MUST BE DREAMING: TEMPLE IS 9-2?
Vaughn Charlton, a redshirt junior who started Temple's first eight games, also could see playing time in the Mid-American Conference game against the Zips.
Temple coach Al Golden said yesterday that he had intended to use both against Miami, but stuck with Stewart when the redshirt sophomore had "some early success."
"Chester will start, but I'm not ruling out both playing," Golden said. "Chester conducted the game good, protected the ball, and made some key throws. I thought Chester played well. He has a big-time arm and can escape."
Stewart, who went 6 for 11 for 143 yards against Miami, threw for gains of 31, 44, and 45 yards on a night when running back Bernard Pierce again carried the Temple offense with 178 yards on 40 rushing attempts.
As the Owls drove 63 yards on six plays for the winning score, Stewart connected with wide receiver Joe Jones on a 31-yard pass.
The drive resulted in an 18-yard field goal with three seconds remaining by freshman kicker Brandon McManus, who was named specialist of the week in the MAC's East Division.
Temple is 7-2 overall and in first place in the division at 5-0. The Owls are riding a seven-game winning streak that is the program's longest since 1973. They received seven votes in this week's Associated Press media poll.
Golden was asked about the timing of the quarterback move. For the season, Charlton has completed 90 of 177 passes for 1,200 yards, with seven interceptions and nine touchdowns.
"Am I worried about changing quarterbacks during a winning streak?" Golden asked rhetorically. "What winning streak? For us, it's about today. We're trying to find the best way to beat Akron."
