Houston Defeats Temple in AAC Championship Game

University of Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr., just as he’d done for the previous three hours Saturday afternoon, held tight to the football following the final gun of the Cougars’ 24-13 victory over Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship game. He threw for only 88 yards, but he ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Then again, there probably weren’t too many people who expected the Cougars to be 10-0 at one point this season, or for the Cougars to be in a position to be the Group of Five representative at either the Peach Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl. Over under has seen the Temple Owls go a 5-7 so far, while the Houston Cougars go 5-6-1.

A 39-yard field goal by Austin Jones made it 24-13 early in the fourth. Temple Owls recorded 209.5 passing yards and 158.3 rushing yards while allowed 211.0 passing yards and 117.4 russhing yards with turnover differential of -0.5.

UH added to their lead in the first drive of the second quarter, with junior kicker Ty Cummings nailing a 24-yard field goal.

Temple: LB Tyler Matakevich.

Temple’s defense forced the Cougars to punt to start the third quarter.

This Houston Cougar football season was never about a ideal season.

Temple started its second drive from its own 28 and advanced deep into Houston territory, but Roberts stripped Robbie Anderson at the 9-yard line.

Demarcus Ayers, WR, Houston- Greg Ward Jr.’s go-to receiver has had a spectacular season with 1140 yards, six touchdowns, and one ridiculous one-handed catch.

Houston can also thank cornerback William Jackson III, the defensive equivalent of Ward, who broke up seven Temple passes.

Yet Houston couldn’t get anything going on their next drive, and had to punt back to Temple with 5 and a half minutes left.

However, Temple stuffed UH’s kickoff return at the 11 and forced the Coogs into a 3 and out, putting momentum exclusively in their corner. The win gave Houston it’s fourth 11-win season in program history.

“You have to contain him, but have to keep him in the pocket”, Temple coach Matt Rhule told the Philadelphia Inquirer. PJ Walker completed 19 of 29 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown. The Owls had a 3rd-and-3 at the Houston 38, but inexplicably attempted a long pass into the end zone. I wish we would have won, but we got down, and our kids fought back.

Houston is the offensive team that could cause some problems for a bigger school in one of those bowl games.