Kyle Williams, Tywan Francis among standouts in Cherry and White game
Temple held its annual Cherry and White game at the Edberg-Olson Football Complex Saturday afternoon, allowing coaches and fans to see how incoming players look and how returning players have progressed since the end of last season.
In an intrasquad scrimmage where the score wasn’t really the important thing, the offense defeated the defense, 65-28. In addition to the traditional scoring methods, the defense was able to earn points for things like sacks (two points), three and outs (one point), fourth-down or two-point-conversion stops (three points) and turnovers (three points.) The offense earned an extra three points for explosive plays (runs of 12-plus yards and completed throws of 18-plus yards.)
Sixteen Owls were inactive Saturday, as Temple was banged up all spring long, a reason head coach Stan Drayton gave as to why he would never vote in favor of replacing spring games with scrimmages with other FBS programs.
Listen to all of Saturday's postgame interviews here.
The following players did not play Saturday.:
Offense: OL James Faminu, OL Jimto Obidegwu, OL Wisdom Quarshie, OL Richard Rodriguez, OL Victor Stoffel, OL Bryce Thoman, TE Jordan Smith and WR Ian Stewart.
Defense: DL Joseph Appiah Darkwa, DL Jerquavion Mahone, CB Kaleb Barnett, CB Elijah Clark, CB Daiyaan Hawkins, LB Jacob Hollins, S Muheem McCargo and EDGE Tra Thomas.
The day began with position drills, followed by 7-on-7s. After those drills, the team went through in-game scenarios, including 2-minute drills, red zone drills and a full live scrimmage.
As is typically the case, Temple used a limited playbook during the spring game, valuing reps and health more than anything. Despite the limitations, several Owls stood out from the rest.
Tywan Francis
Redshirt-senior safety Tywan Francis filled running lanes, had solid coverage, and made plays off the edge.
Although the Colorado State transfer is listed as a safety, he played most of his snaps as the nickel cornerback.
Francis came downhill often, making plays in the backfield. His fluidity in coverage resulted in a team-high two pass breakups.
Kyle Williams
Coming into the spring, Temple’s running back room was looking for a player who could rejuvenate a position group that produced the third-worst FBS rushing offense last season. Freshman running back Kyle Williams showed Saturday that he might have the ability to do that.
The Harrisburg High School product led Temple’s running backs in snaps and made the best of his opportunities.
“You definitely see the elusiveness,” sophomore quarterback E.J. Warner said. “His quickness and his ability to go outside, go inside, stuff like that. He’s a really talented kid.”
Williams’ footwork and vision allowed him to find open holes his offensive line created. He used his explosiveness to get through those holes and finished his runs with power, falling forward after tackles to tally 47 yards on five carries.
He didn’t lack in the receiving game either. Williams ran swing routes that, when targeted, he caught cleanly, and showed some run-after-the-catch ability by getting directly up the field.
Jacob Porter
Redshirt-freshman outside linebacker Jacob Porter, son of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter and younger brother of former Penn State star and likely first-round NFL Draft pick Joey Porter Jr., flashed on the defensive line.
Early in the scrimmage, Porter looked unblockable. There was a three-play stretch where Porter was able to cause disruptions in the backfield.
When Porter was in the game, he set hard edges on running plays and harassed quarterbacks on passing plays.
Tight end group
Temple’s tight end depth shined on Saturday, as the unit continued to find its sweet spots in zone coverage, tallying six receptions for 62 yards. Landon Morris, who will most likely have to sit out the upcoming season after transferring from Utah, caught a scoring pass from Warner for the first touchdown of the day.
In the run game, they sealed defenders and created lanes for the running backs.
Each player brought something different, but they looked like the deepest unit on the roster.
Big plays
Freshman quarterback Tyler Douglas, a midyear enrollee from New Jersey’s Ocean Township High School, evaded Lancine Turay and threw a long touchdown pass to redshirt-junior wide receiver Shekuna Kamara.
During two-minute drills, offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf’s unit ran a hook-and-ladder. Warner completed a pass to redshirt-freshman wide receiver John Adams, who then pitched it to redshirt-senior Amad Anderson Jr. for a long gain.
During red zone drills, redshirt-sophomore running back Darvon Hubbard took a pitch and completed a pass to a contested Anderson for a touchdown.
Redshirt-senior quarterback Quincy Patterson escaped the pass rush to his left, set his feet, and completed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Adams.
Up next
Temple now heads into a period where the transfer portal will once again open up, and the Owls will look to fill any remaining holes they may have.
Drayton mentioned the team needing another quarterback for depth purposes after Saturday's game.
The Owls also have another 20 freshmen joining them in the summer as the Owls go through fall camp and prepare for the 2023 season.