#5 Cincinnati Routs Temple

It was going to take a miracle, but no miracles were to be had on Friday night in the Queen City. 

Rod Carey’s Temple Owls, a 30-point underdog, were embarrassed by #5 Cincinnati, 52-3.  The loss moves the Owls to 1-1 in American Athletic Conference play and 3-3 overall.

Granted the #5 Bearcats are on track to be the first “Group of Five” school to make the College Football Playoff but this was bad.  Get the coach relieved of his duties type of bad.

Cincinnati moved at will on the Owls totaling 537-yards of total offense.  The Bearcats split the difference, 274-yards on the ground and 263-yards through the air.  RB Jerome Ford led the ground attack rushing for 149-yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts.  QB Desmond Ritter led the Bearcats air attack throwing for 259-yards and three touchdowns. 

It looked like Cincinnati was playing their scout team and telling them not to tackle the guy who had the ball.

Tonight’s 52-3 embarrassment is the third blowout loss for Temple this season.  The Owls were routed by former Big East rivals Rutgers and Boston College earlier this year.  Rutgers, a team that many Temple faithful believed the Owls stacked up well against, won 61-14.  Boston College beat the Owls handily 28-3. 

Again, these are the types of losses that get a coach fired.  The Owls are 12-14 under third year head coach Rod Carey. You must imagine those in charge on North Broad expected the program to be further along. 

The Owls will have some time to regroup and refocus.  They do not return to action until Saturday, October 23 when they travel to Tampa to face the University of Southern Florida.