Southern Methodist University quarterback Shane Buechele had a career day.
The junior threw for 457 yards and six touchdowns, both career highs. Buechele’s performance led SMU (7-0, 3-0 The American Athletic Conference) to a 45-21 win against Temple (5-2, 2-1 The AAC) Saturday afternoon in Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
The Mustangs came into the match ranked No. 19 in the Associated Top 25 poll.
Overall, the Mustangs dominated on offense. They ran 109 plays and totaled 655 yards on offense.
The Owls’ defensive backs were not a match for the Mustangs’ receivers, as they often used their speed to create separation, which allowed them to score on big plays. The Mustangs totaled 457 receiving yards.
Mustangs junior wide receiver Reggie Roberson, Jr. finished the game with eight catches and led the team with 250 yards and three touchdowns. Roberson, Jr. scored his first touchdown in the first quarter when he beat senior cornerback Linwood Crump on a 30-yard pass from Buechele to make the score 7-0.
Roberson, Jr. scored again in the second quarter on a 75-yard pass from Buechele. He scored his third touchdown in the fourth quarter when he beat junior cornerback Harrison Hand on a 60-yard pass from Buechele to make the score 38-21. Before the touchdown, the Owls were only down by 10.
The Mustangs’ other receivers also contributed. Senior wide receiver James Proche led the Mustangs with nine catches and recorded 80 receiving yards and one touchdown. Proche caught his only touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Buechele in the late stages of the second quarter to put the Mustangs up 24-7 heading into the locker room.
Mustangs junior tight end Kylen Granson finished with three catches for 50 yards and one score. Granson caught a 10-yard pass from Buechele in the Mustangs’ first drive of the third quarter.
The Owls’ offense was not as efficient as the Mustangs’. The Owls finished with 273 yards of offense. Their offense was plagued by multiple dropped passes from various receivers.
Redshirt-junior quarterback Anthony Russo completed 18-of-32 passes and finished with 171 passing yards and one touchdown. Russo’s only passing touchdown came on a 25-yard pass to redshirt-junior wide receiver Branden Mack. Mack’s touchdown made the score 24-14 in the early stages of the third quarter.
Russo also had a rushing touchdown in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Russo’s one-yard run pulled the Owls within ten. That was the last time Temple scored as the Mustangs scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away from the Owls.
Next, the Owls will host conference foe Central Florida (4-2, 1-1 The AAC) on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
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