grabbed an interception on the first drive of the game, setting the tone early. The Owls' defense had to defend the goal line on consecutive series, in order to finish off the Terrapins. LB Shaun Bradley made the play of the game, dropping a Maryland running back four-yards deep in the backfield on a fourth-and-goal from the one yardline. He had eight tackles and three TFLs in the game.

Last Time vs. Buffalo
The last time the Owls and Bulls faced off was in Philadelphia in week two of last season. Temple was coming off a disappointing loss to Villanova and was searching for a spark to get into the win column. Temple played from behind the whole game. With 4:53 left in the fourth quarter, a 50-yard run by Ryquell Armstead set up a three-yard touchdown from Frank Nutile to Brandon Mack to tie up the game at 29-29. The Bulls came charging back however, and sealed the game with a 29-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds left in the game. The Bulls beat the Owls 36-29.

Last Time @ UB Stadium
The last time Temple and Buffalo squared off at UB Stadium was October 23, 2010. Temple ran all over Buffalo in a 42-0 blowout. Sophomore RBs Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown rushed for 106 and 109 yards respectively. On defense, the Owls forced four turnovers and held Buffalo to 99-yards on 65 plays. It was Temple's largest margin of victory in a MAC game ever.

Up Next
The Owls host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 28. Kickoff is set for 3:30pm and the game will air on CBS Sports Network