Jahad Thomas runs the ball against Notre Dame (Photo credit: Photo by Todd Bauders/contrastphotography.com)

PHILADELPHIA – Temple coach Matt Rhule has said several times the script for Owls games has the contests still in doubt into the fourth quarter. Such was the case on Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field where the 21st ranked Owls battled ninth-ranked Notre Dame. Only in the very end did it go wrong for the Owls. There was no Hollywood finish for them as they fell 24-20 in a hard-fought game and suffered their first loss of the season before 69,280, the largest crowd ever for a Temple game at the Linc.

“This hurt,” Rhule said, “I think everyone on out team is going to say, ‘if only I did this.’

“We expected it to be a good game,” said Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly, whose team is now 7-1, “and that’s what we got. At the end, we just made one more play than Temple to give us the victory.”

The play Kelly was referring to was the game-winning 17-yard touchdown pass from DeShone Kizer to Philadelphia native Will Fuller with 2:09 to go in the game.

“It was just a good play by them,” said Temple cornerback Tavon Young. “We could have done things better to stop them but they just made a play.”

The score was the answer to a 36-yard field goal by Austin Jones that put the Owls in the lead for the second time in the game.

Following the score by the Irish, the Owls still had a chance to pull the upset. They got near midfield but a penalty pushed them back and then P.J. Walker was intercepted by Russell KeiVarae at the Notre Dame 35 on a pass intended for John Christopher.

“He was running by himself,” said the junior signal caller. “I noticed the corner but I thought I could squeeze it in there. I think he just made a great play, if he wouldn’t have dove for that ball it probably would’ve been a touchdown.”

For the most part, the Owls (7-1, 4-0 American) held the Irish offense, which came in averaging nearly 40 points per game, in check. Kizer ran for 143 yards on 17 carries but running back C.J. Prosise, who had five 100-yard rushing games coming in, was held to 25 yards on 14 carries. Kizer threw for 299 yards but Fuller, who averaged almost 22 yards per catch was held to just 46 yards on five receptions.

It did take the Owls defense a little time to get going.

The Fighting Irish took the opening drive 74 yards, twice converting on third down. Once on a quick slant to Fuller – a Roman Catholic product, the other was on a pass interference on Young who was covering Fuller. Kizer scored his first of two touchdowns on a four-yard run to put Notre Dame up 7-0.

The Owls received a scare on their first possession when center Kyle Friend, perhaps their most important offensive player, took a helmet to the knee on a third-and-short play. Temple would punt but get the ball back after a three-and-out by the Irish. With Friend on the sideline, the Owls started at their own 42. They converted a third-and-14 on a pass from Walker to Ventell Bryant. On the next play, Walker completed a 22-yard pass to Robby Anderson on a flea flicker. The drive would stall at the Notre Dame 24 and Jones would kick a career-high 41-yard field goal. The good news other than the points was that the drive finished with Friend back at center.

On their next possession, disaster almost struck for Temple. On a third down from their 17-yard line, a snap came sooner than Walker expected, by the time he fell on the ball it was at his own one-yard line. Alex Starzyk did a great job to get the ball away while punting, with limited space, from his own end zone.

Notre Dame took over at the Owls 40 and got to the 14 when, on third down, the Temple defense made a play. Haason Reddick came free while rushing Kizer because the offensive line concentrated on picking up Tyler Matakevich. The rush caused the pass to be picked off by Praise Martin-Oguike.

Two big plays and a penalty on the defense helped the Owls matriculate the ball down the field quickly. Jahad Thomas had a 39-yard run, Bryant had a catch for 26 yards and a pass interference penalty gave Temple a first-and-goal at the nine. On third down, Walker connected with Brandon Shippen for a 12-yard touchdown and a 10-7 Temple lead.

It wouldn’t last long, on the ensuing possession, Kizer, a red-shirt freshman, executed a beautiful fake that had the defense crashing on the running back. He then raced 79 yards for the score.

The Irish would get one more chance in the red zone before halftime but an interception by Matakevich on a tipped ball ended the threat.

The only scoring in the third quarter was a 23-yard field goal by Notre Dame after they had a first-and-goal at the three.

Temple would tie the score with less than 11 minutes to go in the game, when Thomas scored from a yard out to finished off a long drive that took 14 plays and consumed almost half a quarter. On a fourth down, Thomas took a pitch and all on individual effort he weaved through three Notre Dame defenders for the score. The drive was kept alive on a fourth down catch by Anderson that covered 31 yards and gave the Owls a first down at the seven and later on a personal foul in the end zone.

After Notre Dame punted the ball back to Temple, the Owls took the lead on the field goal by Jones.

From there things didn’t go according to the script.

E-mail Rock Hoffman at Rock@footballstories.com