Temple (2-0), the preseason favorite to take the conference championship this fall after sharing the MAC East Division title in 2009, won at home against Villanova, 31-24, to open its season.
CMU, a MAC West Division team, had won 18 consecutive games against East Division squads.
Down by 7-0 at the break last night, CMU knotted the score on a 1-yard scamper by running back Parris Cotton with 7 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 70-yard pass play from Chippewas quarterback Ryan Radcliff to wide receiver Cody Wilson.
But McManus, who missed two field-goal attempts during the first two quarters, put the Owls ahead with a 31-yarder at the 2:17 mark of the period. Temple went 66 yards on 11 plays to regain the lead.
CMU threatened the Owls' three-point edge at the beginning of the fourth quarter by moving into field-goal range, but Chippewas kicker Paul Mudgett couldn't convert a 27-yard attempt with 11:38 remaining.
With 1:11 showing on the clock, David Harman came on in place of Mudgett and made good on a boot from 31 yards to make it 10-10.
On Temple's ensuing possession, Owls quarterback Chester Stewart lost a fumble as he was being sacked, and defensive tackle John Williams recovered for CMU. But CMU failed to capitalize, and regulation ended in a deadlock.
Having forced CMU to punt on the game's first possession, Temple had a chance to score after Stewart teamed with wide receiver Rod Streater on a first-down pass play that was good for 56 yards to the CMU 32-yard line. But a 44-yard field-goal attempt by McManus with 8:07 remaining in the first quarter was wide right.
