Temple 56, Bucknell 12: Three observations from the Owls’ season-opening win

Temple entered Saturday’s opener with Bucknell as a 40.5 point favorite and demonstrated why.

The Rod Carey era opened with the Owls beating the Bison, 56-12, at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls made good on their vow not to take this FCS team coming off a 1-10 season lightly.

Here are three quick takes from the win:

Yes, he had all day to throw and his receivers were running open all game, but Temple quarterback Anthony Russo looked sharp. This was not considered a given before the game, because Russo missed two full weeks of practice with a calf injury before returning on Monday. He admitted to having some rust on Tuesday, but said by game time he would be fine.

He ran the offense efficiently and led the Owls to touchdowns on their first four drives. Of course, not all was perfect. Russo, who threw 14 interceptions last year (along with 14 touchdown passes), was intercepted on Temple’s fifth possession when Gavin Pringle jumped a route to tight end David Martin-Robinson and returned it 36 yards for Bucknell’s first score. It’s the same thing that happened in Russo’s first start, a year ago against Maryland, when the Terps’ Darnell Savage jumped a route and scored on a 23-yard interception return.

Russo can make any throw needed in college (or even the NFL), but his ability to cut down on interceptions will be the true mark of his success.

Final stats: 32 of 41 passes for 409 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

One of the true surprises of training camp was the play of defensive tackle Ifeanyi Maijeh. After appearing in eight games and making seven tackles last year, the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Maijeh won the starting tackle position, beating out senior Karmo Dioubate (who came up with a second half sack).

Maijeh finished with five tackles, two for loss, including a sack (all in the first half) and was a continued disruptive force.

During preseason camp, Carey acknowledged the talent of freshman running back Re’Mahn Davis, but said he had to work on other aspects of his game like blocking and receiving. Davis looked comfortable in all facets.

Even though he split time with graduate student Jager Gardner in the first half, Davis made some explosive plays -- most notably when he took a short pass from Russo, cut between two would-be tacklers and was off to the races for 51-yard touchdown.

Gardner also fared well, scoring two of the Owls’ first three touchdowns, but he doesn’t have the home-run ability of Davis. Both players should earn their share of carries. Temple also gave linebacker Shaun Bradley three carries on the second series, just as a source had indicated earlier in the week. Carey isn’t sure about his running-back depth, but if Davis continues to show his big-play ability and he and Gardner can stay healthy, then Bradley may not be needed to be a two-way player.

Davis is an impressive cutback runner who has the ability to make defenders miss as he did on that TD reception. The 5-10, 210-pound Davis rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and caught two passes for 78 yards and a score.