Temple hangs on to beat Army 27-13

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - October 17, 2009 The Owls (4-2) overcame the loss of running back Bernard Pierce to win their fourth straight, their longest winning streak since in 1985. Army (3-4) missed out on taking a winnable game as the Black Knights seek to return to a bowl for the first time since 1996.

Vaughn Charlton's 6-yard pass to tight end Steve Maneri came shortly after the Owls stopped Army on 4th-and-inches on their own 24. Charlton's pass on the next play was picked off and a flag for pass interference was picked up because the ball appeared to have been tipped.

But a review showed that the ball hadn't been touched, so the penalty stood and Temple kept the ball.

The Owls added an insurance score after recovering a fumble by Army quarterback Trent Steelman deep in Black Knights' territory. One play later, Kee-arye Griffin ran up the middle for a one-yard touchdown.

Temple led 13-0 after a 37-yard touchdown pass from Charlton to Jason Harper early in the second quarter, but Army tied the game when Trent Steelman found Alejandro Villaneuva for a four-yard strike, though the Black Knights never led.

Pierce entered the day as the Mid- American Conference's leading rusher. With 1:36 remaining in the first half, Pierce took a hit from linebacker Andrew Rodriguez near the Black Knights' sideline. He was taken for X-rays and didn't return.

He had run for 65 yards on 11 carries, including a 23-yarder on the Owls' first play from scrimmage, and ended his streak of three-straight 100-yard games.

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