November 7, 1998

Stats

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Freshman quarterback Mac DeVito came off the bench to rally Temple from a 20-point deficit, scoring on a decisive 1-yard run with 30 seconds remaining as the Owls stunned Pittsburgh 34-33 Saturday.

Temple (2-7, 2-3 in Big East) has won only 13 games since 1991, but has beaten Pittsburgh three times in the last four seasons. The Owls upset Pitt 17-13 last year the week after the Panthers beat nationally ranked Miami.

Pittsburgh (2-6, 0-4 in Big East) opened a 20-0 lead in the second quarter behind freshman Brandon Williams' two scoring runs and led 33-21 after Matt Lytle hit R.J. English on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 7:31 remaining.

But for the second consecutive home game, the Panthers couldn't hold a big lead over a double-digit underdog. They wasted a 21-7 lead and were shut out in the second half of a 25-21 loss to Rutgers on Oct. 17.

Pitt was in position to virtually seal Saturday's game with 2 1/2 minutes to play, but Chris Ferencik's 46-yard field goal attempt ricocheted off the back of one of his own blockers and was recovered by Temple at the Pitt 49.

Elmarko Jackson later made a 17-yard reception at the 19, Stacey Mack gained 11 yards on two carries and DeVito scrambled for seven yards to set up DeVito's quarterback sneak and Temple's first lead of the game.

Mack also scored on a pair of 2-yard runs, the second with 4:36 to play as Temple edged to within 33-28 following Jackson's 27-yard run to the Pitt 5.

Temple's comeback was a reversal of its 53-52 loss in Pitt Stadium two years ago when Pitt rallied with two late touchdowns, causing a teary-eyed Owls coach Ron Dickerson to resign immediately after the game. He reconsidered a day later.

Just as they did against Rutgers, the Panther seemed to lose their edge after scoring on their first three possessions.

Lytle scored from the 2 to finish a 73-yard drive in which he went 5-of-7 for 50 yards, and Williams scored on 4- and 1-yard runs to end drives also highlighted by Lytle's passing. Lytle was 14-of-22 for 165 yards in the first half before finishing 19-of-34 for 223 yards.

Mack's first 2-yard scoring run made it 20-7 at halftime, but Ferencik kicked a pair of field goals around DeVito's 26-yard pass to Carlos Johnson for his first career touchdown as Pitt led 26-14 after three quarters.

DeVito then got the Owls close on a disputed play, apparently running past the line of scrimmage to throw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Johnson with 14:03 remaining. TV replays showed a scrambling DeVito was about a yard past the line of scrimmage as he released the ball.

DeVito was 5-of-7 for 127 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Devin Scott, lifted by coach Bobby Wallace after going 4-of-9 with an interception.