Temple Football Wears Down in Blowout Loss to Blazers

PHILADELPHIA — Temple Football lost their fifth straight game on Saturday, Nov. 14, falling 36-10 to the UAB Blazers behind a second half shutout. UAB’s defense entered play allowing less than 300 yards per game. They held the Owls (2-8, 1-5 American) to just 244 yards on the day, buckling down to pitch a second half shutout.

Temple’s lone touchdown came off an Adrian Laing interception that set them up at the Blazers’ 25-yard line. Quarterback Ajani Sheppard, listed as questionable to play on the pregame injury report, found JoJo Bermudez for a 12-yard touchdown on third-and-11, but UAB needed just three plays to pull even, a 67-yard catch-and-run from tight end Scott Isacks setting up a nine-yard touchdown run for Rod Robinson II, his first of three scores on the afternoon.

Sheppard completed just 11-of-30 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, continuing his struggles from Temple’s loss at East Carolina; 39 of those yards came on the Owls’ final drive of the game with the score well out of hand. Robinson ran for 202 yards on the afternoon, coming close to single-handedly matching the Owls’ offensive output. Blazers cornerback Delvon Gulley came in unblocked for a sack of Sheppard early in the second quarter, forcing a fumble on the play. Temple dodged a bullet, as a Blazers’ touchdown came off the board on an illegal formation penalty and the ensuing field goal try missed, allowing them to tie the game on a 44-yard kick from Carl Hardin the following drive.

The Owls never scored again, UAB putting 26 unanswered points on the board on the way to a resounding victory. Up next, Temple will host Rice at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 in their home finale.