With its bowl game hopes hanging by a thread, Temple entered Saturday’s game against Tulsa only able to lose two more games before those already slim hopes would be officially dashed for a fifth straight season.
After being forced to punt on their opening drive, the Owls’ offense shifted into another gear. Quarterback Evan Simon returned after missing last week’s game against UConn and led Temple on three straight scoring drives to take a commanding 17-0 lead into halftime.
Temple’s offense fizzled out in the second half but the defense stepped up to hold onto the lead for the remainder of the game. Tulsa mounted a comeback with 10 second-half points but was turned away on its final three drives, as Temple earned its first conference win of the season while snapping its two-game losing streak.
Temple (2-5, 1-2 American Athletic Conference) took down Tulsa (2-5, 0-3 AAC) 20-10 Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. The win is Temple’s first victory against Tulsa since Sept. 20, 2018.
“I could obviously tell you our record does not define us,” said linebacker Tyquan King. “You can tell by our play. The back end of the season is just like the beginning. We still have to go 1-0 every week from here on up. That’s our objective.”
The Golden Hurricane used their potent rushing attack to cruise down Temple territory on their first drive, but the Owls forced a fourth and one. Defensive end Diwun Black pushed past the offensive line to make the stop, forcing a turnover on downs and setting the tone for the rest of the first half.
Temple forced Tulsa to go three and out on three of the next four drives to hold the Golden Hurricane scoreless through 30 minutes. On the final Tulsa drive of the first half, cornerback Jamel Johnson stepped in front of a pass to haul in an interception, sending the Golden Hurricane into halftime with less than 100 yards gained.
The Owls’ offense took control of the first half after the punt on their opening drive. Temple took the lead on its second drive with a 29-yard field goal by kicker Maddux Trujillo. Following the field goal, Simon led Temple on touchdown drives on its next two drives to take a commanding lead.
First Simon found tight end Peter Clarke for a three-yard score then he set up a one-yard rushing touchdown for running back Terrez Worthy. Worthy’s rushing touchdown was the first by a Temple running back this season.
Wide receiver Dante Wright was limited by an injury and never played after the first quarter. Simon spread the ball around in the first half, finding 10 different receivers for 204 yards and a touchdown. Simon’s only first-half blemish was an interception as time expired.
“For us to move forward as an offense [spreading the ball around] is exactly what needed to happen,” said head coach Stan Drayton. “[Dante Wright] is not the only playmaker in that room on that side of the ball. It’s time for those other guys to be exposed.”
Temple was unable to continue its first-half momentum, and it was Tulsa who came out firing on all cylinders after halftime. The Golden Hurricane scored on their first two second-half drives, cutting Temple’s lead down to 17-10 entering the fourth quarter. Temple sputtered during the quarter, gaining just 81 yards.
Temple finally got back on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter thanks to a 41-yard field goal from Trujillo, pushing the Owls’ lead back up to two scores at 20-10. With the Owls’ offense struggling in the second half, the defense stepped up to preserve the lead. They held Tulsa to 157 yards in the second half and 245 total yards.
The Owls’ offense performed well with Simon back under center. Temple gained 397 total yards with 316 of those coming through the air. Simon finished the game going 30-46 with 297 yards and one touchdown.
“I thought [Evan] played pretty well,” Drayton said. “They pressured us like crazy in the first half, and we had to kind of flip our mindset and get to some quick throws. He managed that very well, got the ball out of his hands and delivered the ball to a bunch of receivers. He put the balls exactly where they needed to be.”
Temple still could not get its rushing attack off the ground despite the strong offensive performance. The Owls had just 81 yards on the ground with Worthy leading the way with 41. Temple’s defense was able to hold the Tulsa run game in check, limiting the Golden Hurricane to just 75 yards on the ground.
King also continued his strong stretch of play and led Temple with nine total tackles. Black also impressed and registered his best game of the season, recording five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble to give Temple five turnovers in its last two games.
“I just use the ability that god gave me,” Black said. “I have my speed and then I can turn on my toe and keep moving my feet downfield and being aggressive.”
The Owls will look to win two games in a row for the first time since Drayton was hired when they hit the road to take on East Carolina (3-4, 1-2 AAC) on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
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