Personal records are nice.
Team achievements matter a whole lot more, especially when they are not met against an opponent you’re expected to beat.
Temple quarterback Phillip Walker became the program’s all-time leader in passing yards, but he threw three interceptions and the Owls’ defense was gashed on the ground for 329 yards in a 28-13 season-opening loss to Army at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday night.
Coming off a historic 10-4 season, Temple (0-1) looked every bit of a team trying to replace playmaking and leadership on both sides of the ball (see story).
Army (1-0), who was 2-10 a season ago, used its signature triple option at will to control the time of possession to secure the victory.
Turning point
Temple kicked a field goal with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter to pull within a point at 14-13 and get the Linc crowd back into the game after being mostly silenced by the clock-chewing Army attack.
This was supposed to be the point when the Owls took over and turned things in their favor to pull ahead.
Well, that might have been the thought to everyone except the Black Knights and their fans. Army proceeded to rip off a 14-play, 81-yard drive that was capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by Tyler Campbell.
Temple still had a chance in the final minutes, but Walker tossed his second interception on a throw into traffic. Army’s Andy Davidson put the exclamation point on the game with a 17-yard TD run two plays later.
Big men on campus
How about the entire Army backfield? The Black Knights had eight different players carry the ball to the tune of 329 yards. Davidson led the team with 121 yards and added two touchdowns.
Black Knights cornerback Marcus Hyatt snared a deflected pass on the first drive of the game for an interception to put an end to a Temple scoring opportunity. He also added five tackles.
Temple’s Walker was held in check the entire game. The senior finished the night 12 of 26 for 168 yards and three interceptions.
With senior running back Jahad Thomas out with a hand injury, Ryquell Armstead got the start. Armstead had 16 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
Inside the box score
• Army won the time of possession battle 35:48 to 24:12.
• Temple defensive lineman Sharif Finch blocked a punt in the first half. The Owls led the nation last season with five blocked punts.
• Army well surpassed its season average in rushing from a year ago. The Black Knights, who had 329 yards on the ground Friday, ranked 12th in the nation in 2015 with 244.3 yards per game.
• Stephaun Marshall, Tyler Matakevich’s replacement at WILL linebacker, had nine tackles.
• Army had posted a 1-12 mark under head coach Jeff Monken in games the Black Knights trailed at halftime. The Owls led 10-7 at intermission on Friday.
History
Friday’s clash marked the first meeting between the two schools since Temple earned a 33-14 win over Army in 2013. That game was Matt Rhule’s first win as a head coach and Walker’s first win as a starting quarterback.
After Friday’s loss, the Owls now hold a 7-5 mark in the all-time series. They are 12-11 all time against service academies.
Scout’s honor
There were representatives for 10 NFL teams in attendance at Friday’s game. The teams were: Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills.
What’s next?
Temple will try to regroup when it returns to the Linc to host FCS Stony Brook at 1 p.m. next Saturday.
Army faces Rice in its home opener next Saturday at noon.