Bernard Pierce scored three touchdowns in the Temple win

Bernard Pierce scored three touchdowns and had 169 yards rushing but it was defensive end Adrian Robinson who had the biggest play in Temple’s 30-16 win over the University of Connecticut Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls, who are 3-0 for the first time since 1979, were trailing 16-14 with 8:28 left in the game when Robinson stripped the ball from Huskies tailback Jordan Todman and went 24 yards to put the Owls in the lead for good in what had been a back-and-forth game.

“My teammates did most of the work,” said Robinson, a 6-2 junior from Harrisburg, when asked about the play. “Peanut (linebacker Elijah Joseph) really helped me, if he wasn’t holding him I wouldn’t have been able to strip it.”

“When you finish plays good things happen,” said Temple’s Al Golden after his first win as a head coach over a team from a BCS conference. “We’ve been on the other side of that play so many times. We were so glad to see that and we got a charge and that was it, they didn’t score again.”

With their first possession of the game, the Huskies (1-2) scored on a 36-yard field goal by Dave Teggart. The Owls didn’t do much offensively in the first quarter but the did manage to change the momentum late in the quarter with a fake punt. With fourth-and-four from their own 31-yard line, Golden had punter Jeff Wathne throw a pass to Muhammad Wilkerson it only covered three yards and UConn had great field position but the point was made.

“The team understood, at that point, we were here to win,” Golden said.

The defense forced a field goal try which was wide right. Three plays later, Pierce scored his first touchdown. After taking a short pass from Chester Stewart, he was able to cover most of the rest of the 27 yards by tight roping down the sideline.

The Huskies scored the next 10 points, on a 26-yard field goal by Teggart late in the first half and two plays into the third quarter when Todman ran 59 yards to give them their first lead at 13-7.

After the teams traded punts, Pierce would score from a yard out. On the nine-play drive, which covered 69 yards, Pierce carried eight times.

On the ensuing possession, UConn would re-assume the lead on a 47-yard field goal by Teggart thus setting the stage for Robinson.

“I saw the ball and it was loose, I ripped it out and it was murder-she-wrote from there,” he said.

A 47-yard punt return by Delano Green set up Pierce’s final touchdown, a two-yard run and the Owls were up 27-16. However, after a second straight three-and-out by UConn, Green fumbled the punt and the Huskies still had a little bit of life but Teggart missed a field goal from the 38. Temple’s Brandon McManus kicked a 32-yard field goal to provide the final margin.

“Each game we come together as a team,” said Stewart, who was 11-of-21 passing for 159 yards with one touchdown and 20 additional yards rushing, “and overcoming adversity gives us more confidence.”

Added Golden, “There’s going to be so much we have to fix which is good as a coach when your winning because you can keep their attention.”

Rock Hoffman’s e-mail address is Rdvsports@yahoo.com