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Kamal Gray learns on the fly as Temple's new starting QB

When Kamal Gray woke up early Saturday morning, he was getting ready to head down for breakfast at the team hotel.

That’s when he got a call to let him know he may want to get downstairs a few minutes earlier.

The true freshman walk-on was preparing to back up Matt Duncan against ECU at Lincoln Financial Field. And while he received snaps with the second-team offense leading up to Saturday’s game, he never had any inkling that he’d have to assume the starting role.

This time last season, Gray was quarterbacking Pope John Paul II High School, where he threw for 2,744 yards with 38 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Gray received FCS offers from Valparaiso and VMI but elected to take his chances as a preferred walk-on at Temple.

Gray came downstairs and met with Temple head coach Rod Carey, offensive coordinator Mike Uremovich and quarterbacks coach Craig Harmon in an empty room. The trio of coaches informed Gray he would be starting.

It was 8:40 a.m.

Gray went through all the plays with his coaches, asked any questions he had and walked through all his reads. Then he headed to the team’s walkthrough.

“I spent most of the week preparing, learning the plays, learning all the reads,” Gray said regarding his comfort level with the offense following Saturday’s 28-3 loss. “It was just a matter of seeing it live for the first time. Overall, I think I made do with what I could.”

Gray finished 10 of 21 passing for 95 yards and threw two interceptions, including one into the end zone into double coverage that was intended for wide receiver Branden Mack. He did complete a 30-yard pass to tight end David Martin-Robinson on one of his best throws of the day.

So how did it get to the point where Gray, who started the season as the Owls' fifth-string quarterback, was suddenly thrust into action Saturday?

Starter Anthony Russo had missed the Tulane and SMU games with an injury to his right throwing shoulder before missing last week's game at UCF due to being in the team's COVID protocol. Backup Trad Beatty has been out since sustaining an injury in the SMU loss that will leave him out for the rest of the season, and third-stringer Re-al Mitchell sustained a season-ending knee injury at UCF.

Carey knew late Friday night that his team would be without Duncan. The true freshman quarterback from Summerville, South Carolina was officially suspended indefinitely on Saturday morning for violating team rules.

In turn, Temple’s coaching staff stayed up most of the night developing a game plan for Gray. The Owls were forced to turn to quarterback No. 5, not unfamiliar territory for Carey, who was forced to play his fifth-string quarterback at Northern Illinois in 2015.

Still a less-than-ideal situation, nonetheless.

That left the Owls with Gray and Mack,, who entered this week as the team’s emergency quarterback. Mack played some snaps at quarterback during his days at Cheltenham High School, but besides trick plays that saw him throwing passes, he hadn’t actually been under center in more than four years.

Even with Gray set to start on four hours’ notice, the game almost wasn’t played.

An unspecified Temple player was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, so kickoff was delayed until the player could be rushed back to campus to receive a rapid antigen test. After he tested positive, the Owls announced that five players would be added to the team’s COVID protocol just before kickoff, forcing their absence because of contact tracing with the unidentified player.

Gray looked calm and collected, but Carey played it off as the quarterback “putting up a good front.” Gray did show off sizable arm strength and the moment never appeared too big for him.

For Gray, he imagined this moment his whole life. It was a little different without fans, but for him, it was just another football game.

“I think he did pretty good,” Mack said. “He went out there, he executed. He had two turnovers. That’s OK. But he’s just learning. That’s young guys learning. He’s gonna learn from his mistakes, he’s going to get in the film room, Coach Harmon is going to teach him right from wrong. I think he did pretty good. He didn’t mess up that much.

Gray looked and played like a true freshman who hasn’t had a lot of time to familiarize himself with the offense and it showed. Gray showed some flashes, whether it was stepping up in the pocket and buying time or connecting with Martin-Robinson on the 30-yard completion.

What set back Gray was his decision making. His first interception was a floating fade ball in the direction of Mack, which stood no chance. It was picked off in the end zone by Pirates’ sophomore defensive back Shawn Dourseau, effectively ending any of Temple’s offensive momentum.

Entering the second half, Gray was replaced for two series by Mack before re-entering the game. Mack went 0-for-2 passing, while employing more of a zone read look, rushing for 24 yards on four carries.

“Just to calm down Kamal,” Carey said regarding the decision to sit Gray to start the second half. “I think that it let him see the game and Branden brings a little different element that we didn’t have with Kamal, so that was it.”

Gray can’t be faulted on his second interception, which came with just over eight minutes left in a game that was already decided. Gray tried fitting a tight-window pass to fellow walk-on Willie Erdman, who didn’t fight through his route. The pass was intercepted by ECU senior linebacker Bruce Bivens, who had tight coverage on the former Georgia receiver.

Despite the outcome being what it was, Temple rallied around Gray and put together a commendable effort.

“I’m sure as a freshman, he was kind of nervous going in. I know when I was a freshman I was nervous as all get out,” defensive tackle Dan Archibong said. “But just hearing from the guys that we got your back and whatever happens we’re going to support you goes a long way for a quarterback, especially a young quarterback. I’m sure all the pressure was on him and he was feeling that but I think he did a good job.”

Carey said Tuesday that he's not too optimistic that Russo will be able to start Saturday in the season finale against No. 7 Cincinnati after returning from COVID protocol. If he can't go, Gray will start again.

This week, he'll have more time to prepare.

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