Brown scores four TDs as Temple gets by Army

WEST POINT, N.Y. - No Bernard Pierce? No problem.

Temple was without its leading rusher and touchdown-maker when it visited Army on Saturday afternoon at scenic Michie Stadium. The sophomore star had suffered a sprained ankle the previous week against Penn State and did not make the trip.

But Temple had another weapon: Matt Brown. The 5-foot-5, 170-pound running back gained a career-high 226 yards and scored a personal-best four touchdowns for the Owls, who rallied for a 42-35 victory.

Brown had 108 yards and two touchdowns by the end of the first quarter, when Temple took a 13-7 lead.

But with quarterback Trent Steelman running Army's spread/triple offense with aplomb, the Black Knights were burning the Owls through the air and on the ground. By halftime, Army was up, 21-13.

In the third quarter, Temple faced a 15-point deficit before putting on an offensive display of its own, scoring four consecutive touchdowns - two by Brown. The nonleague victory in front of a homecoming crowd of 33,065 at West Point was the Owls' most impressive performance of the season.

Coach Al Golden went a step further in describing the triumph.

"Make no mistake: That's the biggest win since I've been here," said Golden, who is in his fifth season at Temple. "In that kind of environment, to stay together. To be down 15, and then reel off 28 straight? That's a big win, and I give a lot of credit to our coaches."

It was the first road victory for the Owls (4-1) after they opened with three wins at home and a loss at Penn State, where they went down, 22-13, after entering the fourth quarter with a chance to win. Pierce was hurt in the second half of that game and did not return.

On Saturday, Brown's 11-yard TD run snapped a 28-28 tie with 6 minutes, 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter. His 20-yard touchdown run at 4:20 provided insurance.

"I just played as hard as I could," said the sophomore from Baltimore, who gave credit to his offensive linemen. "It was another win for the books. I think we played well. But we don't want to be a one-hit wonder."

Steelman, who ran for four touchdowns and passed for another to account for all of Army's points, scored on a 7-yard run with 9:08 left in the second quarter to put the Black Knights up, 14-13. He threw a 31-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Austin Barr with 2:07 remaining in the half.

Army's lead was 28-13 after a 3-yard run by Steelman about midway through the third quarter. Temple knotted the score on a pair of touchdown receptions by wide receiver Michael Campbell, who finished with five catches for 124 yards.

After the first of those, a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Chester Stewart to tight end Vaughn Charlton left Temple within seven points.

"The coaches put me in position to make plays, and I just went out there and did what I was supposed to do," Campbell said.

Last year, when Army met Temple at Lincoln Financial Field, the Owls took a 27-13 win after the teams entered the fourth quarter tied, 13-13.

On Saturday, the Black Knights were coming off a 35-21 victory at Duke keyed by a defensive unit that forced five turnovers. Against the Owls, Army wasted no time picking up a takeaway.

On the opening kickoff, Temple's James Nixon was being taken to the ground by a bevy of Army defenders when the ball popped out of the scrum and was recovered by the Black Knights' Ty Schrader at the Owls' 27. It was the third time this season that Army had forced a turnover on a kickoff, and this one led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Steelman.

Brown's 3-yard touchdown at the 9:59 mark left Temple with a 7-6 deficit after the Owls' extra-point attempt was sabotaged by a high snap that resulted in holder Charlton's falling on the ball to end the play.

Notes. A 92-yard kick return for a touchdown in the third period by Temple's Nixon was negated by a holding penalty. . . . The only field-goal attempt by Army kicker Alex Carlton, a native of Wilmington, went wide left from 50 yards in the first quarter.