Ward leads No. 17 Houston past No. 20 Temple in AAC Championship

Watch Temple vs Houston online free live streaming college football game today between two Top 25 ranked teams.

Videos showing security guards punching and tackling students who rushed the field after No. 19 Houston’s 24-13 win over No. 22 Temple surfaced online Saturday, and the university said it would review the incident.

The Temple Owls traveled to Houston to face off against the Cougars for the AAC Championship game. Houston took over with 2 minutes left and ran out the clock to secure the inugural American Athletic Conference championship.

“You just have to be sharp”, Houston cornerback Adrian McDonald said of the Temple offense. I wish we would have won, but we got down, and our kids fought back. “We feel like that is a tremendous advantage for us, considering the way that we have been packing our stadium the last two home games”.

Ward’s effort also led the Cougars to a 12-1 record under first-year head coach Tom Herman, and stamped their ticket as the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six bowl representative. He ran the ball 17 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 12-of-21 passes for 88 yards.

Up 7-0 to start the second quarter, Houston continued to string drives together and pick apart Temple’s defense, including a 24 yard field goal.

Temple’s league-leading defense – led by senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich – will be tested by the Cougars’ high-scoring offense. So far Walker for Temple has no touchdown passes, one interception, 193 yards passing.

Houston is out of the playoff running, but they can get themselves a favorable bowl game with a win.

“We are all going for one goal”, Ward said, via ESPN.com. He will rely on Jahad Thomas who has 1,188 yards on the ground and 18 touchdowns on the season. Ward walked off after a couple of minutes and was attended to by medical staff on the sideline, but didn’t miss a play.

Walker connected with Anderson on a 13-yard touchdown pass that got Temple within 24-10 late in the third quarter.

In the third, Houston was still running riot in the game as Ward Jr. ran the ball in from 10 yards out to go up 24-3. However, a 4th-and-11 scramble from Walker fell two yards shy, as Houston took over on downs, sealing the victory.

Heading into halftime, Temple trailed 17-3.

Facing pressure from AAC tackling leader Elandon Roberts, Walker threw an off-balanced floater that was intercepted by Tyus Bowser and returned 8 yards to the Owls’ 36.