Temple routs Akron 41-3 after lightning delay

AKRON, Ohio (AP) Bernard Pierce rushed for 150 yards and scored three touchdowns in the second quarter as Temple routed Akron 41-3 on Saturday night.

The game was halted because of lightning with 6:04 left in the first quarter, resuming after a delay of 1 hour and 19 minutes.

The Owls (2-0, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) opened consecutive seasons at 2-0 for the first time since the late 1960s and won their fifth straight over the Zips (0-2, 0-1).

With Temple leading 7-3, Akron quarterback Clayton Moore was sacked and fumbled. Kamal Johnson recovered for the Owls at the Zips 4, and Pierce scored on a 3-yard run with 13:59 left in the first half. He scored twice more in the next 8:17, on runs of 2 and 37 yards to give Temple a 28-3 halftime lead.

Pierce tied his career mark for touchdowns in a game for the second straight week.

Updated September 10, 2011