Temple rallies in second half to secure a comeback win over Texas-San Antonio

University of Texas-San Antonio quarterback Owen McCown was scanning the field in the middle of the third quarter on Saturday, looking for a big chunk play to keep Temple out of reach.

The Roadrunners held the lead for much of the game, but the Owls cut their deficit to four following a touchdown by wide receiver JoJo Bermudez to open the second half.

McCown targeted wide receiver Devin McCuin, who already scored a touchdown. However, the pass never found him after Jamere Jones, Temple’s safety, who was thrust into a key role following injuries in the secondary, got to the ball first, snatching it out of the air, and swaying momentum.

Temple running back Hunter Smith responded on the very next drive with a 54-yard touchdown to take a 17-14 lead. On UTSA’s final drive, Demerick Morris, Temple’s defensive tackle, ensured the win when he sacked McCown on fourth down with under two minutes remaining.

The play completed Temple’s (3-2, 1-0 American) 27-21 comeback win against UTSA (2-3, 0-1) at Lincoln Financial Field.

“I did something unique at halftime, where I had a very honest conversation with our boys, said coach K.C. Keeler. ”I said, ‘This is the first time in 10 months [that] I’ve been embarrassed to be a coach.’ We’re walking on the field. It was like all the work we had put into this thing over the last nine months hadn’t mattered. That’s not how you are going to do it here. We’re Temple made.”

Slow starts have constantly plagued Temple during its two-game losing streak, and the team knew it needed to clean it up to keep pace with UTSA. After going down 21-0 against Georgia Tech on Sept. 20, Temple’s defense allowed a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive to open the game on Saturday.

The Roadrunners picked the Owls’ defense a part. Running back Robert Henry Jr. picked up 28 yards on the first possession before tight end Patrick Overmyer punched it in for the touchdown.

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The Owls couldn’t match UTSA’s opening performance and only mustered a field goal in the first 20 minutes of play. Temple’s final three drives of the half ended with punter Dante Atton sending the ball back to UTSA.

“It was really starting slow,” said linebacker Curly Ordonez. “People just got out of the mindset to start fast. Let them punch first and punch back, throw the first punch. We wasn’t playing bad but we wasn’t playing our football.”

The offensive miscues ruined Temple’s defensive efforts, a constant trend of the season.

UTSA found the endzone on another drive when McCown found Overmyer for an eight-yard strike. Temple ended with just 108 first-half yards, including 37 in the second quarter to head into halftime down 14-3.

Simon entered Saturday looking to attack a Roadrunner defense ranked last in the conference. The first half showed nothing of the sort. He was under constant pressure, and scrambling to avoid sacks, a repeat of last year’s six sack outing against UTSA.

Temple had just 59 passing yards against a lackluster defense, but after the half, the Owls found a much needed spark.

The Roadrunners’ defense allowed a 75-yard drive to open the second half, as Simon found Bermudez for the eight-yard score to cut the lead to 14-10.

Temple’s outburst didn’t stop there. Following Smith’s 54-yard run to the end zone, tight end Peter Clarke was on the receiving end of a 15-yard touchdown catch, which put Temple up 24-21 at the end of the third quarter.

Clarke, who finished with 82 yards on four receptions, served as the main beneficiary. Though, Simon, who threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns, spread the ball out, as he connected with five different receivers for 199 yards to give the offense some relief.

“Simon knows where to put the football, where only I can get it,” Clarke said. “Then once the ball’s in the air, it’s up to me to make a play, and if I want the football, I’ve got to keep making plays.”

Temple’s main focus was simple heading into the game: stop Henry.

Henry entered the game as the nation’s second leading rusher, and all signs pointed to him gashing the conference third-worst rushing defense. Instead, he was stifled the entire way as Temple’s defense stepped up to make him a non-factor.

» READ MORE: Which Temple is the real deal? The conference season will provide the answer.

The Owls allowed 307 rushing yards against Georgia Tech and their rushing defense had been a weak spot the entire season. However, Henry finished with 42 yards with 28 coming on the first possession. He was virtually taken out of the game in the second half, where UTSA posted 18 yards of play.

In fact, it was McCown who dished out most of the damage for UTSA. He diced up Temple’s defense, before the unit clamped up. Temple held UTSA to just 126 second half yards, while forcing three sacks and two interceptions.

Temple will remain at home to take on Navy (4-0, 1-0 American ) in its homecoming game on Oct. 11 (4 p.m., ESPN2).