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Postgame Quotes: SMU | Temple

DALLAS (AP) -- P.J. Walker threw four touchdowns passes and ran for another score, freshman Jager Gardner had a 94-yard scoring run on Temple's second play and the 23rd-ranked Owls beat SMU 60-40 on Friday night.

Gardner had zero yards rushing for the season when he broke through the middle of the line for the longest run in Temple history and a quick boost coming off a close high-profile loss to No. 8 Notre Dame at home.

Temple (8-1, 5-0 American Athletic) has it most points since beating Holy Cross 63-34 on Sept. 29, 1973

Walker's final touchdown pass was a 75-yarder to Ventell Bryant the first play after Matt Davis pulled the Mustangs (1-8, 0-5) to 38-31 on a 30-yard scoring toss to Jeremiah Gaines early in the fourth quarter.

Temple went ahead for good at 21-17 when Walker found Romond Deloatch for a 16-yard touchdown strike with 24 seconds left in the first half.

Gardner got most of the carries in the first quarter because Jahad Thomas was nursing a rib injury coming off the 24-20 loss to the Irish. Gardner, who started the game with minus-1 yard and had a 1-yarder before the long run, finished with 110 yards on six carries.

Thomas, who didn't get a carry until the second quarter, had a touchdown to give him at least one in all nine games. He finished with 15 carries for 66 yards, leaving him 30 shy of becoming Temple's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012.

SMU was competitive for third time in three games against ranked teams under first-year coach Chad Morris, and made things really interesting with nine quick points to get within 45-40 midway through the fourth quarter.

After Temple's Nick Sharga was called for holding in the end zone on a punt to give the Mustangs a safety, Braeden West returned the subsequent free kick 80 yards for a touchdown, weaving between tacklers before breaking free near midfield.

The Mustangs had one chance for a go-ahead score, but linebacker Tyler Matakevich knocked down Davis' fourth-down pass in SMU territory with 2:41 remaining.

Walker followed with a clinching 36-yard touchdown run, and Sean Chandler finished the scoring with a 41-yard interception return in the final minute.

Temple improved to 5-0 on the road for the first time in school history and beat a Texas team for the first time since topping TCU in 1939. It was the first win in the Lone Star State for the Owls since beating Texas A&M in 1935.

Walker was 18 of 25 for 268 yards without an interception in his first four-TD game since the 2013 finale against Memphis.

Davis threw for 167 yards and had 102 yards rushing, including a 2-yard touchdown. Xavier Jones ran for two scores and finished with 67 yards on 16 carries.

SMU hits the road next week as the Mustangs hit the road to face Navy in Annapolis, Md. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.