Temple takes 21-0 lead over Navy on 56-yard TD pass from Phillip Walker

The Temple Owls took it to the Navy Midshipmen early on Saturday, taking a 21-0 lead in the first half thanks to an impressive 56-yard touchdown pass.

It has been a terrific season for the Navy Midshipmen, going 9-2 with a chance to take home the AAC Championship on Saturday. Unfortunately for Navy, the Temple Owls had other plans during the conference championship game.

The Owls already had a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter and were trying to drive down the field again to add on to their lead. On third down near midfield, the Owls decided to try and look deep, and it paid off in a big way.

Temple quarterback Phillip Walker had a clean pocket on third down, and instead of just looking for a first down, he found a receiver open deep down the field. Walker tossed a bomb deep to wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, who he hit in stride for an easy 56-yard touchdown.

You can watch a video of the play courtesy of Twitter below.

That touchdown helped the Owls take a 21-0 lead in the first half, putting the Midshipmen on upset alert early on Saturday. Navy was hoping for a chance at a New Year’s Six bowl  game with an AAC championship, especially considering they came into Saturday’s game ranked No. 19 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

Instead, the Owls are now hoping for a chance at a solid bowl game appearance. They came into the AAC championship unranked, but they still had a solid 9-3 record including 7-1 in the AAC to help them play in this game.

Plays like this one from Walker and Kirkwood could help Temple take their conference title.