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| Temple RB Bernard Pierce |
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com
PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) - North Broad dominated the Main Line on Thursday as Temple opened the Steve Addazio-era by routing Villanova, 42-7, in the third annual Mayor's Cup before 32,638 fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
“I just want to thank our students at Temple, they came eight to 10,000 strong for this game," Addazio said. "That’s just a great thing too see, you know the major college football culture is here in Philadelphia, its really terrific to see the support of the university and the support of the students, and that was just a real thrill to come out here. I’m awful proud of our football team."
Junior running back Bernard Pierce dominated the Wildcats, rushing for 147 yards on 20 carries and matched a career-high with three touchdowns as the Owls won for the 11th time in 12 tries at the Linc.
It was the 10th career 100-yard game for Pierce, who shook off a disappointing sophomore campaign in which early Heisman hopes were doused by a variety of injuries and pedestrian play. In fact, Pierce had 116
yards by intermission and eventually passed Henry Hynoski to climb into fifth place on the all-time Temple rushing list with 2,236 career yards.
"I think he’s as talented as the backs I’ve seen in any of the other conferences I’ve been in," Addazio said of Pierce. "The last stop I was at was a tremendous conference, and he’s got all that talent. Why? He’s big, he’s got the size, speed, and he makes you miss, he has those qualities, and like we’ve said Bernard’s been working real hard to being able to play through these physical games, and finish and work through injuries. He ran real hard, he was driving and spinning and working for extra yards, he was tight with the ball and I thought he did a great job and he is absolutely one of the top running backs in the country.”
Addazio, in his first game as Temple's head coach, picked junior Mike Gerardi as his starting quarterback in a game-time decision, hardly a surprise since the southpaw started the final five games last season while Chester Stewart was suspended and sophomore Chris Coyer, who redshirted as a freshman in 2009,
attempted just two passes last season.
Gerardi finished 14-for-20 for 235 yards and two touchdowns, one each to starting receivers Deon Miller and Rod Streater.
“He did a great job, he came out here, he managed the game, real good leadership in the huddle," Addazio said when asked about Gerardi's performance. "We wanted a guy to come out here and demonstrate leadership and he did that, and I think it was about a week ago, he picked that up, and that was evident tonight."
Expectations have been tempered a bit this season for a Villanova team that has been an annual powerhouse at the FCS level. Gone are 12 starters from last year's team that was a year removed from the national championship and went 9-5, advanced to the national semifinals for the second straight season and
finished No. 3 overall in the Sports Network's top 25. Dual-threat quarterback Chris Whitney, NFL draft pick Ben Ijalana and Matt Szczur, the all-purpose sensation that is now trying his hand at professional baseball, were really missed.
Whitney's replacement, new signal-caller Dustin Thomas, struggled mightily, connecting on just 11-of-25 passes for 109 yards with three interceptions. Safety Kevin Kroboth picked off Thomas twice and his running mate Justin Gildea also intercepted him.
“Well, first of all, Temple’s really good," Villanova coach Andy Talley said. "I think they have as good a Temple team as we have seen in three years [Bernard]. Pierce is a really good big time running back. And it’s a nice change up with 22, RB Matt Brown. He’s a really good player as well. So I think that you
know, you play a very good team it looks like they’re capable of winning a Mac Conference Championship game. They’re good."
After Gildea's pick in the end zone stymied Villanova's opening possession, Gerardi led the Owls on an 11-play, 75-yard drive, culminating with a 35-yard TD pass to rangy sophomore Miller, who was able to split the Wildcats' secondary as Gerardi hit him in stride to give Temple an early 7-0 edge.
A little trickery from Villanova featuring a reverse to Dorian Wells and a throwback for 44 yards to Thomas went for naught when the Temple defense stiffened and forced a Thomas fumble recovered by Tahir Whitehead. Pierce and Company took advantage, embarking on a 5-play, 62-yard scoring march punctuated by the bruising back's 19-yard scamper up the middle with just over seven minutes left until halftime.
Pierce kept poring it on from there, bouncing off right tackle for a 22-yard TD run that gave the Owls a commanding 21-0 edge with under a minute to go before intermission.
The rout was on early in the third quarter as Gerardi put Temple in front 28-0 with a 47-yard bomb to Streater down the right sideline.
Pierce then got the edge on a sweep en route to a 20-yard score as the Owls went on top 35-0 with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter.
Coyer came on and kept the good times rolling for Temple, keeping an option and racing up the middle of a stunned Villanova defense for a 68-yard TD run with 12:20 left in the contest.
'Nova did avoid the shutout when Thomas took it in from four yards out with a little under eight minutes to go.
"We played a great program in Villanova, you know Andy Talley does a great job with that program," Addazio said. "These have been tremendously close games, and we have the utmost respect for coach Talley and for his program. Were thrilled that we had an opportunity to go out tonight and have success, to be in this stadium and this atmosphere, and it was a great night for Philadelphia and a great night for Temple”
OWL Droppings:
*This was the 32nd meeting between the Owls and the Wildcats since 1908, renewing a 103-year old cross-town rivalry. The Wildcats still hold a 16-14-2 series advantage.
*The 32,368 was the second largest crowd to watch a Temple home game at LFF trailing the sellout of 69,029 versus Penn State on Nov. 10, 2007. Four of the top six Temple crowds at the Linc have been against 'Nova. Of course the Owls host Penn State again in their next home game on Sept. 17 and that will either break the record or take second place,
*This was the third in a series of four scheduled Mayor’s Cup games. The two teams are also slated to play again in 2012.
*Miller almost has as many receiving yds in first quarter tonight (60) as he did in his entire freshman campaign (65).
*Scouts from the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers were on hand.
*Cat Scratches:
*Villanova is 3-13 vs. FCS teams since restoring football and is 2-2 vs. Temple, dropping the past two Mayor's Cup games.
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