Temple pounded East Carolina 49-6 on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. 43 points is the biggest margin of victory against an FBS team in school history. The Owls (3-3, 2-0 American) rolled up 470 yards offense and scored on four of their first five possessions. Quarterback Anthony Russo was 21 of 25 for 254 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. Wide receiver Isaiah Wright caught one of those touchdowns, scored another on a punt return and compiled 192 all-purpose yards. The Owls defense held the Pirates (2-3, 0-1 American) to 196 offense and a pair of field goals; they also made the play that set the tone for the game.

The Owls recovered nicely from an interception that Russo threw on the first drive. The defense stopped ECU at the Temple 38-yard line and Pirates head coach Scottie Montgomery elected to punt. After a touchback, the Owls went 80 yards with Sean Ryan catching the first of Russo’s touchdown passes. The 24-yard play was set up by a 13-yard run by Ryquell Armstead on a third-and-three from the Pirates 37.

On the ensuing possession, the Pirates got one first down but then faced a fourth-and-one at their 43. This time, they went for it but with safety Delvon Randall – one of the Owls single-digit guys – leading the way, ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers was stuffed and the Owls took over at the Pirates’ 42.

“That was huge,” said Owls head coach Geoff Collins. “We knew there were certain plays they wanted to do when [Ahlers] was in. They had that formation on this down and distance and coach Thacker and the defensive staff schemed it up and our guys executed the call. It was a defense we’ve never run before and we made a game-changing play to give our offense the ball in their end. I thought that was as big a momentum play as there was.”

The Owls quickly converted the good starting spot into points when Russo connected with Branden Mack for a seven-yard score. The drive was saved on the second play when Jovahn Fair fell on a fumble by Jager Gardner then Russo completed a 20-yard pass to Brodrick Yancy to convert a third-and-15.
Another short field was set up by a 32-yard punt return by Wright and Armstead ran in from a yard out to make it 21-0.

The Owls defense forced a three-and-out highlighted by a sack by safety Benny Walls. The punt was returned 59 yards by Wright for a score and the sixth game in a row that the Owls have scored a non-offensive touchdown.

After the Pirates got on the scoreboard with a 29-yard field goal by Jake Verity, the Owls went right back down the field. Russo threw his third touchdown of the half on a nice post-corner route by Wright, who hauled in the 19-yard pass for his second touchdown of the quarter.

In the second half, Randle Jones made a highlight-reel catch for a 31-yard touchdown and it was 42-3. Early in the fourth quarter, Verity booted a 42-yard field goal then midway through the final quarter, Owls defensive lineman Freddie Booth-Lloyd blasted in from one-yard out for the game’s final score.

Email Rock Hoffman at rock@footballstories.com