ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Temple came out swinging against Wyoming, jumping to a 21-0 lead in the first half of the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
But when Wyoming freshman Brett Smith threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson with 37 seconds remaining in the first half, Temple quarterback Chris Coyer feared that Wyoming found a spark.
``We knew they had swung the momentum their way. It was a big touchdown for them,'' Coyer said.
Then, moments later, Coyer responded with 61-yarder to Rod Streater to give the Owls a 28-7 lead.
It was never close again.
Bernard Pierce ran for two early touchdowns and Coyer threw for 169 yards and the touchdown to help Temple overwhelm Wyoming 37-15 in the New Mexico Bowl - the first bowl game of the season.
The Owls (9-4) had three interceptions - tying a New Mexico Bowl record - en route to the second bowl victory in school history. The first interception came at the start of the second quarter when Temple's Kee-arye Griffin picked off Smith's pass to setting up Matt Brown's 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Owls a 21-0 lead.
The last one came late in the game to Temple's Kevin Kroboth, resulting in a field goal.
``Our starting point is playing great defense,'' first-year Temple coach Steve Addazio said. ``That's what our program's built around. We lead a lot of statistical categories in the country, and we have a lot of pride in playing great defense.''
The New Mexico Bowl was Temple's second bowl game in three years, but that 2009 game - a 30-21 loss to UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington - was the Owls' first bowl in 30 years. The Mid-American Conference East runner-up did not get a bowl invite last year despite going 8-4.
Sophomore Coyer, who also rushed for 71 yards, was selected the game's offensive MVP.
``Getting on top early, of course, was going to be a big deal in this game,'' Coyer said. ``We knew that they had a very explosive offense, and throughout the year that's been big for us - to get ahead early.''
Meanwhile, Smith was held to just 127 yards by a greedy Owls defensive line that preventing the Cowboys from getting anything started.
``Not his best day,'' Cowboys coach Dave Christensen said. ``But the great news is he's got three more years and he'll work extremely hard in the offseason. He'll bounce back. He always does.''
The loss dropped the Cowboys (8-5) to 6-7 in bowl games. It was a disappointed effort by Wyoming after the Cowboys won the 2009 New Mexico Bowl in double overtime, beating Fresno State 35-28.
``They just played physically better than us,'' Christensen said. ``My hat's off to them. They're a good running team. They're a good football team.''
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