Temple Drops Hard Fought Battle to ECU on the Road

Saturday, October 31

Greenville, N.C.

3:00 p.m.

Temple University

2-6 , 1-3

East Carolina

4-4 , 2-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Temple	0	3	3	3	9
East Carolina	7	3	7	0	17

10.31.26 | Football

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Temple football battled East Carolina on the road Saturday afternoon but fell, 17-9, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Owls moved to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in American Conference play, while the Pirates improved to 4-4 and 2-2 in league action.

Carl Hardin accounted for all nine Temple points with a career-high three made field goals, connecting from 41, 46 and 41 yards. The Owls trimmed a 14-point second-half deficit to eight with 10:12 remaining, but three interceptions prevented Temple from completing the comeback.

Ajani Sheppard led Temple on the ground with 69 yards, while Curly Ordonez registered 14 tackles and Saboor Karriem secured his first career interception.

Game Highlights

Hardin Delivers from Distance

Carl Hardin set a career high with three made field goals, converting twice from 41 yards and once from 46 yards. His fourth-quarter kick brought Temple within one possession, 17-9.

Ordonez Anchors the Defense

Curly Ordonez led the Owls with 14 total tackles, including six solo stops. Temple also turned away an ECU fourth-down attempt in the red zone and stopped a fake punt in the third quarter.

Karriem Comes Up with First Pick

Saboor Karriem recorded the first interception of his collegiate career late in the fourth quarter. He also finished with nine tackles, including five solo stops.

Ajani Sheppard led Temple with 69 rushing yards on a career-high-tying 15 attempts. Keveun Mason added 51 yards on eight carries.
Temple rushed for 121 yards, reaching 100 rushing yards in each of its first eight games of the season.
Jayvant Brown totaled nine tackles, a career high according to the postgame notes.
JoJo Bermudez led the Owls with three receptions for 48 yards.
The Temple defense limited ECU to four conversions on 12 third-down attempts.

How It Happened

East Carolina broke a scoreless tie late in the first quarter when Ashton Gray capped a 13-play, 77-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Temple answered in the second quarter with Carl Hardin's 41-yard field goal, but a 20-yard ECU field goal with 10 seconds left sent the Pirates into halftime ahead, 10-3.

The Pirates extended their lead on the opening possession of the second half, marching 75 yards in 14 plays before TJ Engleman Jr. scored on a 19-yard run. Temple responded with Hardin's 46-yard field goal, cutting the margin to 17-6 with 5:08 left in the third quarter.

Temple's defense then stopped an ECU fake punt, but an interception on the next snap gave the ball back to the Pirates. The Owls held ECU without another score and put together a 68-yard drive that ended with Hardin's third field goal, a 41-yarder, to make it 17-9 with 10:12 to play.

With Temple still within one possession, the Owls intercepted ECU quarterback Mitch Griffis on a play by Saboor Karriem in the final five minutes. Temple could not capitalize, however, as another interception ended the ensuing drive. East Carolina converted a late fourth-and-one to maintain possession and secure the win.

Inside the Box Score

3Hardin Field Goals

14Ordonez Tackles

121Temple Rushing Yards

1Karriem Interception

Temple finished with 249 yards of total offense: 121 rushing and 128 passing.
Ajani Sheppard completed 11 of 20 passes for 118 yards and rushed for 69 yards on 15 carries, which ties a career-high in carries.
Colin Chase completed one of two passes for 10 yards, giving Temple 128 team passing yards.
Keveun Mason rushed eight times for 51 yards, while JoJo Bermudez caught three passes for 48 yards.
East Carolina totaled 352 yards, including 222 on the ground, and converted four of 12 third downs.
The Owls recorded one interception but threw three of their own.

Defensive Grit

Temple forced two turnovers on downs, including a red-zone stop in the first half and a stop of an ECU fake punt in the third quarter. Karriem added a late interception to give the offense another chance with the Owls trailing by eight.

Curly Ordonez: 14 tackles (six solo).
Jayvant Brown: nine tackles (two solo).
Saboor Karriem: nine tackles (five solo), first career interception.

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