SMU Falls To Temple
P.J. Walker passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for a score as No. 22 Temple delivered a 60-40 victory over Southern Methodist in the American Athletic Conference on Friday night in Dallas.
True freshman running back Jager Gardner scored on a 94-yard run as part of a 110-yard performance and junior running back Jahad Thomas had 66 yards and one touchdown for the Owls (8-1, 5-0).
Senior receiver Robby Anderson, junior receiver Romond Deloatch, sophomore wideout Adonis Jennings and redshirt freshman receiver Ventell Bryant each had a touchdown catch for Temple.
True freshman running back Xavier Jones rushed for two touchdown for the Mustangs (1-8, 0-5), who dropped their seventh consecutive game. Junior quarterback Matt Davis passed for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception and rushed for 102 yards and one touchdown.
Temple received a bit of a scare from lowly SMU in its first game since having its bid for an unbeaten season halted by Notre Dame with a 24-20 loss last Saturday.
The margin was just five points until Walker freelanced on third-and-14 and scampered for a
36-yard touchdown with 1:45 remaining and sophomore cornerback Sean Chandler followed with a 41-yard interception return with 55 seconds left.
The Mustangs haven’t won since Sept. 12 but pulled within 38-31 in the fourth quarter when Davis tossed a 30-yard scoring pass to junior tight end Jeremiah Gaines with 12:15 left.
The Owls struck on the next offensive play when Walker flicked a short pass to Bryant, who was behind the defense and raced 75 yards to restore the 14-point advantage.
SMU responded with nine quick points off special teams as Temple sophomore Nick Sharga was called for holding in the end zone to account for two points and true freshman Braeden West returned the ensuing free kick 80 yards for a touchdown to pull the Mustangs within 45-40 with 8:02 to go.
The Owls looked like they were going to roll over the Mustangs by scoring two touchdowns in the first 12 1/2 minutes. Gardner broke free up the middle for the 94-yard run — the second-longest play from scrimmage in school history — and Walker threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Anderson.
SMU scored the next 17 points, including scoring runs of 2 yards by Davis and 13 by Xavier Jones, to take a three-point lead with 4:03 remaining in the half.
The Owls went back ahead on Walker’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Deloatch to make it 21-17 with 24 seconds before halftime.
Temple stretched the lead to 11 on Walker’s 4-yard pass to Jennings with 10:43 left in the third quarter. Xavier Jones scored on a 9-yard run to get the Mustangs back with four before Thomas scored on a 2-yard run and sophomore Austin Jones kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 38-24 with 23 seconds left in the third quarter.
