Cincinnati grinds past Temple 14-6
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Gunner Kiel passed for one touchdown and Mike Boone ran for another as Cincinnati edged Temple 14-6 on Saturday, hanging onto a three-way tie for a conference championship.
The Bearcats (8-3, 6-1 American Athletic) limited Temple to just three field goal tries all game, forcing eight punts while making two second-quarter touchdowns stand for their sixth straight win.
Kiel hit Mekale McKay for Cincinnati's first score, two plays after Leviticus Payne recovered a fumble at the 3 when Temple's P.J. Walker was sacked.
Later in the second, Mike Boone capped a nine-play drive with three straight carries for 14, 4 and 1 yards.
Temple's Austin Jones kicked field goals of 30 and 31 yards, but missed from 27 in the third quarter when the Owls (5-6, 3-4) recovered a fumbled kickoff.
Cincinnati, Central Florida and Memphis are knotted at 6-1 in conference. Cincinnati's appeared in bowl games seven of the last eight years.