Courtesy of http://owlsports.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Temple used three one-yard touchdown runs to jump out to a 21-0 lead over Wyoming and never looked back in posting a 37-15 over the Cowboys to win the Gildan New Mexico Bowl Saturday afternoon in front of 25,762. It is the second bowl game victory in program history and first since Temple defeated California, 28-17, in the 1979 Garden State Bowl.
The Owls finish the season on a four-game win streak at 9-4 overall. The win also extended Temple's Senior Class record to 31 wins over the last four seasons.
Sophomore QB Chris Coyer was named the game's Offensive MVP and senior LB Tahir Whitehead earned Defensive MVP honors. Coyer, showing no ill effects from a shoulder injury suffered in the team's final regular-season game against Kent State, was flawless directing the Temple attack. He completed eight of 12 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 71 yards on 12 carries. ERod hauled in two passes for 52 yards, including an electrifying 40-yard catch-and-run on the opening drive to set up Temple's first touchdown.
Whitehead, a second team All-MAC performer, had a team-high 11 tackles, leading an Owl defensive unit that allowed just 267 yards to the Cowboys.
Junior RB Bernard Pierce set the tone early for the Owls. Pierce, who rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on the day, had eight carries for 31 yards in Temple's opening drive. His last carry was a one-yard touchdown. That capped a 13-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 6:19 seconds.
Wyoming then marched down the field on an 11-play drive of its own, but junior FS Vaughn Carraway batted away a pass by freshman QB Brett Smith on a third and 16 play. Freshman PK Daniel Sullivan was then wide right on his 49-yard field goal giving the Owls the ball back on their own 31.
Senior WR Joe Jones broke a 35-yard run off a reverse on the first play of the Owls' second drive. It was one of nine straight rushes against the Cowboys 115th ranked rush defense. The last run was another Pierce one-yard TD, to make it 14-0 with 14:28 to play in the half.
Senior CB Kee-ayre Griffin then intercepted a Smith pass and returned it 30 yards to the Wyoming 35. Pierce and Coyer each had 12 yard first down runs before junior RB Matt Brown finished the drive with a one-yard TD run, making it 21-0.
The Cowboys finally got on the scoreboard as Smith connected with freshman WR Josh Doctson on a 21-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-three play with 37 seconds left in the half.
The Owls answered in one play as Coyer found a wide-open senior WR Rod Streater down the right sideline for a 61-yard touchdown to give Temple a 28-7 lead at halftime and momentum heading into the lockerroom.
Temple controlled the game on both sides of the ball in the second half. The only scoring for the Owls came on the foot of junior PK Brandon McManus, who connected on three of three field goals.
Wyoming finally found the end zone again with three seconds on the clock.when Smith hit Kody Sutton for 14-yard touchdown.
