The Temple Tigers, behind a relentless running attack led by Matthan Burton that racked up nearly 275 yards by the beginning of the fourth quarter, routed the Lions of Hebron Christian, 32-9, Friday night at Rogers Stadium.

Burton scored on three long touchdown runs of 64, 81 and 50 yards as Temple won its season opener and the first career win for head coach Seth Rogers. The Tiger running game piled up 275 yards in the first three quarters alone.

Burton wasted no time putting the Tigers on the board first with a 64-yard run on the opening play from scrimmage, and with only eight seconds off the clock Temple went up 6-0.

The Tiger defense then set the tone on the other side of the ball by snuffing the Lions’ opening drive, including a sack by Jake Shirley that resulted in an 11-yard loss.

Temple’s offense wasn’t without some miscues though, with a fumble on its second series. The Tigers would turn the ball over twice more before putting the game away in the fourth quarter.

With the Tigers up 12-0 as the close of the second quarter was near, two big defensive pass breakups at the goal line by Temple’s Darius Copeland kept the Lions from scoring what looked like a sure touchdown. The Tigers would surrender their only first half points when Matt Batrouney fumbled on his own 2-yard line and was brought down in the end zone as he recovered the ball, resulting in a safety.

After a half-time show that featured Robert Herber’s Eddie Van Halen guitar solos, it was Burton who continued to put on a show and pound the Lions. With 5:39 in the third quarter, Burton busted an 81-yard blast almost untouched and found the end zone again to put the game all but out of reach 20-2.

Temple again made another goal line stand and kept Paul Stinespring from a score when he was knocked out at the 3-yard line on a fourth and goal. On the exchange though, Temple would commit its third turnover and give the Lions a golden opportunity deep in their end of the field. Stinespring wasted no time and punched in Hebron’s only touchdown when he scampered outside and found the end zone.

Not wanting to let the Lions score go unanswered, it was Burton again busting a long scoring run, this one of 50 yards with 11:10 left in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach 26-9.

Only two minutes later, Temple’s Devonte Clayton put the final lock on the cage of the Lions by rushing for 27 yards and finding the goal line to put the Tigers in full command 32-9.

The final nine minutes of the game were played out by a whole host of Tigers, with Coach Seth Rogers allowing many of reserves to get playing time.