Tulane University
3-8 , 0-7
Temple*
8-3 , 6-1
Offensive Woes Plague Football in 31-0 Loss to Temple
Nov 19, 2016 | Football
The Owls possessed the ball for over 40 minutes
Printable Stats | Photo Gallery
NEW ORLEANS – Tulane football suffered from some offensive woes on Saturday, as the Green Wave could only muster up 142 total yards and eight first downs, as the visiting Temple Owls took advantage and prevailed with the 31-0 shutout. Temple controlled the ball for just over 40 minutes as the Owls garnered 533 total yards.
"First of all, congratulations to Temple, they're a good football team," Tulane head coach Willie Fritz stated. "I just got done telling our guys in the locker room that that's the type of program that we aspire to be. They're very disciplined, tough, and they don't make mistakes. Great credit to them, we've got to get better. We didn't coach very well this week and we didn't play very well this week. It's a team loss."
Temple (8-3, 6-1 American Athletic Conference | East) took advantage of a costly Tulane fumble in its own territory just midway through the first quarter, needing just four plays for 34 yards to take a 7-0 lead. Quarterback Phillip Walker connected with wide receiver Ventell Bryant for 31 yards before running back Jahad Thomas capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown rush.
The Green Wave (3-8, 0-7 The American | West) defense held strong for the remainder of the first half, even stopping a fourth and one on their own one-yard line, thus keeping Temple off the board until just one minute before the half. That's when the Owls' Phillip-Bryant connection struck again, this time for 39 yards, working their way to the Tulane five-yard line, before settling for a field goal and a narrow 10-0 advantage at the half.
However, the Wave were unable to secure a first down in the third quarter, as Temple capitalized with two touchdown drives, including one that went 14 plays, 73 yards, spanning 7:35 – a season long against Tulane.
With the offense still stalling in the fourth quarter, Temple tacked on one more touchdown via a 10-play, 84-yard drive spanning 5:12, to bring the game to its final score of 31-0. The result marked the first time Tulane had been shutout since the third game of the 2012 season.
Up next, the Green Wave wrap their 2016 campaign in Storrs, Conn., against the UConn Huskies on Saturday, Nov. 26, at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNews.
Green Wave Notes
• This marked the fourth meeting between Tulane and Temple. Tulane now trails the all-time series 3-1, including a 0-2 mark in New Orleans.
• Tulane was shutout for the first time since Sept. 22, 2012, when the Green Wave lost 39-0 to Ole Miss in the Mercedes Benz Superdome.
• Tulane's eight first downs were a season low and marked the fewest since the Green Wave only obtained nine vs UConn on Nov. 7, 2015.
• Tulane has recorded over 100 rushing yards in every game this year, and in 14 straight games dating back to the 2015 season.
• Tulane held Temple to 10 points in the first half, tying their lowest halftime score this season. The Owls scored 10 points against Penn State on Sept. 17 and Army on Sept. 2.
• Temple's second touchdown of the game went 14 plays, 73 yards with a 7:30 time of possession, with the latter marking the longest against Tulane this season.
• Freshman WR Darnell Mooney and redshirt sophomore WR Terren Encalade each recorded a reception in the first quarter, as both now have receptions in eight consecutive games.
• Sophomore P Zachary Block booted a career-long 62-yard punt in the second quarter. It was the first punt of 60+ yards since Peter Picerelli's 61-yard punt on Oct. 28, 2014 at UCF.
• Freshman QB Jonathan Brantley made his first appearance since the SMU game on Oct. 29. Brantley finished with seven rushes for 33 yards, including a long of 20 yards. Brantley also completed a pass for seven yards.
• Redshirt sophomore CB Donnie Lewis, Jr. tied his career high of eight tackles.
• Redshirt sophomore LB Zachery Harris led the team with nine tackles after netting a career-high of 10 at Houston on Nov. 12.
• Senior DT Tanzel Smart notched 3.5 tackles for loss in today's game, the most since Nico Marley and Ade Aruna each recorded 3.0 vs. SMU on Oct. 29.
• This game marked Senior Day for 12 Green Wave seniors: Richard Allen, Devon Breaux, Larry Dace III, Todd Jacquet, Nico Marley, Josh Rounds, Tanzel Smart, Casey Spinelli, Chris Taylor, Eric Thomas, Lazedrick Thompson and Marshall Wadleigh.
• Eleven players extended their double-digit starting streaks: OG Chris Taylor (38), LB Nico Marley (36), DT Tanzel Smart (35), FS Jarrod Franklin (23), OT Todd Jacquet (23), DE Ade Aruna (17), RB Dontrell Hilliard (13), OG Leeward Brown (11), WR Terren Encalade (11), C John Leglue (11), and SS Roderic Teamer (11).
• Redshirt junior FS Jarrod Franklin carried out the No. 18 Flag in honor of former Green Wave player Devon Walker.
• Game captains were seniors Marley, Smart and Wadleigh.
• Attendance was 16,497.
Team Stats
TEM 7, TLN 0
TEM - THOMAS,Jahad 2 yd run (BOUMERHI,Aaron kick), 4 plays, 34 yards, TOP 1:47
TEM 10, TLN 0
TEM - BOUMERHI,Aaron 32 yd field goal 10 plays, 63 yards, TOP 2:29
TEM 17, TLN 0
TEM - BRYANT,Ventell 12 yd pass from WALKER,Phillip (BOUMERHI,Aaron kick) 14 plays, 73 yards, TOP 7:30
TEM 24, TLN 0
TEM - THOMAS,Jahad 42 yd pass from WALKER,Phillip (BOUMERHI,Aaron kick) 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 2:39
TEM 31, TLN 0
TEM - WRIGHT,Isaiah 22 yd run (BOUMERHI,Aaron kick), 10 plays, 84 yards, TOP 5:12
