PHILADELPHIA- After a narrow 38-37 road overtime win against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Nov. 1st, Temple University head coach K.C. Keeler and his squad returned home to take on the East Carolina Pirates as they were one win away from bowl eligibility.
After getting punched hard on the first drive, and falling down 14-0, Temple running back Jay Duker found the endzone to cut the lead in half. The Pirates offense seemed to be unstoppable as they pummeled the Owls 45-14, as Temple is still searching for their sixth win of the season, which would give them bowl eligibility.
“It was really a complete loss, offense, defense and special teams, there was nothing that was up to the standard that we have recently,” Keeler said. “I had no problem with our practices this week but again when you play a good team you have to play a lot clearer than we played today and we didn’t play very clean.”
The Pirates offense had no troubles on their first drive as running back London Montgomery broke through for 28-yards on the second play of the game which was followed by a 35-yard reception as quarterback Karin Houser found wide receiver Anthony Smith. ECU was not done yet as they were efficient in their red zone operation and scored on a second goal as wide receiver Yannick Smith for a seven-yard score for the Pirates. Owls quarterback Evan Simon, and his offense did not have the same outcome on their drive as they only gained one yard on three plays and punter Dante Atton booted the ball back to ECU.
Temple punter Dante Atton #7 - Photo by Zamani Feelings
The Pirates again, had no issues moving the ball on the Temple defense as slot receiver Brock Spalding rushed for 11 and tight end Desirrio Riles broke through for a 19-yard reception, but it was the Owls secondary that stepped up as Pooh Lawton picked off Houser in the endzone and brought it out to Temple’s 31-yard line. This newfound momentum did not last long as on a third down and 12, ECU defensive back Ja’Marley Riddle jumped in front of the route as Simon threw his first interception of the season.
“Respect to their defense, they’re in the system for five years and they have 16 days to prepare,” Simon said. “We’re going to have to play our best football, and we didn’t, simple as that.”
Houser and the offense wasted no time in extending their lead as Smith got by everybody for a 45-yard score to make it 14-0. The Owls offense still could not find any momentum as a short five play drive ended in another Atton punt. The Temple defense showed up again as linebacker Jamere Jones made Pirate TJ Engleman Jr cough up the ball and Jones found himself on top of the ball.
With a spark of momentum, Simon marched his offense back out onto the field and on a third down and six on the Pirates 23-yard line, a pass interference penalty was called that gave Temple a first down at the eight-yard line. Owls running back Jay Ducker found the endzone from four yards out to cut the ECU lead in half. Another promising drive by the Pirates offense was cut as Owl’s linebacker Cam’Ron Stewart tackled Houser for a loss on third down to force ECU to punt the ball back to Temple as the first quarter neared its end.
As the Owls opened up the second quarter on a third down and one, third string quarterback Tyler Douglas made an appearance and rushed for four yards to move the chains before Simon returned. Temple relied on a balanced offensive attack as they went down the field, but it was running back Keveun Mason who achieved his longest career rush and his first career touchdown on the same play as he found the endzone from 29 yards out as the Owls knotted the game up at 14.
The Pirates put a halt to Temple’s newfound momentum as depth quarterback Mike Wright Jr fooled the Owls defense with a read option play as he ran 15 yards untouched to give ECU their lead back. Temple looked to answer that score with one of their own, but the Pirate defense held up and forced another punt out of Atton and the special teams unit.
Like earlier in the first quarter, it did not take ECU long to put points on the board as on their drive, it took three plays for Houser to find Smith for a 59-yard shot to double up the Owls again 28-14. The trend of a stalled offense continued for the Owls offense but a punt by Atton pinned the Pirates inside the 10-yard line with less than a minute left to play in the first half. ECU ran the clock down as both sides went into the locker with the Pirates up 28-14 as they received the second half kickoff.
"We just have to take pride in first and second down and we got to stop the run. We can’t stop the run if we can’t stop first and second down,” defensive tackle Allan Haye said. “We can’t let guys get four or five yards on first down; we got to make sure the offense stays off schedule so we can stop the run and get our pass rushes out there on third down.”
4-yard rushing TD by #20 Jay Ducker - PSD Video by Austin Boynes
Post game press conference with Temple head coach K.C. Keeler after loss to ECU - PSD Video by Austin Boynes
Both offenses stumbled out of the locker room to kick off the second half. The Temple offense stalled yet out of the locker room as a quick three and out saw Atton punt the ball back to ECU once again. The Pirates faced similar trouble on their first drive but a fake punt on fourth down after a Temple special teams penalty saw defensive tackle Rion Roseborough rush 21 yards to keep the drive alive.
The fake punt proved to be a focal point on this drive as Houser found Smith for a 20-yard reception on fourth down and three, but it was Montgomery again who powered his way past the Owls defense as ECU held a commanding 35-14 lead. The trend for short drives by the Owls continued as the half went on but a punt by Atton and a heads-up play by the special teams unit pinned the Pirates on their own three-yard line.
It was chunk play after chunk play for ECU as the offensive train continued to roll. The Pirates were balanced on offense, but it was running back Marlon Gunn Jr who found the endzone as ECU had blown the game up with a 42-14 advantage. Simon and the offense began to unravel as a nine-yard loss on a flea flicker was a part of yet another Temple three and out as the game began to get away from them.
“They (ECU) came out there and were more physical hands down,” Haye said. “On all levels of football, they were more physical, and we came in here and did not have the same physicality, energy, enthusiasm, we were supposed to go out there and physically impose our will on them and that’s not what happened.”
As the third quarter came to a close, the Owls defense had no answer for Houser, and the Pirate offense as everything seemed to click for them heading into the fourth quarter. ECU scored on their opening drive of the quarter as another successful offensive showing saw kicker Nick Mazzie split the uprights from 46 yards out to increase the lead to 45-14.
As Temple took the field, second string Gevani McCoy made his first appearance of the afternoon. The first drive for the backup looked promising as he found wide receivers Jojo Bermudez for 34 yards, Colin Chase for 19 yards, and Kajiya Hollawayne for 15 yards. Keeler left the offense out there on fourth down and four on the ECU six-yard line, but McCoy was unable to hit Mason and turned the ball over.
Houser kneeled the game out as his side won in dominant fashion 45-41.
“We have to play complementary football, defense has to get stops, and offense has to get in the endzone,” Haye said. “All of that affects the momentum of the football game.”
Temple will look to win their sixth game as they travel to West Point, New York, to take on the Army Black Knights, on Nov. 8, then coming back to Philadelphia to play Tulane Nov. 22.
"I’m going to take a deep look into that mirror and find out the reason ‘why’, ‘why would I force stuff like that,” Simon said. “So, we’re going to dive deep, we’ll be alright.”
** On Saturday, Nov. 8, the Temple Owls (5-5, 3-3 AMER) fell 14-13 to the Army Black Knights (5-4, 3-3 AMER).
The Owls will be on their second bye week of the season.
Temple will play its final home game of the season against the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday, Nov. 22nd.