Owls Win! Owls Win!

Sophomore placekicker Jake Brownell drilled a 39-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Temple Owls to a 16-15 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

On Homecoming, Coach Al Golden’s squad snapped an eight-game losing skid and earned its first win of the 2007 campaign. The team’s last win came in last year’s Homecoming game against Bowling Green.

Brownell’s winning kick capped a 56-yard drive on which junior quarterback Adam DiMichele made key plays with his arm and his legs. He started the drive with a 13-yard gain on a draw play. Twice, he made third down completions to wide receiver Bruce Francis. And when the Owls reached the Northern Illinois 19, DiMichele ran the ball to the center of the field to set up Brownell’s game-winning attempt.

After missing a 37-yarder late in the first quarter – his third consecutive miss in a three-week stretch – Brownell nailed a 25-yarder and a 38-yarder to help the Owls establish a 13-6 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.

But after playing splendidly for the first three quarters, the Cherry and White defense faltered at the worst possible time. Northern Illinois tailback Justin Anderson had six carries for 28 yards as the Huskies drove for a field goal to cut the deficit to 13-9.

And when they got the ball back on their own 5-yard line, with starting quarterback Dan Nicholson sidelined by an ankle injury, the Huskies rode their tailback’s powerful legs for the go-ahead touchdown.

Anderson broke loose for a 20-yard gain, and the Owls added to it with a 15-yard personal foul against safety Richard Sheppard. Three plays later, Anderson broke loose again for a 39-yard touchdown. Why did the run look so easy? The Owls had only 10 players on the field.

But all of the mental mistakes and penalties (12 for 127 yards) were forgotten after Brownell’s game-winning kick.

The Owls won the game despite failing to score an offensive touchdown. Their lone touchdown came on a 66-yard fumble return by junior defensive tackle Terrance Knighton – Temple’s first defensive touchdown since 2001.

In each of their previous three games, the Owls played well enough on defense to win. But the Big East replay official stole a potential victory at UConn, while turnovers and kicking game blunders spelled doom against Bowling Green and Army.

The Owls weren’t error-free on Saturday, either. A DiMichele interception in the second quarter gave the ball to the Huskies at the Temple 26. They scored three plays later to take a 6-0 lead. Earlier, long snapper Philip Simpson made an errant punt snap that freshman Jeff Wathne was fortunate to track down and get off a 12-yard punt.

And then there were those 12 penalties for 127 yards.

But the defense, led by Knighton and sophomore defensive end Junior Galette, led the way to victory. Nicholson completed 12 of 25 passes for 101 yards. Late in the second quarter, with Knighton rushing at him, the junior signal caller dropped the ball as he cocked his arm to throw a pass. Knighton shoved him to the ground, picked up the pigskin, and raced down the field for the score.

Brownell’s extra point gave the Owls a 7-6 lead, as Northern Illinois placekicker Chris Nendick had missed his extra point attempt following a bad snap.

Temple controlled the game from that point until early in the fourth quarter.

In the last minute of the first half, DiMichele completed a 48-yard pass to freshman wideout Marquise Liverpool, who made a spectacular, diving catch. Brownell followed with his first field goal.

In the third quarter, freshman tailback Daryl Robinson stepped in for Jason Harper and made several nice runs. Harper had been pulled after fumbling the ball late in the second quarter. It was Harper’s sixth fumble in the last four games.

Brownell’s second field goal capped a 19-play, 70-yard drive that chewed up 9:49 on the game clock. But the momentum then turned back in Northern Illinois’ favor.

The only reason that Brownell was given a chance to win the game, and not tie it, was because Nendick missed another extra point after Anderson’s go-ahead touchdown. Coming into the game, Nendick had converted 148 of 150 extra points and 50 of 69 field goals in his college career. He made 5 of 7 field goal attempts in the Huskies’ 43-21 win over the Owls last season.

But Saturday belonged to Jake Brownell and the Owls.