Oct. 22, 2008

Final Stats

PHILADELPHIA - The Ohio football team seemed to be staring down a first-place tie in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference, before a victory over the Temple Owls slipped through their grasp. The Bobcats (2-6, 1-3 MAC) held a 10-0 lead entering the fourth quarter, but two Temple touchdowns allowed the Owls (3-5, 2-3 MAC) to snag the 14-10 victory Tuesday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

Ohio controlled much of the game, racking up 267 total yards to Temple's 143, by far the fewest total yards the 'Cats have allowed this season and the fewest since Tennessee-Martin only managed 123 yards in 2006. The Bobcats also held a 19-12 advantage in first downs, but a late fumble was too much for Ohio to overcome.

The Bobcats jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a Barrett Way (Richmond, Va.) 25-yard field goal, after forcing Temple into a turnover on downs at the Ohio 35-yard line on the game's opening possession. Temple twice more drove into Ohio territory, but both times the Bobcats' defense held strong and forced punts. Ohio maintained their 3-0 edge after the opening quarter.

The 'Cats then marched on a 14-play, 93-yard touchdown drive that lasted 7:52, and was capped off by junior running back Chris Garrett's (Bristow, Va.) team-leading third rushing touchdown of the season, a 2-yard scamper that put Ohio on top 10-0 midway through the second quarter. It was Ohio's longest drive since matching that same yardage on a scoring drive against Toledo on Oct. 20, 2007. The Bobcats converted three third downs on the scoring drive and converted 5-of-8 third downs in the half.

The two teams would trade punts and go to the break with Ohio holding the 10-0 lead. It was the first time Ohio has pitched a first-half shutout since blanking Gardner-Webb in the first half on Sept. 1, 2007.

The Bobcat defense shut down the Owl offense in the second quarter, holding them to -8 yards of offense with Ohio controlling time of possession 11:15 to 3:45. At the half, Ohio had out-gained Temple 206 to 61 in total yards of offense, with 144 yards of the Bobcat attack coming through the air.

Neither team could find a rhythm to start the second half, as the two squads combined for four-straight three-and-outs. Ohio then drove 25 yards to the Temple 24, but a fumble on a field-goal try cost the Bobcats a chance to add to their lead. Ohio maintained their 10-0 lead at the end of three quarters, with the Bobcat defense again stifling Temple's offense, holding them to just one net yard in the quarter.

A Kee-ayre Griffin 1-yard touchdown run at the 10:53 mark of the fourth quarter put the Owls within three at 10-7. After Ohio was forced to punt, Temple drove inside the Ohio 3-yard line, but senior Anthony Perlozzo missed a 25-yard field goal wide left that would have knotted the game.

The Bobcats could not capitalize on the miss however, as a fumble on the ensuing play handed the ball back to the Owls deep in Ohio territory. On second-and-goal from the five, Temple quarterback Adam DiMichele scrambled and found tight end Steve Maneri in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, to take a 14-10 lead with 1:51 to play.

The Bobcats would not go quietly, as quarterback Boo Jackson (Gardena, Calif.) completed a shovel pass to Garrett on fourth-and-five that resulted in a 31-yard gain down to the Temple 37. After an incompletion, a sack and a short gain, Ohio faced fourth-and 17. Boo Jackson's pass to junior wide receiver Brandon Peterson (Gaithersburg, Md.) came up a hair short, after being ruled incomplete following a replay from the booth, allowing Temple to escape with the 14-10 victory.

With the win, the Owls tied the all-time series with Ohio at one apiece, as the Bobcats won 23-7 in Athens a year ago.

Jackson finished the game 23-of-40 for 220 yards, while his counterpart, Adam DiMichele was just 9-of-22 for 79 yards, but threw the go-ahead touchdown. Garrett paced Ohio in both rushing and receiving, as he had 14 carries for 48 yards and the touchdown, as well as eight catches for 82 yards. Sophomore wide receiver LaVon Brazill (Latana, Fla.) collected five catches for 51 yards, while junior receiver Taylor Price (Hilliard, Ohio) hauled in five catches for 40 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Noah Keller (Kearney, Neb.) led the dominating Ohio defense with seven solo tackles and a forced fumble. Senior safety Michael Mitchell (Ft. Thomas, Ky.) and senior linebacker Michael Brown (Cincinnati, Ohio) tied for second on the team with five tackles each and both had half a sack. Freshman linebacker Brandon Weaver (Washington, Pa.) earned his first-career sack late in the third quarter. The Bobcat defense recorded five sacks as a unit, tied for the most under the Frank Solich era, for 44 yards, while Temple only had two on the night.

Ohio returns to action in a week, as they host Buffalo on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at Peden Stadium. Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPNU.