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Gameday preview: Navy

AT A GLANCE

Temple at Navy

Saturday, Oct. 10

6 p.m., Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Television: CBS Sports Network

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

HEAD COACHES:

Temple

Rod Carey

Career record: 60-35 (second season at Temple)

Navy

Ken Niumatalolo

Career record: 99-61 (14th season at Navy)

KEY PLAYERS

TEMPLE

QB Anthony Russo

RB Re’Mahn Davis

WR Jadan Blue

WR Branden Mack

DT Ifeanyi Maijeh

LB Isaiah Graham-Mobley

CB Christain Braswell

NAVY

QB Dalen Morris

FB Jamale Carothers

LB Diego Fagot

LB Tama Tuitele

CB Cameron Kinley

WHEN TEMPLE IS ON OFFENSE

As the Owls look to win their second consecutive season opener of the Rod Carey era, Anthony Russo will be starting under center for Temple. That hasn’t changed. Despite a strong push from both Re-al Mitchell and Trad Beatty, the job has belonged to the Archbishop Wood graduate throughout preseason camp

Russo will enter this season with some semblance of offensive stability. His processing of Temple offensive coordinator Mike Uremovich’s offense has improved in Year 2, and according to quarterbacks coach Craig Harmon, his understanding of the offense is at a completely different level. In learning three different offenses between Glenn Thomas, Dave Patenaude and Uremovich, Russo hasn’t been dealt the easiest of hands, but Temple’s quarterback is “confident” in his familiarity with the team’s offense going forward.

Russo threw for 2,861 yards (which ranked 45th in the FBS) and 21 touchdowns and was intercepted 12 times while completing 59 % of his passes last season as a redshirt junior. He did shave two interceptions off his 2018 season total and bumped up his completion percentage by two points. However, he’ll return to the site of the Military Bowl on Saturday, where his last performance against North Carolina was rather forgettable.

In a 55-13 loss, Russo completed 12 of 20 passes for just 128 yards. His third-quarter pick-six put the game out of reach for good.

Now he’ll aim to bounce back at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, but his talent certainly hasn’t gone unrecognized.

“He’s a very good quarterback,” Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said of Russo. “He’s got everything that you look at in a quarterback - big arm, he’s athletic, smart, great decision-maker, and he’s only gotten better. He was good when we played them back then. Unfortunately for us, he’s just gotten better. Haven’t seen him this year, this will be their first game, but I was impressed when we played before. We’re definitely going to have our hands full with him.”

Niumatalolo was referring to the last time these two teams faced off, which happened to be Russo’s fifth career start. Russo led the Owls to a 24-17 win over the Midshipmen back in October of 2018. He completed 23 of 31 passes for 300 yards on the day, throwing an interception and a game-winning 64-yard touchdown to Ventell Bryant.

Navy is currently allowing its opponents to pass for 142.7 yards per game, but that pales in comparison to the 311.7 rushing yards they’re allowing per game, which is last (74th) in the FBS. Navy currently has the No. 2 passing defense in the country, while teams have a passing efficiency rating of 122.41 against the Navy defense, which is the 25th best in the country. Both numbers are a bit misleading since Navy’s opponents have elected more to expose its porous run defense.

What the Midshipmen do have going for them on defense are their linebackers, as well as the different looks they may show Temple Saturday. Diego Fagot has 28 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and one sack. Fagot was named a Phil Steele preseason third-team All-American following a dominant sophomore campaign in which he led the Midshipmen in tackles with 100 and was second on the team in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (5.5), en route to receiving first-team All-AAC recognition.

As for Tama Tuitele, he’s averaging 5.7 solo tackles per game, which ranks 23rd in the country. The combination of Fagot and Tuitele in the middle has helped contribute to Navy’s defense being ranked 16th in the country and first in the conference in third-down defense.

Russo said the team wants to get its run game established. Returning in the backfield is Re’Mahn Davis, who put together an impressive freshman campaign, leading Temple’s backs with 936 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Since being put on scholarship, Tayvon Ruley figures to have an increased role this season, as he will help replace Jager Gardner. Ruley had 24 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown in 2019, averaging more than five yards per carry. And Penn Charter product Edward Saydee will be a part of Temple’s likely three-headed monster at running back, with Davis getting the bulk of the carries.

“First and foremost we want to get our run game established,” Russo said. “I think that’s something that we’ve noticed on film that teams have been able to get their run games established early and often, and that’s something we want to do regardless of the opponent, regardless of the week.”

Temple’s backs will be running behind a revamped offensive line, with Matt Hennesy and Jovahn Fair both moving on to the NFL. The Owls’ projected starters left to right vs. Navy are Vincent Picozzi at left tackle, Joseph Hooper at left guard, Northern Illinois transfer C.J. Perez at center, Adam Klein at right guard and Dayton transfer Michael Niese at right tackle.

While there are certainly some surprises, all five have starting experience between the FBS, FCS or even junior college levels. Picozzi and Klein both have significant starting experience for Temple, but each will be playing positions they’ve never played before after cross-training all summer. Perez has had a firm hold on the center position since arriving, while Niese has been pushed out to right tackle, a position he only played in practice while at Dayton. As for Hooper, he did a respectable job of filling in for Picozzi when he went down with a season-ending knee injury last November at USF.

Out wide, Temple is fortunate enough to return all of its starters from a season before. Jadan Blue had a record-setting 2019 season, recording 95 catches for 1,067 yards and four touchdowns. Branden Mack caught 59 passes for 904 yards and seven touchdowns last season, he also had five games where he recorded 100+ receiving yards and led the team in touchdown receptions. Randle Jones returns to the fold after a nagging hamstring injury allowed him to redshirt and retain an extra year of eligibility. Jose Barbon and Jordan Smith also figure to contribute this season.

As for the tight ends, losing Kenny Yeboah as a grad transfer to Ole Miss is a big blow, but there’s a lot of talent remaining in the room. David Martin-Robinson showed flashes last season but finished with just five catches for 64 yards. He’s expected to have a large role in the Owls’ offense. Darius Pittman arrived as a transfer from Purdue and he’s been talked up by both Carey and Russo alike as someone who has stood out during fall preseason camp. Aaron Jarman played in all 13 games last season but could have a bigger role going forward.

Branden Mack is part of Temple's experienced and dynamic group of wide receivers.
Branden Mack is part of Temple's experienced and dynamic group of wide receivers. (Don Otto - OwlScoop.com)

WHEN TEMPLE IS ON DEFENSE

While many of Temple’s defensive starters have some playing experience, the team has a lot of turnover on the defensive side of the ball. The team will have to replace a unit that boasted the nation’s seventh-best red zone defense in the nation last season. Also, the Owls ranked 21st in the FBS in defensive pass efficiency and 15th in the nation in team tackles for loss.

Temple is only returning three starters on the defensive side of the ball in defensive tackles Dan Archibong and Ifeanyi Maijeh and cornerback Christain Braswell . There are eight open positions on the defensive side of the ball with players like Quincy Roche, Dana Levine, Shaun Bradley, Chapelle Russell, Sam Franklin, Harrison Hand, Benny Walls and Ayron Monroe all moving on.

Starting up front, Navy will have its hands full with single-digit defensive tackles Maijeh and Archibong. Maijeh had a breakout year for the Owls last season, recording 52 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. In 2019, Archibong recorded 27 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a blocked kick, but he’s been more of a space-eater for the Owls up front than anything else. Also, Temple’s defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles considers Khris Banks to be a “starter,” but he just has two starters in front of him. Last season, Banks contributed 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.

“Their interior guys are tough, they’re good players,” Niumatalolo said. “Just watching them personnel-wise, it’s not the team for us that we want to be playing after the game we had last week, getting beat the way we did and we got to come back and put on the film and watch these guys. It’s definitely not about who we want to see. They’re an impressive team. On defense, they can run. Physically, again, it’s going to be a tough challenge.”

Temple will need to replace Roche’s presence on the edge after he was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. To help replace his production, the Owls brought in Manny Walker as a grad transfer from Wake Forest. So far, he’s impressed coaches with his play through preseason camp. Starting opposite of Walker will be Arnold Ebiketie, who played in 12 games last season and recorded 12 tackles and two sacks. Another player expected to be in the mix is Layton Jordan, who has also earned some praise from the coaching staff since making the switch over from linebacker. Jordan recorded his first career sack and forced a fumble against UCF last season and projects to be a part of a pass rush that will attempt to emulate how the team got after opposing quarterbacks last season.

Navy has started three different quarterbacks in its three games this season: Dalen Morris (BYU), Xavier Arline (Tulane) and Tyger Goslin (Air Force). Navy is the only team in the FBS to have started three different quarterbacks in the first three games of the 2020 season. Morris will start against Temple, despite not making the trip to Air Force due to an undisclosed medical condition that prevents him from playing in high-altitude settings.

In Navy’s only win of the season, Morris came off the bench to lead a remarkable come-from-behind victory against Tulane. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 139 yards, helping the Midshipmen score 27 unanswered points while erasing a 24-0 halftime deficit.

As such, Temple’s linebackers will have challenge waiting for them Saturday. While Morris has one of the better arms for a service academy quarterback, the Owls will still need to account for the triple-option, which the majority of the defense has never faced. Isaiah Graham-Mobley and Will Kwenkeu are two Owls that were on the team the last time Temple faced Navy, so they know what it takes to prepare and play against the triple-option.

Graham-Mobley carries over his single-digit honor from the season before, where he recorded 36 tackles, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble, despite being in a rotational role. After an ankle injury prematurely ended his 2019 season, he’ll be starting in the middle next to another single-digit in Kwenkeu, who redshirted last season after recording 33 tackles and a sack in 11 games in 2018. At BUBO, Yvandy Rigby will be starting, as he looks to replace Franklin at the position that he created.

Over the last 19 years, Navy has consistently been one of the top rushing teams in the country, never finishing lower than sixth. Last season, Navy led the nation in rushing with its school-record 360.5 rushing yards per game. Through three games in 2020, the Midshipmen are ranked 50th in rushing offense, averaging 137.7 yards per game.

Leading Navy in the backfield is Jamale Carothers, who made the transition from slot back to fullback over the past season. In 2019, he averaged a touchdown every 7.2 touches and finished the season tied for 16th in the country in rushing touchdowns. Also, Carothers averaged 6.6 yards per carry, which was the seventh-best rushing average in the FBS in 2019.

This season, Carothers leads the Midshipmen in rushing with 176 yards on 42 carries.

“They definitely have the most physical offense that we’ll see this year,” Graham-Mobley said. “Their grit and their grind are to run the ball, so we’re going to do our best to stop that no matter what. So that’s our responsibility as linebackers and the d-line to stop the run first and foremost.”

At cornerback, Linwood Crump is Temple’s most experienced player in the secondary. Crump decided to redshirt after a hand injury limited him in 2019. He’ll be starting opposite of Braswell, who emerged as the team’s No. 1 corner last season. With a single-digit in hand, Braswell will look to build off a breakout 2019 season, where he recorded an interception, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, 29 tackles and nine pass breakups. In addition, Freddie Johnson, Elijah Clark and Kimere Brown, who is returning from an injury that cost him the 2019 season, all project as valuable depth pieces.

Navy has completed 19 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns in its three games this season. The Mids are averaging 17.2 yards per catch, which is the second-best average in the country. Still, they’re 41st in passing efficiency and are 72nd in scoring. That's a reflection of their starting quarterback playing one productive half of football.

Temple’s safeties are led by Amir Tyler, who earned single-digit honors at the beginning of camp. Finally seeing a majority of snaps on defense, he recorded 54 tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and seven pass breakups. Playing next to Tyler at the “field” safety position will be Jalen Ware, who transferred from Mississippi’s Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Behind Tyler and Ware, M.J. Griffin, Chauncey Moore, Trey Blair and Alex Odom have all been mentioned by Temple’s coaching staff as players who could see time in the backend of Temple’s secondary.

Extra Points: Anthony Russo needs one more touchdown pass to move into sole possession of fourth place for all-time career passing touchdowns. … Saturday will mark the first time Temple coach Rod Carey will face Navy. He previously coached against Army as NIU‘s OC in 2012.... Temple is currently on a three-game winning streak against Navy, the streak started back in 2016 when they defeated the Midshipmen 34-10 in that season’s American Athletic Conference championship game.

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