Owls’ defense holds Bearcats to 15 points in tough loss

Temple’s defense held Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder to just 62 yards and no touchdowns.

Redshirt-junior defensive end Quincy Roche plays during the Owls' game against Tulane at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 16. | J.P. OAKES / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Temple University football (7-4, 4-3 The American Athletic Conference) lost 15-13 to the Bearcats (10-1, 7-0 The AAC) on Saturday night. 

The Owls defense played well in the first half, allowing 102 total yards with only 58 coming on the ground. In the second half, Temple gave up 108 yards with 90 yards coming on the ground.

With ten minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Cincinnati junior running back Michael Warren II took the handoff and ran the ball right down the middle of the field for a 13-yard touchdown. 

Warren’s touchdown put the Bearcats ahead 13-0, and they would never relinquish the lead. 

Warren finished the game with 106 yards and one touchdown. 

The Owls defense made a big play late in the fourth quarter when redshirt-junior safety Amir Tyler deflected a pass on third down, preventing a touchdown and forcing the Bearcats to attempt a field goal. 

Tyler contributed three total pass breakups in the game. 

Graduate kicker Sam Crosa missed the ensuing field goal with two minutes and 41 seconds left in the game, keeping the score at 15-13. 

Temple only forced one turnover late in the second quarter when junior cornerback Harrison Hand tipped the ball up in the air, and senior safety Benny Walls caught it. 

The Owls passing defense held sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder to just 9-of-25 passing for 62 yards and no touchdowns. 

Ridder was sacked three total times by Temple. Redshirt-junior defensive end Quincy Roche led the team with 1.5 sacks, and senior linebacker Sam Franklin also contributed a sack.

One of Roche’s sacks came in the fourth quarter when he got past the offensive tackle with an inside pass-rush move and brought down Ridder for a loss of seven yards forcing a punt. 

Roche leads the team with 11 sacks this season. 

Temple will play its last game of the season on Nov. 30 at home against Connecticut (2-9, 0-7 The AAC) at 3:30 p.m.

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