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| Maryland Game Offensive MVP Award |
Senior tight end Evan Rodriguez was named the National Tight End of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards, according to Temple University. Rodriguez had 96 yards on five catches, including a 50-yard catch-and-run that put Temple at the Maryland goal line and set the rout on its way.
Temple Owls running back Bernard Pierce (junior/Ardmore, Pa.) won the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week award today, two days after he rushed for 149 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-7 win over Maryland. This is the second time Pierce has won the award, the other coming after he rushed for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns against Villanova to open the season.
Pierce has rushed for 496 yards and 12 touchdowns, putting him on pace for nearly 1500 yards and a ridiculous 36 touchdowns, which would put him just one shy of Barry Sanders' 1988 record--although Sanders did it in just 11 games. Those dozen scores lead the MAC as well as the nation, and his yardage total is 10th-best as well.
The five touchdowns were a career-high for Pierce and set a Temple record, as well as tying one set by 10 other players in the MAC. He needs just one more touchdown to tie Temple's all-time leader, 80s running back Paul Palmer.
Temple (3-1, 1-0 MAC), who received votes in the USA Coaches Poll this week, plays Toledo (1-3, 0-0) at home this weekend, Saturday, October 1, at noon. The game will be televised on 6ABC in Philadelphia.
