https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZqwTIJt53M&feature=youtu.be
Less than a minute into the game, and the Owls already had to dig themselves out of a hole.
Jahad Thomas looks for room to run (credit: AP Images)On Temple’s first possession, Philip Walker stared down Marshall Ellick on 3rd down and SMU made him pay. Jordan Wyatt broke on the ball, stepped in front of the pass and raced into the end zone untouched to put SMU up 7-0.
A fired up Walker proceeded to come back on the field and put up 35 unanswered points on SMU. After a three and out, Alex Starzyk punted, but the ball the touched by an SMU player running downfield to cover the punt. Haason Reddick scooped it up and the Owls took over the SMU 42. After a 17 yard completion to Keith Kirkwood, Jahad Thomas finished the drive with a 12 yard touchdown run to tie the game, and Owls never looked back. A dominant first half sparked the Owls to their first AAC victory, as they topped SMU 45-20 at Lincoln Financial Field.
The defense forced a three and out on the next Mustangs’ possession, hitting SMU QB Ben Hicks twice to force inaccurate throws. Walker proceeded to make up his mistake on the first drive. On the first play from scrimmage, he stood in the pocket and fired a perfect deep ball down the middle to Ventell Bryant, who hauled it in for a 42 yard touchdown. It was Bryant’s first reception since Week 1 after missing three games with a concussion. The strike put the Owls up 14-7. Walker completed 7 of 18 passes for 124 yards and the one touchdown on the afternoon.
Continuing their aggressive play, the Owls’ forced SMU into the second of four first half turnovers. Ben Hicks’ pass went right into the arms of Nate L. Smith, who picked it off and took it back to the SMU 40, while Walker and offense kept rolling right along. He hit Romond Deloatch over the middle, and the senior made one cut and rumbled down to the SMU 1 yard line. Ryquell Armstead wasted no time finishing the drive off, as he pounded the ball into the endzone for his 5th TD this year. He broke loose again in 4th quarter, taking the handoff down the sideline for his second touchdown, this one from 37 yards. Taking some of the load off Thomas, Armstead tallied his first career game with over 100 rushing yards. The sophomore finished with 15 carries for 161 yards and two scores.
Armstead kept the ground game moving late in first quarter. He took three straight carries his third going for 31 yards down the right sideline to move Temple into the redzone. Thomas finished the drive by weaving his way for a 15 yard touchdown to put the Owls up 28-7. It was Thomas’ 6th touchdown of the year and moved into sole possession of 3rd place on Temple’s all time list. Thomas, taking the backseat to Armstead, rushed for 80 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns of his own. Since returning to the field, he has scored two touchdowns in all three games he’s played.
Playing without Sean Chandler and Avery Williams, the defense got their piece of the action as well. With 11:17 to play in the 2nd quarter, Haason Reddick broke through the line and hammered Hicks, forcing a fumble. Deloatch, playing on the other side of the ball, scooped it up and strolled into the endzone untouched to extend the Owls lead to 35-7. It was Temple’s first defensive touchdown of the season after they totaled three last year.
Two weeks after getting picked apart by Penn State, the defense wrecked havoc all day. The Owls sacked Ben Hicks four times and picked him off twice. Delvon Randall lead the team with 6 tackles, as 22 players made a tackle on the day.
The Owls were able to keep the SMU weapons in check. At the end of the 3rd quarter, no SMU rusher or receiver had gained more than 35 yards, and their longest offensive gain was a 17 yard rush by Xavier Jones.
SMU finally broke through after Walker threw another interception. Facing a 4th & 5 at the Temple 13, Hicks barely got off a pass but floated it to Jeremiah Gaines for the touchdown to bring it to 35-14 as the teams went into the half.
SMU made some ground in the second half, as Hicks led the Mustangs on a 10 play, 69 yard drive capped off by a 14 yard touchdown pass to Proche. Electing to go for two, SMU couldn’t convert and Temple still lead 38-20. That was the closest SMU came, as Armstead’s touchdown in the 4th quarter put the game away.
The Owls will now hit the road after beginning their stretch of eight straight conference games. They’ll take on the Memphis Tigers next Thursday, October 6th and then head down to Florida to battle the UCF Knights.
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