Maryland Terrapins vs Temple Owls Match Player Stats On Sep 08, 2012

Maryland 36, Temple 27: Freshman Perry Hills tossed the first two touchdown passes of his career and rushed for another as Maryland staved off Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Hills, who was intercepted three times last week in a 7-6 win over William & Mary, connected on second-quarter scoring strikes to tight end Matt Furstenburg and Marcus Leak before rushing for an 11-yard touchdown. Justus Pickett capped the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run with 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Terrapins (2-0) avenged last season's lopsided 38-7 loss to the Owls.

Temple (1-1), which saw its five-game winning streak come to an end, mustered just two first downs and 34 total yards en route to a 26-3 halftime deficit.

The Owls busted out in the third quarter as Kenneth Harper scored a 1-yard touchdown and C.J. Hammond reeled in a 62-yard reception from Chris Coyer to trim Maryland's lead to 29-17. After Brandon McManus connected on his second field goal, Maryland's Wes Brown fumbled and Coyer hooked up with Jalen Fitzpatrick on a 35-yard touchdown pass to bring the Owls within two at 29-27 with 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Stefon Diggs' key 38-yard reception on a third-and-11 preserved Maryland's ensuing drive before Pickett split the defense for a 7-yard score.

After the teams exchanged field goals - and three fumbles - in a sloppy first quarter, Hills connected with Furstenburg down the sideline for a 22-yard score and a wide-open Leak for a 32-yard touchdown in just over an eight-minute span.

A botched snap led to a safety on Temple's ensuing drive and Hills capped the scoring frenzy in the second quarter by cleaning up a broken play. After a low snap, Hills regained his composure and scored from 11 yards out to give Maryland a 26-3 lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Temple was denied in its bid to start its third straight year with a 2-0 mark. ... The Owls fell for just the fourth time in 20 games at Lincoln Financial Field. ... Maryland's previous safety happened five years ago to the date against Florida International. ... McManus, who was the Big East special teams player of the Week, finished the first half with a booming 61-yard punt. ... The Owls, who recorded 12 first downs in the first half, mustered just 13 total versus William & Mary.