Thursday night primetime football welcomed Navy (5-2) into Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Temple Owls (3-5). Temple was hosting breast cancer awareness night at the game, on a beautiful night for football.
The Owls were in control of this game from the beginning, winning this one 34-26. This was Navy’s first ever loss here at Lincoln Financial Field.
The team’s traded field goals on each of their first drives.
After the Navy FG, QB Frank Nutile found Adonis Jennings for a 40-yard touchdown catch. Giving the Owls a 10-3 lead. On the drive, Keith Kirkwood caught a 24-yard pass to help set up the Jennings score.
After the first quarter, Nutile completed 9 of 12 attempts for 120 yards and one touchdown. Adonis Jennings caught 3 passes for 60 yards. Isaiah Wright led all rushers with his 29-yard scamper.
The Temple defense really shut down the Navy offense in the first quarter only allowing 32 yards on 12 plays. Whereas Temple gained 164 yards on 17 plays.
If you blinked, you would’ve missed the second quarter. Temple went down the field in 12 plays and Nutile found Keith Kirkwood for an 8 yards score. Big plays all drive from Kirkwood of 14 and 19 yards helped set up his touchdown catch.
During the drive, Ryquell Armstead checked into the game and carried 5 times for 14 yards.
The ensuing possession for Navy lasted 9:35 seconds and ended up with only a field goal as time expired in the first half. The drive was 19 plays long, but most importantly for Navy, it kept Frank Nutile and the Temple high powered offense off the field for quite some time.
The Navy field goal made the score 17-6 at the end of the first half.
At the half, Temple QB Frank Nutile completed 13 of 16 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. WR Keith Kirkwood caught 75 receiving yards on 6 catches and a touchdown. Isaiah Wright remains the leading rusher with 31 yards on two carries.
Navy QB Zach Abey was 50% passing in the first half, completing 1 of 2 passes for 8 yards.
Abey was also the team’s leading rusher in the half with 44 yards on 12 carries.
In the half, Navy gained a total of 95 yards on 30 plays. Temple gained 230 yards on 28 plays.
Starting the second half, after trading punts, Nutile found Adonis Jennings for a 34-yard touchdown, giving Jennings his second score of the game and Nutile his third touchdown pass of the night.
The drive was 4 plays long and lasted only a minute, but ended up in 7 points for the Owls, giving them a 24-6 lead.
On the following Navy possession, they took the ball 75 yards in 10 plays for a 5-yard touchdown pass from RB Malcolm Perry to QB Zach Abey. Catches from Darryl Bonner of 22 yards and Malcolm Perry of 26 yards helped set up the touchdown, cutting Temple’s lead to 24-13.
Just when Navy thought they were inching closer, Nutile and the Owls responded right back, again. Another big catch from Adonis Jennings of 33 yards took Temple down to the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Nutile threw his 4th touchdown pass of the day to Jake Robinson for a three-yard score. That was Robinson’s first career touchdown and it extended Temple’s lead to 31-13.
Through 3 quarters, Frank Nutile was 20-25 for 274 yards and 4 touchdowns. Adonis Jennings with 127 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on 7 catches. Isaiah Wright still led all rushers with 31 yards.
For the Midshipmen after three, QB Zach Abey completed 4 of 5 passes for 74 yards and led the team in rushing with 67 yards.
Defensively, Chapelle Russell led the Owls with 6 total tackles and LB Micah Thomas led the Midshipmen with 8 total tackles.
On Navy’s first drive of the fourth quarter, they decide to go for it on fourth and 9 from their own 48-yard line. Sharif Finch sacked QB Zach Abey leading towards a turnover on downs and Temple regained possession at the Navy 38.
Six plays later, Navy forced the Owls to only a field goal, extending their lead to 34-13 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.
On Navy’s following possession, after crossing the ball over to Temple’s side of the field, Abey’s pass was intercepted by DB Delvon Randall, for his team-high 4th interception of the season.
Though 4 plays later, Nutie gave the ball right back when he threw an interception to CB Micah Farrar. Navy entered a new QB into the game for the ensuing possession, Garret Lewis.
Navy scored 4 plays into the drive on a 16-yard touchdown from Lewis to Brandon Colon, making the score 34-19 after the blocked extra point by Dana Levine.
After a Temple punt, Navy would find the end zone one more time on an 8-yard pass from Garret Lewis to Tyler Carmona. The score put Navy within one possession, 34-26 with just over 2 minutes to play
(Cred:// Zamani Feelings
in the game.
Temple QB Frank Nutile would finish the game with 289 yards and 4 touchdowns on 22-30 passing and one interception. Isaiah Wright led Temple rushers with 40 yards on 4 carries.
WR Adonis Jennings led all receivers with 127 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 catches. Followed by, Keith Kirkwood who caught 7 passes for 87 yards and one touchdown.
Navy starting QB Zach Abey finished with 111 passing yards on 6-9 passing attempts and led all rushers with 87 yards on 25 carries. Malcolm Perry led all receivers with 94 yards on 4 catches, followed by Tyler Carmona who also caught 4 passes for 63 yards and one TD.
Defensively, Chapelle Russell led the Owls with 8 total tackles. The defense registered 5 sacks on the night, DE Sharif Finch had two of his own. Delvon Randall recorded yet another interception.
This win moves the Owls to 4-5, 2-3 in conference play. Next up for the Owls is conference opponent Cincinnati on the road. Make sure you keep up with the SportsDesk for the game week coverage next week.
Be the first to comment