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Temple just keeps winning

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Temple keeps finding ways to win.

Long the poster program for football futility, the Owls are on their longest winning streak in 36 years and talking about a bowl game.

Take notice, Philly. There's another football team in town that has a conference championship in sight.

Bernard Pierce ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns, and Brandon McManus kicked an 18-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to give Temple a 34-32 victory over Miami of Ohio on Thursday night.

"Three years ago, our team couldn't win these games, and if they did it was an anomaly," coach Al Golden said. "Now the team has some toughness, some mental toughness and character."

The Owls (7-2, 5-0 Mid-American) won their seventh straight game and are on their longest winning streak since they won the final eight games of the 1973 season.

Temple blew leads of 21-3 and 31-13 against the RedHawks (1-9, 1-5). McManus bailed out the Owls with their biggest kick of the season.

The Owls were already bowl eligible and they now have the MAC title game in sight. To put the winning streak in perspective, the Owls won seven games total from 2002-05.

The Owls opened the 1974 season with six straight victories and finished the 1970s with three straight bowl games. Temple then sunk into three decades of a deep football funk that made it one of the worst programs around.

No more.

The Owls showed some grit on the final drive after blowing the huge leads.

Zack Dysert threw for 426 yards and three touchdown passes for the RedHawks (1-9, 1-5). Dysert tossed TD passes of 25 and 14 yards in the fourth quarter to slice the deficit to five at 31-26.

Dysert rushed for the first down on a crucial fourth-and-1 at Temple's 2 on the final drive. Thomas Merriweather capped the comeback with the short TD run to make it 32-31. The 2-point conversion failed.

Golden, a former Penn State captain, needed only four seasons to turn a a demoralized program into conference contenders. Once an automatic "W" on any team's schedule, the Owls are on track for their first bowl game since 1979.

The Owls haven't had a winning record since they went 7-4 in 1990.

Temple received one point this week in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time since Dec. 2, 1990, the final regular-season poll.

"We're in the hunt, but we've got a lot of football left," Golden said.

Temple's sob story -- kicked out of the Big East, winless seasons -- has been recounted countless times.

Pierce is among the Owls trying to write a new story in Temple's history. He already set a Temple record for yards rushing (1,211) and touchdowns by a freshman. He now has six 100-yard rushing games this season.

Pierce had TD runs of 1 and 7 yards in the first half, then capped a 15-carry third quarter with a 14-yard score that made it 31-13.

No. 22 Va. Tech 16, E. Carolina 3

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Freshman Ryan Williams ran for a season-high 179 yards and No. 22 Virginia Tech avoided its first three-game losing streak in six years, holding off East Carolina 16-3 on Thursday night.

Tyrod Taylor had a 13-yard touchdown run, Matt Waldron kicked three field goals and Williams atoned for his critical miscue last week against North Carolina by cracking the 1,000-yard mark for the Hokies (6-3).

They held a 379-277 advantage in total yardage, forced three turnovers and made just enough plays to bounce back from losses to No. 10 Georgia Tech and the Tar Heels.

Patrick Pinkney was 16 of 33 passing for 167 yards with a late interception for East Carolina (5-4).

Pryor T-shirts pulled

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is a "cryer" no more to a Penn State student group.

The Penn State Marketing Association has pulled T-shirts mocking the dual-threat sophomore that were to be sold for this weekend's game between the No. 15 Buckeyes (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) and the No. 11 Nittany Lions (8-1, 4-1).

The white shirt depicted the Nittany Lion mascot with one arm around Pryor and the other holding a box of tissues. Pryor is drawn in uniform reaching for a tissue.

Below the drawing was the phrase, "The Nutcracker -- a Terrelle Cryer Story."

Penn State's student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, wrote about the shirt on Tuesday. The design was apparently based on a photograph of a dejected-looking Pryor sitting on the bench with his head in his hands during the Nittany Lions' 13-6 win last year at Columbus. Pryor's fourth-quarter fumble had set up Penn State's go-ahead score.

Asked about the shirt this week in Columbus, Pryor took the mocking in stride.

"They made a T-shirt. It's not a big deal. It's all fun," he said.

Must-win for Michigan?

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Winning is a great deodorant and Michigan needs a victory for its funk.

The slumping Wolverines (5-4, 1-4 Big Ten) host Purdue (3-6, 2-3) on Saturday, desperately needing a sixth win to become bowl eligible to avoid possibly turning a strong start into an ugly ending.

"Hopefully after we beat Purdue, it will come down and we'll have some pressure off," defensive end Brandon Graham said. "We know we let a couple games slip."

Michigan started 4-0 with all home games in September, then hit the road -- and the skids.

The Wolverines have lost four straight Big Ten games. If they lose to Purdue at home for the first time since 1966, a 5-7 finish is realistic with a game next week at Wisconsin and the traditional finale against Ohio State in Michigan Stadium.

"People thought it would come easy," offensive guard Steve Schilling said. "We had a lot of confidence when we had four straight wins and things were going well."

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez acknowledged his players lost confidence after they couldn't score from the 1 at Illinois last week and ended up losing 38-13.

"You don't want that game to beat you twice," Rodriguez said. "Bad game, bad half, particularly the second half. We've got to learn from it and move on and press forward, and I think we'll do that."

Hoosiers pushing for bowl

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- At Indiana, it comes down to this.

Forget the blown leads, the narrow loss at Michigan, even the questionable calls.

The Hoosiers can still become bowl-eligible with two wins in their last three games, starting Saturday with No. 24 Wisconsin.

"We do realize it's still there, we still have an opportunity," defensive end Jammie Kirlew said. "As a senior, we feel we've put this team in the right direction, but going to a bowl game would be the icing."

The Hoosiers (4-5, 1-4 Big Ten) are running out of chances.

First up, the newly ranked Badgers (6-2, 3-2) who haven't lost to an unranked foe all season. Then Indiana heads to No. 11 Penn State, a team it is 0-12 against all-time. On Nov. 21, they're back home against rival Purdue, which has won 10 of the last 12 games in the series.

Not looking past Northwestern

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Much of the buzz surrounding No. 8 Iowa has been about its resume, and whether the Hawkeyes can truly be considered national title contenders when they keep sneaking past everyone.

Throw in a showdown with No. 15 Ohio State in Columbus next week that could determine the Big Ten title and Saturday's home date with Northwestern (5-4, 2-3 Big Ten) has all the makings of the classic trap game.

Let's be honest, though. Every week's a trap game for Iowa.

The Hawkeyes (9-0, 5-0) have survived them all so far, despite key injuries and fourth-quarter deficits in four of the nine games.

"I think we're getting great leadership," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "I think the team overall gets it. I'm not taking anything for granted. But I think they understand we're going to be up against it week in and week out."

BCS for Notre Dame?

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Charlie Weis likes his team's chances of earning a Bowl Championship Series berth -- if No. 19 Notre Dameh keep winning.

Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett does, too. Catlett said the Gator Bowl would love to have an Fighting Irish team that finishes 10-2, but can't imagine it happening.

"I can tell you that four BCS bowl directors are hoping they finish 10-2 and in the top 14 in the BCS poll," Catlett said.

That's because Notre Dame, with its tradition of eight national championships, seven Heisman Trophy winners and a national fan base, brings TV ratings and strong ticket sales.

"Everyone involved in the bowl business is aware of Notre Dame, aware of their fan base, aware of the economic impact it would have on their bowl," Rose Bowl executive director Mitch Dorger said.

But there has been plenty of speculation that the Irish could be left out at 10-2. With TCU or Boise State likely earning an automatic BCS berth, and the Southeastern Conference virtually a lock to grab an at-large bid along with its guaranteed spot, two berths likely would be left. The Irish could be competing for those spots with USC, a team that beat the Irish last month, the second-place Big Ten team and others.