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  • Cardell Williams Passes For 244 Yards To Lead Tulsa Football Past The Temple Owls, 48-26

Cardell Williams Passes For 244 Yards To Lead Tulsa Football Past The Temple Owls, 48-26

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Football

Cardell Williams totaled 244 passing yards and rushed for 90 yards while totaling four touchdowns in Tulsa's 48-26 win over Temple in front of 17,538 fans Thursday night at H.A. Chapman Stadium.

Tulsa improved to 3-2 on the season with a league-opening victory start 1-0 in the American Athletic Conference, while the Owls dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in AAC play.
 
The Tulsa defense made the Owls one dimensional in front of a national ESPN audience, limiting Temple to 44 yards on the ground and allowing 269 passing yards. The Hurricane also forced two turnovers on back-to-back Temple possessions in the second quarter, the first an interception by Jaise Oliver and the second a forced fumble by Dayne Hodge and recovery by Julien Simon.
 
On offense, the Hurricane amassed 533 total yards with a balanced attack of 244 passing yards and 289 on the ground. Three of Williams' four TDs came through the air, while his final running 22 yards for his second career rushing TD. Anthony Watkins added 77 rush yards and one TD, while Tahj Gary had 59 yards with one score. Marquis Shoulders totaled 76 receiving yards and two TDs, while Devan Williams had 76 yards and one touchdown.
 
After an opening score by the Owls, Tulsa scored on its first two possessions to take a 14-3 lead into the second quarter. The two scores came on Williams' throws to Shoulders, covering 10 and 27 yards.
 
Williams threw his third touchdown of the game in the second quarter when he connected with Devan Williams on an 8-yard toss to give Tulsa a 21-3 lead heading into halftime.
 
In the first half, Tulsa held a 197 to 143-yard edge in total offense. The Hurricane gained 6.1 yards per play, while the Tulsa defense held the Owls to just 3.4 yards per play. Williams completed 7-of-8 passes for 112 yards with three TDs.
 
Temple scored two TDs in the third quarter as Tulsa added 10 points to lead 31-18 heading into the final period. Tulsa put the game out of reach with three straight scores in the final stanza, the first coming on a Chase Meyer field goal and the final two coming on a Gary 40-yard run and Williams with a 22-yard scamper to make it 48-18 with just under five minutes.
 
Tulsa goes on the road next Saturday at take on the FAU Owls in Boca Raton, Fla.,  in a 5 pm (CT) kickoff.
 
1st Quarter Breakdown
• Temple took the opening kickoff 57 yards in 14 plays and was forced to settle for a 36-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead at the 11:02 mark.
• Tulsa went 84 yards in 10 plays for a 7-3 lead at the 6:15 mark and the scoring play came on a 10-yard pass from Cardell Williams to Marquis Shoulders. It was Shoulders fourth TD reception of the season and Williams' six TD toss.
• Tulsa scored on its second straight possession when Williams connected with Shoulders again, this time covering 27 yards.
• The quarter ended with Tulsa outdistancing Temple 144 to 73 yards in total offense.
 
2nd Quarter Breakdown
• Tulsa's defense had two takeaways, an interception by Jaise Oliver and a fumble recovery. Dayne Hodge forced the fumble and Julien Simon recovered it.
•  The Tulsa offense took advantage on the second takeaway and went 25 yards in six plays as Williams threw his third TD pass of the game, this one going to 8 yards to Devan Williams. 

3rd Quarter Breakdown
• A 42-yard catch on the sidelines by Devan Williams was first ruled out-of-bounds, but after review was changed to a reception. The play led to a 26-yard Chase Meyer field goal to put Tulsa ahead 24-3.
• Temple responded with a 95-yard kickoff return and two-point conversion that cut Tulsa's lead to 13 points, 24-11.
• Tulsa wasted little time in responding with an Anthony Watkins 10-yard TD run, capping a 75-yard, 5-play drive in just under two minutes (1:58).
•  The Owls added its second score of the quarter on E.J Warner's first TD pass as he connected with Amad Anderson on a 3-yard 4th-down and goal score.
 
4th Quarter Breakdown
• Chase Meyer's second field goal of the game gave Tulsa a 16-point, 34-18, lead early in the 4th period.
• Tulsa's defense stopped the Owls on a 4th-and-1 from the Temple 45-yard line, and the Hurricane offense responded with a 45-yard, 3-play scoring drive that saw Tahj Gary scamper from 40 yards out for the touchdown.
• Tulsa added another score on a 22-yard Cardell Williams touchdown run to make the score 48-18 before the Owls scored one last time late in the quarter.