Temple’s Vincent Picozzi out for season after injury against USF
Owls coach Rod Carey said the right guard will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury.
Redshirt junior Vincent Picozzi, who has started all nine games at right guard for Temple, is out for the season after suffering an injury Thursday night during a 17-7 win at South Florida.
A graduate of Lansdale Catholic, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Picozzi has made 28 career starts.
“He is done for the year,” Temple coach Rod Carey said during Monday’s American Athletic Conference teleconference. “He is having surgery on his lower body.”
Picozzi, who entered Temple as a walk-on but quickly earned a scholarship, was one of the leaders on an offensive line that is among the team’s strongest units.
“He is a good football player. I feel awful for him,” Carey said. “It was just a bad deal, a guy rolled up on him, but he will come back and has next year.”
Leon Pinto replaced Picozzi last week, but coach Rod Carey said it is wide open as to who will start this week. Among the candidates are J.D. Gomez, Grifin Sestili, Pinto, Joseph Hooper and David Nwaogwugwu,
Other injuries
Carey said that he is hopes freshman running back Re’Mahn Davis, who missed the USF game with a lower-body injury, will be able to play in Saturday’s noon game at Lincoln Financial Field against Tulane.
The first-year Temple coach wasn’t as sure about safety Benny Walls, who has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury.
Carey said he was “cautiously pessimistic" about Walls’ return. Asked to explain, Carey said he didn’t want to get his hopes too high on the return of Walls, one of the Owls’ defensive leaders.
Key reserve linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley, who suffered an injury in the Owls’ 63-21 loss to Central Florida, is out for the season, a school official confirmed.
Temple-Cincinnati on six-day window
The start time for college football games is usually known at least 12 days in advance, but Temple’s Nov. 23 game at Cincinnati will have a six-day window for networks to make a decision. That’s because the game could have division ramifications.
AAC assistant commissioner for communications Chuck Sullivan said the league could know the start time by Saturday night, or if not, Sunday.
Temple is 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the AAC. Cincinnati is 8-1 and 5-0, but the No. 17 Bearcats will visit No. 18 Memphis in the regular-season finale. UCF (7-3, 4-2) is also in the hunt for the East Division title.
The East Division winner will play the West Division champion in the AAC title game.
Roche on honor roll
Temple defensive end Quincy Roche, who had 3.5 sacks, six tackles and a pass breakup against USF, was named to the AAC honor roll. Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II was named the AAC defensive player of the week after posting five tackles, three pass breakups and an interception that set up the winning field goal in a 34-31 upset of Central Florida.