Temple football coach Rod Carey to name his opening-game QB on Wednesday
Russo practiced in full Tuesday and if he has no pain Wednesday, he is expected to start.
As Temple’s football team prepares for Saturday’s 3 p.m. opener at Lincoln Financial Field against Bucknell, a lot of news came out from first-year coach Rod Carey’s press conference Tuesday, along with one interesting tidbit from an Owls football source.
The news fans have been waiting for is the availability of redshirt junior quarterback Anthony Russo, who returned to practice Monday after missing two weeks because of a calf injury. Monday was a light workout, but Tuesday, Temple went full-go and Russo was able to do everything. Carey said he will name the quarterback on Wednesday. In Russo’s absence, redshirt sophomore Todd Centeio ran the first-team offense.
“If he comes back with no soreness, then Anthony is the guy,” Carey said. “If he doesn’t, Toddy will go with it, and Anthony understands that.”
Russo expects to be out there.
“I was able to do everything today full-speed, running, cutting and I felt great, no pain, no soreness, and am blessed to recover so quick and it is a testament to our rehab guys,” said Russo, who threw for 2,563 yards and 14 touchdowns last year.
One of the questions as the Owls look to improve on last year’s 8-5 record is the running game. Carey has said recently that graduate student Jager Gardner, redshirt freshman Kyle Dobbins and true freshman Ra’Mahn Davis will share reps. Receiver Isaiah Wright will also be used at times in the backfield.
Another wrinkle, according to a source, involves using first-team all-conference linebacker Shaun Bradley in the running game. A former running back at Rancocas Valley, Bradley has five carries in his Temple career, three last year.
The source says to look for Bradley to carry the ball as soon as the first or second series of the game. In one recent practice that was closed to the media, the source said Bradley carried the ball 17 straight times and showed great skill and determination.
Temple would obviously like to limit what Bradley does on offense, the source said, but the coaching staff wants to get him some reps in case he is needed this season.
In other news from Carey:
* Redshirt junior tight end Kenny Yeboah, a potential future NFL player, won’t play this week because of an undisclosed injury. Redshirt freshman David Martin-Robinson, who would have played quite a bit anyway, will get the start.
* The Owls plan to have senior linebacker Will Kwenkeu redshirt this year. Linebacker is the most experienced position with Bradley, graduate student Chapelle Russell and senior Sam Franklin. Carey said it was Kwenkeu’s idea to redshirt.
* Russell’s availability for Saturday won’t be known until later in the week because of injury.
* Redshirt senior defensive end Dana Levine, who had 4.5 tackles for loss last year, isn’t on the Owls’ two-deep depth chart, but Carey says he might play. Levine has been working his way back from injury.
* Redshirt sophomore Will Mobley will handle the placekicking. He has been battling Jacob LaFree, who has been injured. Carey said LaFree, a graduate transfer from the University of Indianapolis, isn’t ready to compete for the placekicking job but could be the kickoff man Saturday if he responds physically from Tuesday’s practice. LaFree kicked off during practice, Carey said.
*Redshirt junior Freddie Johnson, who has converted from receiver to cornerback, is at the top of the depth chart. Carey said that doesn’t mean Johnson will start, but he should see plenty of action. Harrison Hand, a junior transfer from Baylor, could still figure into the starting equation. He has been recovering from a hamstring injury.
It is expected that one of the starting cornerback spots will be manned by senior Linwood Crump. Redshirt sophomores Christian Braswel and Ty Mason are other corners who could be in the rotation.