For the better part of four quarters, Temple backup quarterback Chris Coyer burned the Bobcats with his legs; but when the time came to lead a game-winning drive with his arm, he could not deliver.
With 1:41 remaining in the game, Ohio’s defense defused Temple’s attempt at a game-winning drive, allowing the Bobcats to defeat the Owls 35-31 in front of a spirited Peden Stadium crowd.
Coming into the game, all the talk was about Temple’s dynamic pair of running backs, Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown. Though the Bobcats were able to hold the duo to 101 combined rushing yards, Coyer rushed for 184 yards after entering the game midway through the first quarter.
“That was the biggest thing coming in,” linebacker Noah Keller said. “They still rushed for quite a few yards, but it wasn’t from their workhorse backs. The defense didn’t play good but played good enough.”
After Coyer led a seven-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a 9-yard touchdown pass to Deon Miller, Ohio took over at its own 22-yard line with 4:41 remaining in the game.
Facing third and goal from Temple’s 5-yard line, Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton rolled out of the pocket, eluded would-be tacklers and found receiver Donte Foster in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. With the completion, Tettleton tied Ohio’s record for passing touchdowns in a season with 20.
“I was waiting for Riley (Dunlop) to get open, but they cornered him in, so I bought some time and threw it to Donte and he made a great play,” Tettelton said.
The touchdown was set up by a 50-yard completion to Donte Harden down the Temple sideline — just one of a number of big plays that fueled the Bobcats.
Harden also broke an 81-yard run for a touchdown in the third.
By the end of the night, Harden had 322 yards of total offense, setting a single-game school record.
“I want to be able to contribute week in and week out,” Harden said, “blocking, rushing and receiving.”
Temple also relied on the big play: Coyer ripped off four runs of more than 30 yards.
“Especially against these guys, they’re not going to allow you to 4- and 5-yard them to death,” Ohio coach Frank Solich said. “You need some big plays to keep them on edge a bit.”
Halloween was Monday, but the Bobcats pulled out their bag of tricks to pull off a few big gains.
Quarterback-turned-receiver Phil Bates hit Tettleton for a 23-yard completion on a reverse play, and LeVon Brazill turned a fake handoff into a 56-yard completion.
The Bobcats also ran a direct snap to Harden in the backfield while Tettleton appeared to call an audible at the line.
“Against a defense like them, you probably don’t want to line up and do the same thing again and again,” Solich said. “You’ve got show a little variety.”
The Owls sustained a drive with a fake punt and cashed in with a go-ahead field goal with 10:57 remaining in the game.
Trailing 24-21, Tettleton found Brazill for a 28-yard completion down to the Temple 2-yard line. Brazill originally bobbled the ball, and the Owls challenged the play.
Replay confirmed the catch, and on the ensuing play, Tettleton found Jordan Thompson in the end zone for the score.
“At first I bobbled it, but as I was going down, I made sure I had my hands under the ball,” Brazill said. “I knew it was a catch.”
With the win, the Bobcats return to the driver’s seat in the MAC East. Win number six also means the Bobcats are bowl eligible for the third consecutive year.
“It means a lot, but at the same time, we’re going to have that target on our back,” Tettleton said. “We’ve got Central (Michigan) next, and that’s all we’re going to be worried about now.”
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