Pierce tries to stay healthy, help Owls

WHEN Bernard Pierce remains upright, Temple tends to be a much better football team, the Daily News has uncovered.

How's that for inside access?

In an eye-opening freshman season, the 6-foot, 215-pound running back from Glen Mills helped the Owls win nine straight times. But he got hurt along the way, and they lost their last two.

Last year they were beating Penn State when he had to leave the field again. They wound up losing. Then he got injured late, and they again dropped their final two.

It's hardly been coincidental.

On Saturday, a week after being held to 50 yards in a disappointing loss to Penn State, Pierce ran for a program-record five touchdowns in a 31-point victory at Maryland.

Since then, other than receiving some extra congratulatory phone calls, he's mostly tried to . . .

"Make sure I get my rest, stay healthy," he said. "[That performance] is in the back of my head, but I'm thinking about the rest of the season to come.

"I haven't been doing much [else], just taking care of what needs to be taken care of. I appreciate it [the attention], that's all. I want to go back to another bowl game, and be able to compete for the MAC championship."

If he keeps doing what he does best, the Owls - who host Toledo Saturday - would seemingly have a real good shot at that exacta.

"He's working on sustaining that level of play throughout the season," said first-year coach Steve Addazio. "There's a lot of football left to play. He takes a lot of shots, so he needs to fight through [that]. His legs yesterday and today are banged up. They really are. That's hard, to learn how to kind of get through all that."

Not to mention the added pub.

"I would say as a freshman, it kind of went to my head a little bit," Pierce admitted. "I stopped working on my technique. I started playing the game as if I wasn't as focused, and eventually that caught up to me. I got sloppy. I'm making sure it's more of, not a business or job, but I'm a lot more focused."

He's gained 496 yards on 87 carries, and his 12 TDs lead the nation. His next rushing score will pull him even with 1986 Heisman runner-up Paul Palmer on Temple's all-time list, at 39. He needs four more TDs to match Palmer's overall program record of 43. Pierce set the season mark 2 years ago, with 16. That appears to be in jeopardy.

Addazio's toughest job might be keeping Pierce on North Broad Street for another season.

But first things . . . well, you know.

"To be compared to [Palmer] is a privilege, I'd say," Pierce insisted. "It's always a good feeling, knowing that he was a successful back when he was here."

So what did he say this week to his roommate, senior quarterback Chester Stewart, who also had a big game against the Terps in his first start this season?

"Stay humble," Pierce said. "And keep producing."

Duly noted.