Temple Football Finally Breaks Through, Knocks Off Unbeaten South Florida

Temple Football finally broke through on Saturday, Oct. 3 after consecutive last minute losses, knocking off the previously-undefeated South Florida Bulls with a late 96-yard touchdown drive.

The Owls (2-3, 1-1 American) had a chance to pull ahead on a drive into the South Florida red zone late in the third quarter with the game tied 10-10. Instead, quarterback Ajani Sheppard coughed up the football on a hard hit near the goal line, and the ball rolled into the end zone for a touchback.

The Bulls responded with a successful go-ahead drive: Temple safety Saboor Kariem got the Owls’ defense off the field with a tackle for loss on third down, setting up a 49-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. After trading punts, Sheppard led the Owls on the game-winning drive, converting a pair of third-and-longs with a ten-yard pass and a 34-yard touchdown run.

South Florida failed to convert after lost yardage on first down and a pair of incomplete passes; Temple got the ball with 1:47 to play and a chance to seal the game with a first down but went three-and-out, giving the Bulls one last chance to pull ahead. Receiver Mudia Ruben broke into the secondary on a 22-yard gain before fumbling, and cornerback Asa Locks collected the loose ball and secured the win.

How They Got There

South Florida and Temple traded field goal drives in the first quarter; the Owls pulled ahead 10-3 late in the opening half on a 24-yard connection between Sheppard and JoJo Bermudez. Prior to that, a missed 52-yard kick forced the Bulls to play for a touchdown instead of a field goal in the late stages of the game.

Lead running back Sam Brown V didn’t play after being listed as questionable before the game started; Sheppard (14 carries for 87 yards) led Temple in rushing, while Hunter Smith (11 carries for 69 yards) paced the running backs. The Owls’ defense held talented Bulls’ running back D.J. Crowther to 68 yards on 23 carries, but he still managed to tie the game with a one-yard run on the opening drive of the second half, paving the way for Sheppard’s fumble and subsequent heroics.

Up next, Temple will host UConn at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.