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University of Massachusets Athletics
Friday, September 15
Philadelphia, Pa.
7 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
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29
Temple
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4th
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UMass
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7
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Temple
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29
Massachusetts Drops 29-21 Decision At Temple
September 16, 2017 | Football
Ford throws for 377 yards and two touchdowns, runs for another in loss to Owls
PHILADELPHIA – University of Massachusetts football battled back and forth with Temple University at Lincoln Financial Field Friday evening before the Owls pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 29-21 decision over the Minutemen. Quarterback Andrew Ford finished 23-of-37 with 377 yards passing and two touchdowns thrown, while Ford also rushed for another score.
Nick Orekoya and Jessie Britt each caught on of Ford's touchdowns. Britt finished with three receptions for 57 yards while the TD grab was Orekoya's only catch of the night. Sadiq Palmer led all receivers with career highs of seven catches and 117 yards. Marquis Young led the UMass ground game with 77 yards over 15 carries, an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt.
Steve Casali had a team-high nine tackles, including a seven-yard sack. Isaiah Rodgers followed with seven tackles, including a five-yard TFL. The Minutemen had 11 total tackles for loss – a single-game high on the season – as Jarell Addo, Ali Ali-Musa, Da'Sean Downey and Sha-Ki Holines had two apiece.
Logan Marchi was 22-of-37 for Temple with 248 yards and three touchdown passes. Adonis Jennings, Keith Kirkwood and Isaiah Wright split up Marchi's three touchdown passes. Ryquell Armstead rushed for 91 yards over 17 carries, an average of 5.4 per attempt.
Temple had 12 tackles for loss of their own, including nine sacks. Delvon Randall paced the Owls defense with nine tackles, including a TFL. Quincy Roche had four of those TFLs, including three sacks.
Temple capped the game's first possession with an Austin Jones 24-yard field goal conversion. Ryquell Armstead set up Temple in the UMass red zone with a 56-yard run down the Temple sideline, but the UMass defense stopped the Owls on the eight-yard line to hold the home side to three points.
The Owls attempted to double their lead in the second quarter on a Jones 42-yard field goal attempt. However, Rodgers came around the edge and blocked Jones' attempt to keep the score at 3-0. It was the first blocked field goal by a Minuteman since Robert Kitching III turned an Eastern Michigan attempt back on Oct. 18, 2014.
The Minuteman defense pressured Temple throughout the half and collected eight tackles for loss, including a sack each by Downey and Casali. The Owls defense matched UMass with seven TFLs of their own as neither side found the endzone until late in the second quarter.
Massachusetts jumped in front, 7-3, on Orekoya's first career touchdown. Ford hit Orekoya open near the goal-line and Orekoya raced inside the left pylon for the points. It was only the sophomore's fourth career reception.
Temple responded with two scores inside the final two minutes of the half for a 16-7 lead at the break. Marchi floated a pass to Jennings in the back-right corner of the endzone for the 10-7 lead. A fumble by Ford gave the Owls the ball back at the UMass 18 yard line with 46 seconds remaining and Temple capitalized with a Marchi-to-Kirkwood touchdown. Jones missed the extra point on the second touchdown and the Owls took a nine-point lead into the break.
Ford and Britt pulled UMass within five of tying with five minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter when Ford unleashed a 20-yard toss to Britt, who ran underneath the endzone pass for six points.
The defense limited Temple into the final minutes of the game, as the Owls were held to a 37-yard field goal until Marci connected with Wright for a touchdown with 3:48 left in the fourth.
Down 29-14 following the Wright touchdown, the Minutemen marched down the field in eight plays covering 76 yards in two minutes – capped by Ford's three-yard rushing score. The Umass defense was able to force a 3-and-out by Temple, but the Minutemen we unable to go the 82 yards needed for the attempt to tie following the punt with 26 seconds on the clock.
Massachusetts travels to the University of Tennessee next for a Sat., Sept. 23 contest at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for Noon on the SEC Network.
Single game tickets – including those for the Fenway Gridiron Series – are available for purchase now. Tickets to the remaining McGuirk Alumni Stadium games are available over the phone by dialing 866-UMASS-TIX, in-person at the Mullins Center Box Office during business hours or online here. All Fenway Gridiron Series tickets must be purchased here. For more information, please visit the UMass Football Ticket Information page.
Follow Massachusetts football on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@UMassFootball).
Nick Orekoya and Jessie Britt each caught on of Ford's touchdowns. Britt finished with three receptions for 57 yards while the TD grab was Orekoya's only catch of the night. Sadiq Palmer led all receivers with career highs of seven catches and 117 yards. Marquis Young led the UMass ground game with 77 yards over 15 carries, an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt.
Steve Casali had a team-high nine tackles, including a seven-yard sack. Isaiah Rodgers followed with seven tackles, including a five-yard TFL. The Minutemen had 11 total tackles for loss – a single-game high on the season – as Jarell Addo, Ali Ali-Musa, Da'Sean Downey and Sha-Ki Holines had two apiece.
Logan Marchi was 22-of-37 for Temple with 248 yards and three touchdown passes. Adonis Jennings, Keith Kirkwood and Isaiah Wright split up Marchi's three touchdown passes. Ryquell Armstead rushed for 91 yards over 17 carries, an average of 5.4 per attempt.
Temple had 12 tackles for loss of their own, including nine sacks. Delvon Randall paced the Owls defense with nine tackles, including a TFL. Quincy Roche had four of those TFLs, including three sacks.
Temple capped the game's first possession with an Austin Jones 24-yard field goal conversion. Ryquell Armstead set up Temple in the UMass red zone with a 56-yard run down the Temple sideline, but the UMass defense stopped the Owls on the eight-yard line to hold the home side to three points.
The Owls attempted to double their lead in the second quarter on a Jones 42-yard field goal attempt. However, Rodgers came around the edge and blocked Jones' attempt to keep the score at 3-0. It was the first blocked field goal by a Minuteman since Robert Kitching III turned an Eastern Michigan attempt back on Oct. 18, 2014.
The Minuteman defense pressured Temple throughout the half and collected eight tackles for loss, including a sack each by Downey and Casali. The Owls defense matched UMass with seven TFLs of their own as neither side found the endzone until late in the second quarter.
Massachusetts jumped in front, 7-3, on Orekoya's first career touchdown. Ford hit Orekoya open near the goal-line and Orekoya raced inside the left pylon for the points. It was only the sophomore's fourth career reception.
Temple responded with two scores inside the final two minutes of the half for a 16-7 lead at the break. Marchi floated a pass to Jennings in the back-right corner of the endzone for the 10-7 lead. A fumble by Ford gave the Owls the ball back at the UMass 18 yard line with 46 seconds remaining and Temple capitalized with a Marchi-to-Kirkwood touchdown. Jones missed the extra point on the second touchdown and the Owls took a nine-point lead into the break.
Ford and Britt pulled UMass within five of tying with five minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter when Ford unleashed a 20-yard toss to Britt, who ran underneath the endzone pass for six points.
The defense limited Temple into the final minutes of the game, as the Owls were held to a 37-yard field goal until Marci connected with Wright for a touchdown with 3:48 left in the fourth.
Down 29-14 following the Wright touchdown, the Minutemen marched down the field in eight plays covering 76 yards in two minutes – capped by Ford's three-yard rushing score. The Umass defense was able to force a 3-and-out by Temple, but the Minutemen we unable to go the 82 yards needed for the attempt to tie following the punt with 26 seconds on the clock.
Massachusetts travels to the University of Tennessee next for a Sat., Sept. 23 contest at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for Noon on the SEC Network.
Single game tickets – including those for the Fenway Gridiron Series – are available for purchase now. Tickets to the remaining McGuirk Alumni Stadium games are available over the phone by dialing 866-UMASS-TIX, in-person at the Mullins Center Box Office during business hours or online here. All Fenway Gridiron Series tickets must be purchased here. For more information, please visit the UMass Football Ticket Information page.
Follow Massachusetts football on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@UMassFootball).
Team Stats
UMASS
TEM
Total Yards
458
387
Pass Yards
377
268
Rushing Yards
81
119
Penalty Yards
48
74
1st Downs
25
20
3rd Downs
4
9
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
28:22
31:38
1st Quarter
UMASS 0, TEM 3
TEM - JONES,AUSTIN 24 yd field goal 6 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:17
2nd Quarter
UMASS 7, TEM 3
UMASS - OREKOYA, Nick 10 yd pass from FORD, Andrew (SCHREINER, M. kick) 5 plays, 64 yards, TOP 2:20
UMASS 7, TEM 10
TEM - JENNINGS,ADONIS 30 yd pass from MARCHI,LOGAN (JONES,AUSTIN kick) 8 plays, 73 yards, TOP 1:19
UMASS 7, TEM 16
TEM - KIRKWOOD,KEITH 11 yd pass from MARCHI,LOGAN (JONES,AUSTIN kickfailed) 3 plays, 18 yards, TOP 0:36
3rd Quarter
UMASS 7, TEM 19
TEM - BOUMERHI,AARON 52 yd field goal 9 plays, 53 yards, TOP 3:30
UMASS 14, TEM 19
UMASS - BRITT, Jessie 20 yd pass from FORD, Andrew (SCHREINER, M. kick) 9 plays, 66 yards, TOP 4:15
UMASS 14, TEM 22
TEM - JONES,AUSTIN 37 yd field goal 10 plays, 44 yards, TOP 3:56
4th Quarter
UMASS 14, TEM 29
TEM - WRIGHT,ISAIAH 13 yd pass from MARCHI,LOGAN (JONES,AUSTIN kick) 10 plays, 72 yards, TOP 4:51
UMASS 21, TEM 29
UMASS - FORD, Andrew 3 yd run (SCHREINER, M. kick), 8 plays, 76 yards, TOP 2:00
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
23
TD
2
YDS
377
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ FootballQB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB
/ Football
RB
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