Football Rolls All Over Temple, 45-17
Oct. 21, 2000
By ROB MAADDI
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Santana Moss wanted some of the spotlight, and he gotit.
Moss had 241 all-purpose yards, including a 71-yard punt return fortouchdown and 67-yard TD reception, as No. 4 Miami beat Temple 45-17 onSaturday.
“Our special teams really stepped up,” Moss said. “I knew this might beour chance to come into the limelight. I said, ‘We got to make a play.”‘
The Hurricanes, coming off a bye after beating then-No. 1 Florida State27-24 on Oct. 7, have won four straight. Miami (5-1, 3-0 Big East) could playfor the national championship in the Orange Bowl if it wins its remaining fivegames.
The only negative for the Hurricanes came when Ken Dorsey threw his firstinterception of the season in the third quarter. Dorsey threw a school-record193 passes without an interception since the Gator Bowl last January.
Temple (4-4, 1-3) is vastly improved over the team that was outscored 97-7by Miami the last two years. But, it was the same-old Owls against Miami.
Temple has lost nine straight to the Hurricanes by an average margin of 34.6points.
“(Temple coach) Bobby Wallace has done an outstanding job preparing thisteam,” Miami coach Butch Davis said. “You have to beat them. They don’t beatthemselves anymore.”
After a slow start, Miami took a 7-3 lead on Moss’ 71-yard punt return with1:20 left in the first quarter.
Moss caught the ball at Miami’s 29, bounced outside, and sprinted untoucheddown the right sideline for his second TD on a punt return this season, andfourth of his career.
“That punt return got our motor revved,” Davis said. “He’s been doingthat his whole career. Not only does he score points, but he affects fieldposition. He’s electrifying. He can do so many things.”
The Hurricanes made it 14-3 on a 17-yard pass from Dorsey to D.J. Williamsjust 59 seconds into the second quarter.
Dorsey was 11-of-22 for 193 yards, two TDs and one interception. Moss hadfour receptions for 96 yards, one rush for 24 yards and 121 yards on puntreturns.
Miami held Tanardo Sharps, the Big East’s leading rusher to 37 yards on 14carries.
“Teams try to slow down our speed and we adjusted,” linebacker Dan Morgansaid. “We knew they had a good running game, and we wanted to shut it down.”
After Temple cut it to 14-10 on Raheem Brock’s fumble recovery in the endzone, Miami came right back on the next offensive play.
Moss leaped to catch Dorsey’s pass at Temple’s 30, spun away from a tacklerat the 25, and ran in for a 21-10 lead with 9:42 left in the first half.
“I ran my best route, and he got it to me the best way he could,” Mosssaid about his first TD reception of the season.
“He’s one of the biggest sparks on our team,” Dorsey said. “He came upbig in two clutch situations. He basically told me if I got the ball to him,he’d make something happen.”
Najeh Davenport’s 1-yard TD run gave Miami a 28-10 lead with 5:10 left inthe second.
James Jackson added a 4-yard TD run, and Edward Reed had a 27-yardinterception return for touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Temple, seeking its first winning season since 1990, has already won as manygames as it had in its previous two seasons combined.
The Owls, who haven’t played in a bowl since 1979, took a 3-0 lead on a42-yard field goal by Cap Poklemba with 5:44 left in the first.
“I’m more positive now than ever before about our possibilities of going toa bowl game,” Wallace said. “We’re not down at the bottom of the Big Eastanymore.”
Temple had an opportunity to score early, but linebacker LeVar Talleydropped an interception at midfield on Miami’s first possession.on.
