Bernard Pierce scored three touchdowns in the Temple win

In the previous two games where Villanova and Temple battled for the Mayor’s Cup, the contests were close and decided late in the fourth quarter. In Thursday night’s game at Lincoln Financial Field, by the time it got to the late part of the fourth quarter most of the 32,637 in attendance had departed and players who were not listed on the two-deep depth charts were in the game. It was all Temple in this one. Bernard Pierce scored three touchdowns and finished with 147 yards on 20 carries as the Owls beat Villanova 42-7.

“These first games are all about coming out playing physical,” said Steve Addazio, who was making his debut as Temple’s head coach, “and playing hard. I thought that happened.”

For a young Wildcat squad that started six players who were either true or redshirt freshmen, one of them, quarterback Dustin Thomas, summed it up.

“It’s not high school anymore.”

The Wildcats took the opening drive to the Owls 27-yard line but the drive stalled and Thomas’ fourth down pass from the 30 was intercepted in the end zone. The Owl first chance with the ball in 2011 resulted in a seven play, 75-yard drive that ended when Mike Gerardi found Deon Miller, who had split a pair of defenders, on a 35-yard touchdown pass.

The ‘Cats moved the ball again but had to punt. Perhaps the only bad thing that would happen to the Owls occurred at the end of their second possession when Brandon McManus missed a 48-yard field goal. On the next play, Thomas caught a pass from Dorian Wells and set the Wildcats up at the Temple 25 but three plays later Thomas fumbled. The Owls Anthony Robey caused it and Tahir Whitehead recovered at the Temple 38. The Owls would cover the 62 yards all on the ground (helped out by a personal foul against the Wildcats) with Pierce scoring from 19 yards out. Pierce would score again – on a 22-yard run – before the first half ended and in the process go over 100 yards for the night.

On the opening possession of the second half, Gerardi hit Rod Streater with a 47-yard touchdown pass. Pierce’s final touchdown came late in the third quarter on a 20-yard run. Thomas pushed in from four yards out to put the Wildcats on the scoreboard midway through the fourth quarter.

Rock Hoffman can be reached at RDVSports@yahoo.com