4th Quarter (0:00) END OF SECOND HALF: Connecticut 3, Temple 27
4th Quarter (0:33) Game over. Temple wins 27-3.
4th Quarter (2:05) New QB in for Temple. After a 5-yard penalty, Ryquell Armstead gains two and then three on consecutive plays.
4th Quarter (2:05) Pass interference on the Huskies, first down Temple.
4th Quarter (2:11) No gain for Gardner. Timeout UConn.
4th Quarter (3:02) Gardner again, picks up 3. 3rd and six.
4th Quarter (3:46) Gardner gains one.
4th Quarter (4:23) Thomas gains four and a new set of downs!
4th Quarter (4:23) TIMEOUT TEMPLE. Second of the half.
4th Quarter (5:15) Rush by Gardner goes for 2. 3rd and 1 at the 40.
4th Quarter (5:48) Hood slips a tackle left sideline and picks up seven, ball spotted for 2nd and 3 at the 42.
4th Quarter (5:51) Recovered by Matakevich at the 49. 1st and 10.
4th Quarter (5:51) Onside kick attempt.
4th Quarter (5:51) 45 yarder is up and good. 27-3.
4th Quarter (6:42) Boyle in the gun. 3rd and 8. He's sacked back at the 28, 4th and 16!
4th Quarter (6:46) Incomplete, lots of pressure from Temple.
4th Quarter (7:12) Boyle dashes left for a gain of 2.
4th Quarter (7:20) Marriner bobbles and makes the catch, he darts down the left side of the field to Temple's 22, first down!
4th Quarter (7:36) Incomplete pass left for Marriner. 2nd down.
4th Quarter (8:11) Complete left to Marriner. Jukes a man and goes down at the 47. 1st down.
4th Quarter (8:40) Noel Thomas catches and runs for a gain of 17 and a first down to the 42.
4th Quarter (8:40) Touchback.
4th Quarter (8:40) PAT is up and good. Thomas's fifth 100-yard game of the year. 27-0.
4th Quarter (8:50) Thomas break free and hits the endzone for a touchdown! 60 YARD SCORE FOR JAHAD THOMAS, TEMPLE LEADS 26-0!
4th Quarter (8:50) Temple not charged a timeout as a play was reviewed.
4th Quarter (8:50) Timeout Temple. 3rd and 9 after Thomas gains one and Walker throws incomplete.
4th Quarter (9:45) Multiple flags on the punt. Fair catch by Chandler at the 29. 10 yard penalty on UConn, ball at the 39 of Temple.
4th Quarter (10:22) Down he goes! Owls sack Boyle for a loss of five, 4th and 14.
4th Quarter (11:00) Newsome gains one on the reception. 3rd and 9.
4th Quarter (11:08) Boyle snaps in the shotgun, fires incomplete up the middle, behind Thomas on the play.
4th Quarter (11:15) Starzyk's punt is fair caught at the 32 of UConn.
4th Quarter (12:00) Complete to Anderson for a pickup of three. 4th and 1.
4th Quarter (12:49) Nothing up the gut. Gain of 2 for Thomas.
4th Quarter (13:30) Thomas gains 4. 2nd and 6.
4th Quarter (13:32) Deep pass left PICKED OFF by Chandler at the Temple 8! Turnover!
4th Quarter (13:50) Noel Thomas picks up a first down left sideline.
4th Quarter (14:04) Boyle runs for a first down to the 49.
4th Quarter (14:30) Complete for nine to Beals. 2nd and 1.
4th Quarter (15:00) 3rd and 3 for the Huskies. Ball at their own 32. Complete pass for a first down.
3rd Quarter (0:00) Two plays for the Huskies go seven yards. End of quarter three.
3rd Quarter (0:41) UConn to set up shop at the 25.
3rd Quarter (0:41) PAT is up and good. 20-0 TEMPLE!
3rd Quarter (0:45) Ball at the six. Walker fires left for a TD! Deloatch on an out route! 19-0 TEMPLE OWLS!
3rd Quarter (0:45) Play under review. Called back.
3rd Quarter (0:50) Fade route for Deloatch is complete right side of the endzone, touchdown Owls! 19-0 TEMPLE!
3rd Quarter (1:21) Complete left sideline to Anderson for 16 to the UConn six! 1st and goal at the 6!
3rd Quarter (1:25) Pass tipped, intended for Bryant. 3rd and 8.
3rd Quarter (2:05) Walker takes it himself for two, 2nd and 8 at the 22 of UConn.
3rd Quarter (2:40) Completion right sideline to the 24 for Michael Felton. First down, gain of 6.
3rd Quarter (3:31) Five-yard penalty on UConn. 1st and 5. Walker gives to Gardner, who gains nothing.
3rd Quarter (3:53) Jager Gardner with a big carry to UConn's 35, gain of 13 and a first down.
3rd Quarter (4:50) Ball on 47, 1st and 10. Walker in the gun fires a screen play to Anderson for five. 2nd and 5.
3rd Quarter (4:58) Play action by Walker is picked off by Andrew Adams. Flag on the play. Holding on Adams, first down Temple, no INT.
3rd Quarter (5:05) Punt has distance, Chandler fair catches at the 37.
3rd Quarter (5:46) Handoff is stuffed from the shotgun for a loss of 3. Fourth down after the three and out.
3rd Quarter (5:50) Incomplete pass.
3rd Quarter (6:15) 1st down at the 20. Snap to Boyle is given to Johnson, who gains nothing after the tackle by Matakevich.
3rd Quarter (6:21) Kickoff is returned to the 20 by Newsome.
3rd Quarter (6:21) Temple in the driver's seat after that 7-minute drive. Didn't extend to a three-possession game, but it may as well be with the way the defense is shutting down Connecticut.
3rd Quarter (6:25) 37 yarder from Austin Jones is up and good. 13-0 TEMPLE.
3rd Quarter (6:31) Pass is caught out of bounds by Shippen. Field goal unit to come on for Temple.
3rd Quarter (7:13) Stuffed in the backfield is Thomas. Loss of three to the 19, third and 11 for the Owls.
3rd Quarter (7:53) Handoff to Thomas picks up two, 2nd and 8 at the 16.
3rd Quarter (8:21) They go for it, and Thomas picks up the first down, he gets to the 18!
3rd Quarter (9:05) Carry for Hood up the middle. He is stopped right at the 20. 4th and 1.
3rd Quarter (9:43) Rush by Walker goes for no gain. 3rd and 2.
3rd Quarter (10:18) Completion to Ventell Bryant goes for eight, 2nd and two now at the 21.
3rd Quarter (10:52) Pass fired right and complete to Shippen. First down and a gain of 13 to the 29 of the Huskies.
3rd Quarter (11:25) Handoff left to Hood, he breaks free! He finds a seam all the way to UConn's 42, 17 yards gained!
3rd Quarter (11:54) First down pass right is caught by Kip Patton to the 41!
3rd Quarter (12:40) Complete left to Anderson, gain of five, 3rd and 3 now.
3rd Quarter (13:20) Walker takes the snap, hands to Thomas for a gain of just two. 2nd and 8.
3rd Quarter (13:28) Punt is fair caught by Chandler at the Temple 30.
3rd Quarter (13:32) Pass right is deflected incomplete, 4th down.
3rd Quarter (14:16) Newsome takes it to the left for that one yard. 3rd and 10 at the 30.
3rd Quarter (14:52) Carry left is stuffed for a loss of one, 2nd and 11.
3rd Quarter (15:00) Kickoff comes from Mayes to Newsome, who takes it to the 30.
Teams back out onto the field.
Hope you enjoyed the first 30 minutes. I'll be back from the Linc after halftime.
2nd Quarter (0:00) END OF FIRST HALF: Connecticut 0, Temple 10
2nd Quarter (0:01) Delay of game. This half will just end without any drama as there is a 10-second runoff.
2nd Quarter (0:44) Newsome picks up a first down to the 14.
2nd Quarter (0:44) TIMEOUT TEMPLE. Their last of the half.
2nd Quarter (0:49) 2nd and 4 at the 10. The Huskies run again, gain of one for Newsome. Another Temple timeout.
2nd Quarter (0:49) TIMEOUT TEMPLE. Their second of the half.
2nd Quarter (0:56) Rush up the gut by Newsome gains six. 2nd and four.
2nd Quarter (1:08) Punt by Starzyk downed at UConn's own four. 1st and 10.
2nd Quarter (1:08) TIMEOUT CONNECTICUT.
2nd Quarter (1:19) Walker again under heavy pressure, throws a dink-n-dunk pass to Hood for 12, gets a 4th and 6 at the 38.
2nd Quarter (1:19) Pass high and incomplete for Thomas. Third and 18 at the 50. Better than ever time to try a deep play or a screen.
2nd Quarter (2:09) Trickery play goes wrong for the Owls, loss of eight in the backfield all the way back to the 50. Counts as a rush for Walker, tackled by Cameron Stapleton.
2nd Quarter (2:43) Rolling out right, Walker throws across his body to TE Colin Thompson for the first. He sheds a tackle to gain 11 and a fist down at the left!
2nd Quarter (3:22) Carry for Thomas is a yard short of the first. 3rd and one at the 47 of Temple.
2nd Quarter (3:59) Pass out left complete to Robby Anderson, gain of seven to the 45. 2nd and three.
2nd Quarter (4:05) Fair catch by Chandler at the 38.
2nd Quarter (4:46) Sack on the play by Tyler Matakevich and Jarred Alwan! Loss of six and a fourth down!
2nd Quarter (5:28) Quick pass complete sideline left for Thomas, gain of eight, third and one at the 39 for the Huskies.
2nd Quarter (6:09) Anderson carries for six, 2nd and 9 at the 31.
2nd Quarter (6:09) Multiple flags for false start. 1st and 15 now from the 25.
2nd Quarter (6:18) Kickoff return handled by Josh Marriner, he takes the short kick from Mayes to UConn's 30.
2nd Quarter (6:18) Some 'Sweet Caroline' singing going on at the break.
2nd Quarter (6:18) 10-0 TEMPLE OWLS.
2nd Quarter (6:23) Kick by Austin Jones is up and good from 20 yards out!
2nd Quarter (6:23) Incomplete pass right by Walker. FG unit oncoming.
2nd Quarter (7:15) Thomas gains one, 3rd and 2 at the three.
2nd Quarter (7:52) Carry by Thomas is driven down at the four, 2nd and 3 for Temple.
2nd Quarter (7:52) Timeout by Temple. Their first of three in the first half.
2nd Quarter (7:58) Deep pass is just incomplete deep right, but flags out! Interference on UConn, 1st and 10 now at the 11.
2nd Quarter (8:27) Thomas is given the carry and he is ridden out for a big loss at the 26. 3rd and 11 now for the Owls.
2nd Quarter (9:10) Walker rushed out left but completes to Deloatch for four yards, 2nd and 6 a yard out of the redzone.
2nd Quarter (9:50) Pass complete middle for Shippen for a gain of 11. First down at the Huskies' 25.
2nd Quarter (10:25) Hood gets nowhere outside right, gain of two.
2nd Quarter (11:03) Pass upfield complete to Shippen for a first down to the UConn 38! Gain of 15!
2nd Quarter (11:27) Run outside for David Hood for one yard. 3rd and 3, fumbled ball went out of bounds.
2nd Quarter (12:00) Shotgun playfake, pass from Walker is complete to Shippen for six.
2nd Quarter (12:08) Wain sends it downfield for Sean Chandler. Fair catch called for at the Temple 41.
2nd Quarter (12:13) Incomplete pass for Hergy Mayala. 4th down.
2nd Quarter (12:51) Johnson picks up one. 3rd and 3.
2nd Quarter (13:26) Ron Johnson carries for six after a cut outside right.
2nd Quarter (13:40) Starzyk boots it for a fair catch at the nine and a half.
2nd Quarter (13:46) Incomplete deep pass left for Brandon Shippen. 4th and 13, punting unit out on the field.
2nd Quarter (14:21) Walker drops back and is rushed out of the pocket to the left, he is pushed out of bounds at the 45 for a loss of a yard.
2nd Quarter (14:44) Injured player down for UConn.
2nd Quarter (15:00) Thomas tries to avoid defenders in the backfield but is taken down for a loss of two.
1st Quarter (0:00) After review, call on the field stands.
1st Quarter (0:00) End of first quarter. Fumble ruling is under review. Now this is a play that is legally able to be looked at again.
1st Quarter (0:00) Fumble forced by Jarred Alwan in the backfield and Temple returns it to the Huskies' 42! Big 4th down stop!
1st Quarter (0:39) Shotgun snap to Boyle. He finds Newsome short but the Owls swarm and stop him a yard short of the marker. UConn staying on the field.
1st Quarter (0:39) Flag down. Offside, 3rd and 6 now.
1st Quarter (0:45) Incomplete pass for an open Tyraiq Beals. 3rd and 11.
1st Quarter (1:17) Newsome loses a yard, 2nd and 11.
1st Quarter (1:17) Fair catch called for at the 50. Nice 48 yarder from Starzyk.
1st Quarter (1:24) Incomplete again for Anderson. 4th and 10 from the 2, difficult punting situation upcoming.
1st Quarter (2:10) Thomas is stuffed at the line for no gain. 3rd and 10 for Temple at their own two yard line.
1st Quarter (2:10) Incomplete for Anderson. 2nd down at the 2.
1st Quarter (2:28) Wain punts it down inside the five, downed at the Owls' two!
1st Quarter (3:10) Boyle gives it to Newsome, doesn't pick up the first. 4th and 3, here comes the punting unit.
1st Quarter (3:46) Completion up the middle to Alec Bloom for six. 3rd and 6.
1st Quarter (4:20) Thomas gets the carry for a loss of two. 2nd and 12.
1st Quarter (4:55) Complete pass to Thomas for a first down! Gain of 15 on the play.
1st Quarter (5:37) After a penalty, it is 1st and 5. Newsome loses two, 2nd and 7. He is swarmed on the play.
1st Quarter (6:33) Noel Thomas gets 10 and a first down!
1st Quarter Garrett Anderson gains six.
1st Quarter (7:52) Loss of one on the run for UConn.
1st Quarter (7:59) Kickoff from Tyler Mayes is taken by Arkeel Newsome and he's taken DOWN by Haason Reddick and Boye Aromire at the 15.
1st Quarter (7:59) Thomas takes it outside right and he outruns the defenders and stretches out for the touchdown! 7-0 TEMPLE OWLS! PAT IS GOOD!
1st Quarter (8:37) Play action completion to Deloatch, down to UConn's nine yard line for a first down! Another 16 yards!
1st Quarter (9:17) Thomas cuts across the field and gains a big first down! 15 yards on the dash!
1st Quarter (9:47) First down. Walker hands it to Thomas, he cuts upfield for a nice gain of nine, 2nd and 1.
1st Quarter (9:55) Punt by Justin Wain goes out after a short distance, ball is spotted at UConn's 49 after a 28 yard punt. Great position to start for the Owls.
1st Quarter (10:36) Stuffed in the backfield is Newsome! Fourth and three after the loss of two.
1st Quarter (11:03) Wildcat from the Huskies! Noel Thomas gains seven, third and one upcoming.
1st Quarter (11:38) Arkeel Newsome gains two.
1st Quarter (11:46) Alex Starzyk boots it down, fair catch by Nick Vitale.
1st Quarter (11:51) Third and four pass is incomplete left sideline for Romond Deloatch, fourth down.
1st Quarter (12:36) Walker is pressured and taken down from behind for no gain.
1st Quarter (13:11) Completion from PJ Walker to Robby Anderson, six yards, 2nd and 4.
1st Quarter (13:45) Pass short for Thomas is bobbled and caught! First down! 6 yard gain.
1st Quarter (14:21) Thomas again on the handle, he gains one, thid and short now for the Owls.
1st Quarter (15:00) Jahad Thomas on the carry, he picks up eight to the Temple 33.
1st Quarter (15:00) The ruling on the field is confirmed. The ball went right over the pylon, there is really no definitive way to call that.
1st Quarter (15:00) Touchback call is under review, apparently they can look at that.
1st Quarter (15:00) Bobby Puyol sends it down for a touchback, ball bounced just at the pylon and could have been called an illegal kick out of bounds.
UConn calls tails and wins, they elect to defer. Temple will receive the opening kickoff.
The UConn Huskies now trot onto the field behind their mascot waving his flag!
And now, the entire Temple Owls football team!
Here come the Owls seniors out onto the field!
Temple band just performed the Star Spangled Banner. Now some performances at midfield for the team's final home game and possible final game of the year.
Hello everybody, I'm here LIVE at the Linc and we're ready to get started. Teams are currently warming up, doing some calisthenics in advance of this big AAC matchup.
This one will hopefully be a good game, and I'll catch you back from Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night for gametime between the Connecticut Huskies and the No. 25 Temple Owls.
If Shirreffs isn't ready for action, Tim Boyle will step in as he did last week. For whoever starts, the key will be maximizing the utilization of Noel Thomas and halfback Arkeel Newsome, who has 759 yards and six scores on the year.
Quarterback Bryant Shirreffs for UConn has his status for Saturday in question after injuring his head in the first quarter of the Huskies' defeat of Houston last week. Coach Bob Diaco felt confident the healing process was going well earlier in the week: "He was feeling much better on Sunday then he was Saturday night. He was feeling better on Monday than he was Sunday. Same thing for today," Diaco said Tuesday. [Quote via ESPN]
Temple also has a chance to notch the program's second-ever ten-win season with a win at the Linc on Saturday, the only other time coming all the way back in 1979. The school is 3-1 against the Huskies, but lost at home just two seasons ago to Connecticut in 2013.
Lately, however, Thomas has not been feeling one hundred percent, as he suffered a bit of an ailment to his ribs in Temple's first loss of the season to Notre Dame. Luckily for the Owls, David Hood was nicely effective in the backfield last week, gaining 80 total yards and a score against Memphis. If Thomas is not all good to go, Hood will once again be looked toward for solace in the rushing attack.
All eyes have got to be on Temple's offense, which has been notably led by explosive running back Jahad Thomas. Thomas had racked up 1069 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year, averaging 4.7 yards per carry to keep the Owls' offense churning.
These two teams are built on toughness and physicality, with defenses showing fierce determination and grit and offenses looking to control ball possession and tempo. "They're like us," Temple coach Matt Rhule said. "They like to play defense, they like to play special teams, they like to run the football." [Quote via ESPN]
Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich could possibly be participating in his final regular season college football game, and what better a team to be playing than from his home state of Connecticut. Matakevich has been having a magnificent season, and is now up as a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award for Defensive Player of the Year and the Dick Butkus Award for college football's most Outstanding Linebacker. He has led Temple to a stupendous defensive output of their own, last week standing up Paxton Lynch's Tigers for just 232 yards.
This game means everything for a Temple team looking to finish possibly their best-ever season atop the conference's East division. The title would set the Owls with a matchup against Houston in the inaugural conference championship, as the Cougars took down Navy for the West title early Friday afternoon.
That D is currently the 20th-ranked scoring per game defense in the nation, allowing opponents to score just 19.1 gamely. Its task Saturday night: keep the Owls grounded from clinching berth into the AAC title game.
In that clutch upset win for the Huskies, it was their stellar defense that brought in the win, holding a potent Cougars offense to just 318 yards on offense, nearly 200 below Houston's season average. Additionally, Noel Thomas had 108 yards receiving and caught two scores -- the second a 45-yard fourth-quarter trick play -- to just get by and qualify for a bowl with their sixth win.
Just a few weeks ago, this may have seemed less an even affair, with the Owls flying high at 7-0 for the first time in school history and the Huskies still swarming about the .500 mark. But then Temple lost two of their next three contests, first to No. 9 Notre Dame and then to South Florida two weeks later. Fresh off a 31-12 beating of Memphis last week, the Owls are back in the rankings, sitting at 25th in the College Football Playoff rankings with a record of 9-2, first in the American Athletic Conference East. And UConn, while still sitting at a decent 6-5, are coming off a bowl-clinching key win over previously-undefeated No. 13 Houston, whom they took down by a score of 20-17 to knock the Cougars off their pedestal.
Welcome to VAVEL USA’s LIVE coverage of the Saturday night NCAA football bout between the Connecticut Huskies and the 25th-ranked Temple Owls. I’m Zach Drapkin, an editor here at VAVEL USA, and I’ll be providing minute-to-minute updates, commentary, and results of the game. LIVE from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA, this game is sure to be a doozy, with a start time of 7:00 PM EST. Stick around for all your gameday and mid-game updates of UConn-Temple.