Wright's one-handed TD grab highlights Temple's 29-21 win
Palmer: Big receivers were too much for UMass secondary
Jesse Palmer surmises that the big receivers for Temple were ultimately too much for UMass.
PHILADELPHIA -- Isaiah Wright made a one-handed, 13-yard touchdown catch with 3:48 remaining and Temple held on to beat winless Massachusetts 29-21 on Friday night.
Logan Marchi's lofted pass to Wright in the corner of the end zone capped a 10-play, 72-yard drive for a 29-14 lead. UMass responded with a quick-scoring drive, punctuated by Andrew Ford's 3-yard sneak with 1:41 left.
The Minutemen kicked it deep and forced Temple into a three-and-out. But with three seconds left, UMass' trick play with backup quarterback Ross Comis was stopped near midfield.
Marchi threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns for Temple (2-1). Kicker Austin Jones moved into sixth on the Owls' scoring list and Quincy Roche had three sacks in the first half for his first career multi-sack game.
Ford finished with a career-high 377 yards passing and two touchdowns for UMass (0-4). The Minutemen were hurt by three missed field goals -- of 23, 32 and 39 yards.
Temple's long-range kicker Aaron Boumerhi made it 19-7 early in the third quarter with a career-long 52-yarder. Last week, he kicked a 49-yarder with a minute left to give Temple a 16-13 lead over Villanova.
UMass freshman Jessie Britt scored his first touchdown of the season to pull the Minutemen to 19-14 with 5:56 left in the third. But Temple answered with its fourth straight scoring drive for an eight-point lead.
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Game Information
2024 FBS Independents Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Notre Dame | 0-0 | 9-1 |
UConn | 0-0 | 7-3 |
Massachusetts | 0-0 | 2-8 |
2024 American Athletic Conference Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Army | 7-0 | 9-0 |
Tulane | 7-0 | 9-2 |
Navy | 5-2 | 7-3 |
Memphis | 5-2 | 9-2 |
East Carolina | 4-2 | 6-4 |
South Florida | 3-3 | 5-5 |
UTSA | 3-3 | 5-5 |
Charlotte | 2-4 | 3-7 |
North Texas | 2-4 | 5-5 |
Rice | 2-4 | 3-7 |
Temple | 2-4 | 3-7 |
UAB | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Tulsa | 1-5 | 3-7 |
Florida Atlantic | 0-6 | 2-8 |