PHILADELPHIA – Ohio held Temple’s talented running game to 81 yards and forced three turnovers, turning two of them into touchdowns in taking a 31-23 victory Tuesday night at Lincoln Financial Field that puts the Bobcats in position to win the Mid-American Conference East Division for the second straight year.

Ohio (8-3, 6-1 MAC) won its seventh straight game, holding on after giving up two touchdown passes from Mike Gerardi to Michael Campbell in the final 2:16. It was also the Bobcats’ eighth straight MAC road victory, dating back to last season.

Vince Davidson rushed 16 times for 100 yards and a pair of scores as the Bobcats outrushed the Owls 204-81.

“They didn’t beat themselves today,” Temple coach Al Golden said. “They ran the ball effectively. They played disciplined football and they made plays when they needed to make them. They made the plays and we didn’t.”

It helped make up for a lack of passing game for Ohio, which had only four completions in the game even though Boo Jackson arrived in Philadelphia just hours before game time after getting doctor approval to start at quarterback.

Temple’s Bernard Pierce left the game on his first carry, called back for holding, and Matt Brown was held to 72 yards on 20 carries. Both players entered the game with more than 700 yards rushing.

Linebacker Peanut Joseph also left the game with an injury just before halftime.

“In games like this you need your best players to play their best game,” Golden said. “I don’t think we got that overall and obviously we have those two guys down hurt.”

Holding onto a 17-10 halftime lead, the Bobcats got good field position when Carl Jones picked off a screen pass, taking possession at the Temple 11-yard line. Donte Harden’s two-yard touchdown run gave Ohio a two-touchdown lead with 9:30 left in the game.

“It was a hot,” Jones said. “I usually don’t run hots as a three technique, but just going in, I didn’t think I was going to get it.”

Davidson broke a 42-yard run for a score while Ohio was attempting to run out the clock for a 31-14 advantage, but Temple did not fold.

The Owls (8-3, 5-2 MAC) scored on a 21-yard pass from Gerardi to Campbell and then came up with an onside kick recovery.

Gerardi, who finished with 311 yards on 28-of-48 passing in rainy conditions, was picked off by Hilton Dawson III, but Ryan Boykins’ fumble gave Temple life again.

Campbell, who had 11 receptions for 131 yards, caught another touchdown pass, a 17-yarder with 1:13 remaining.

But the Bobcats recovered the onside kick attempt this time, and although they did not quite run out the clock, the game ended when Paul Hershey’s punt was downed with no time on the clock as Temple went all out for a block attempt with 10 seconds to go.

“I didn’t like the way it ended,” Ohio coach Frank Solich said. “Temple kept battling.”

Ohio never trailed, scoring first after Travis Carrie recovered a Campbell fumble at the Temple 47. A 33-yard pass from Jackson to Terrence McCrae set up a Davidson five-yard run.

Brown scored a one-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game early in the second quarter, but the Bobcats took the lead for good on a 16-yard Jackson touchdown pass to Riley Dunlop on the ensuing possession.

Temple’s Brandon McManus and Ohio’s Matt Weller followed with field goals of 45 and 40 yards, respectively, on their teams next possessions to round out the first half.

Phil Bates had nine rushes for 54 yards as the Bobcats finished with 282 yards of offense, compared to the Owls’ 402 yards.

With the victory, Ohio needs only to beat Kent State or have Miami lose to either Akron or Temple to clinch a spot in the MAC Championship Game. The Bobcats eliminated the Owls from title game contention for the second straight year.

“All year, since the beginning of the season, we’ve been talking about winning the MAC championship,” Davidson said. “We got there last year, but we didn’t quite win it. This year we want to get back, but we’ve got one more step, and that’s Kent State.”

Ohio closes out the regular season at 2 p.m. Nov. 26 at Kent State.