Oct 31, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Will Fuller (7) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Temple Owls during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Notre Dame won the game 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
PHILADELPHIA – As the moon rose above Lincoln Financial Field, Notre Dame and Temple treated 69,280 to edge-of-your seat drama. In the end it was the No. 9 Fighting Irish who escaped with a 24-20 victory that was not sealed until 68 seconds remained.
With 2:09 left in the fourth quarter DeShone Kizer’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Will Fuller provided the difference for the Irish and capped a six-play, 75-yard drive. A 45-yard pass from Kizer to tight end Alize Jones brought the ball down to the Temple 17.
Kizer accounted for 442 yards (299 passing), but was intercepted twice deep in Temple territory.
Cornerback KeiVarae Russell cemented the victory for Notre Dame (7-1) with a diving interception of a P.J. Walker pass at his own 35-yard line with 1:08 remaining. The Irish ran out the clock from there.
No. 21 Temple (7-1) took a 20-17 lead when Austin Jones hit a 36-yard field goal with 4:45 remaining. About six minutes earlier, Jahad Thomas’ 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down knotted the score at 17-17.
It looked like the Owls might have to settle for a field-goal attempt on that possession, but four plays before Thomas’ touchdown Notre Dame safety Elijah Shumate was called for targeting Temple receiver Romond Deloatch in the end zone. That set the Owls up at the 4-yard line from where they were able finish a 14-play, 78-yard drive that burned 7:21 off the clock.
On their first possession of the third quarter the Irish drove 82 yards to Temple’s 4-yard line, but had to settle for 23-yard field goal by Justin Yoon and 17-10 lead with 7:03 remaining.
Kizer’s 79-yard touchdown run with 4:51 remaining in the second quarter gave Notre Dame a 14-10 lead at the half. The score answered Temple’s 94-yard touchdown drive. The Owls took a 10-7 lead when Walker connected with Brandon Shippen from 12 yards out with 6:17 remaining in the half.
With little more than a minute remaining, Notre Dame threatened to extend its four-point lead, but Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich’s interception off a deflected Kizer pass killed what had been a 74-yard drive to that point.
Notre Dame opened the scoring when Kizer capped the game’s initial drive with a 4-yard touchdown run that polished off a 74-yard, 12-play drive that consumed six minutes.
Keeping that drive alive was a pass interference against Temple corner Tavon Young that came a third-and-5 from the Notre Dame 44. Seven plays later, the Irish had a 7-0 lead.
Notes: Notre Dame improved to 18-2 when coming off a bye in the Brian Kelly era. … Temple has outscored the opposition 75-9 in the third quarter and 137-29 in the second half. … Notre Dame last played in Philadelphia almost 22 years to the day when the Irish defeated Navy 58-27 at Veterans Stadium on Oct. 30, 1993. Dating back to 1928, the Irish have played in the City of Brotherly Love 17 times and are 15-1-1 all-time. The only loss was versus Navy in 1960. … Saturday night marked the first game Temple played in which both teams were ranked. … In the only previous meeting between the schools, Notre Dame beat visiting Temple 28-6 on Aug. 31, 2013.
