“We have had some great team wins. This was a great team loss,” said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. “There is blame to go all around and it starts with me. I did a horrible job getting this team ready.”

It was a significant step in the rebuilding efforts of four-year coach Al Golden, who has led Temple (6-2) to its first six-game winning streak since 1974. It was the first time Golden has beaten Navy in four tries.

“I think so,” said Golden when asked if this was his biggest win. “They’re all big right now. Last week we thought that was our biggest win.”

The man who made Saturday’s win possible was Pierce, an 18-year-old true freshman from the suburbs of Philadelphia. His breakout came last week when he rushed for 212 yards in a win over Toledo. Saturday Pierce became the first Temple back to run for 200 yards in back-to-back games since Paul Palmer in 1986.

“I am just trying to get better every week,” said Pierce. “Hopefully sooner or later, I can advance to the next level.”

Pierce was the Temple offense Saturday, accounting for all but 50 of the Owls’ yards. Navy twice intercepted Temple junior quarterback Vaughn Charlton (5 of 17, 37 yards), both by senior safety Wyatt Middleton. Navy (6-3) knew what was coming but couldn’t stop the 6-0, 210-pound Pierce.

“Pierce was a big running back. He’s strong, real shifty, had really good eyes. He broke a lot of tackles and had good vision,” said Middleton. “The coaches put us in good position. We have to make plays.”

After gaining just 18 yards in his first six carries, Pierce got loose early in the second period. Breaking an off-tackle run outside, Pierce juked safety Emmett Merchant and ran out of the grasp of linebacker Ram Vella on a 68-yard touchdown run that put Temple up, 7-3.

“That strength and vision, you don’t get in many backs,” said Navy linebacker Ross Pospisil. “He puts it together perfectly.”

Pierce was more effective as the game wore on. Navy led 24-17 early in the fourth quarter, but in the final 15 minutes, Pierce carried 10 times for 119 yards, setting up a field goal and scoring on another tackle-breaking run, this one for 42 yards with 2 minutes, 41 seconds to go that put Temple up for good.

“He ran hard. He made people miss,” said Golden. “I think he showed that when you give him a chance to build up speed, he is pretty hard to bring down. He’s 212 and he’s fast. He was the fastest in the state of Pennsylvania last year in the 100 meters. He’s either going to make you miss, stiff-arm you, or run you over.”

In the fourth quarter, in addition to Pierce, the Temple offensive line — which includes five players who weigh at least 305 pounds and a 280-pound tight end – also wore down the Navy front seven.

“We are built for the fourth quarter,” said Golden. “We have a big, strong offensive line.”

It was a difficult loss to accept for Navy, especially considering the Mids forced three turnovers in the second half and cashed in on two, scoring the tying and go-ahead touchdowns.

Over all, however, Navy struggled on offense. Fullback Vince Murray rushed for 115 yards, but needed 33 carries to get there. Quarterback Kriss Proctor (16 carries, 52 yards) had mixed success, completing the first pass of his career, for 27 yards, but also throwing a bad interception.

“I felt like we executed well on first and second down,” said Proctor. “We got stopped on third and short. That’s where the game was won and lost. They played the run well and stopped us.”

When Navy went to injured starter Ricky Dobbs (knee), it was a lot to ask of the hobbled junior. Dobbs came up short on a fourth down quarterback sneak in the first half. In the final minutes he went 0 for 3 as Navy could manage just one first down on its final possession.

“Putting Ricky in was all my part,” said Niumatalolo. “I didn’t talk to anyone about it. That was all my thinking. Short yardage is not one of Kriss’s strengths, but it is for Ricky.”

The first half was a tale of two special-teams plays, which came back-to-back.

The first was a bizarre 3-yard punt return touchdown by sophomore David Wright. When Temple punter Jeff Wathne bobbled a low snap in the end zone, he rushed his boot. It went off the side of his foot and didn’t reach the line of scrimmage. Navy sophomore Jarred Shannon tried to field the ball on the run, but it bounced out of his hands forward to Wright who scooped it up and got to the goal line in two steps, giving Navy a 10-7 lead.

But the advantage lasted only 14 seconds, the time it took sophomore James Nixon to run 100 yards untouched for a Temple touchdown and a 14-10 lead.
Then the second half was all Pierce.

Navy will try to recover in a tough venue, Notre Dame Stadium, next Saturday.

“We have a tremendous opponent next week in South Bend,” said Pospisil. “We have to go back to practice, work harder than we’ve ever worked. Doesn’t matter what part of the season we’re in, we gotta get back and dig deep. I know we will. I know we’ll feed off one another.”

Notes » Wright’s punt return touchdown was the first in 160 games for Navy. It was the longest streak in the country without a punt return TD. The last Mid to score on a punt return was Ross Scott in 1996 against Duke … Sophomore James Nixon’s 100-yard return of the ensuing kickoff was a Temple record as well as a Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium mark, exceeding the 93-yard standard of T.J. Rushing (Stanford) in 2005.