Coach Geoff Collins allowed for another All Access Media Day, where reporters were permitted to sit in on team meetings and watch all of practice with little restrictions.
The caveat was that reporters were not allowed to report "live" updates throughout the day, so I'll do my best to summarize what I saw in this post.
Collins met with the group of four reporters (including myself) who were on hand in his office at around 7:30 a.m., following a full staff meeting, which was closed to reporters. He went over the practice schedule, which was planned to go two hours but stretched for nearly three hours. The Owls had a total of 16 practice periods -- each went for roughly 10 minutes apiece -- and included individual and situational (third-and-long, red zone, etc.) drills.
After our brief meeting with Collins, we sat in on a meeting with the entire offense, led by coordinator Dave Patenaude. He mentioned some of the players who are considered to be playing up to Temple's "standard" in a PowerPoint presentation. Some of the names that came up include quarterbacks Anthony Russo, Frank Nutile and Trad Beatty, as well as receivers Randle Jones, Branden Mack and Isaiah Wright. He later mentioned true freshmen in particular and brought up receivers David Martin-Robinson and Jordan Smith. To conclude the meeting, Patenaude told his players, "Don't let South Florida, Central Florida, or whoever, get better today." It's worth noting that UCF and USF were picked to finish ahead of Temple in The American's preseason media poll.
The room then cleared out with the exception of the offensive line, which held a meeting led by position coach Chris Wiesehan. The offensive line meeting first consisted of a film session in which Wiesehan quizzed his players, especially true freshmen and redshirt freshmen, on which call to make in certain situations. Wiesehan also reviewed the current depth chart, which read as follows: LT Isaac Moore, LG Jovahn Fair, C Matt Hennessy, RG James McHale, RT Jaelin Robinson. Redshirt-sophomore Vince Picozzi, a projected starter at guard, was in uniform but did not receive reps. Wiesehan told reporters after practice that Picozzi will be OK. It was a mild surprise to see Moore, a true freshman from Sweden who enrolled in January, with the first-team offense.
And then came Temple's full team meeting, which was led off by tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Ed Foley, who danced as former Owls walk-on center Gordon Thomas blasted "Wifi Lit" off Future's new album throughout the meeting room. Foley displayed a special teams depth chart, which listed redshirt-freshman Connor Bowler as the No. 1 punter, while junior Aaron Boumerhi was listed as the top placekicker. Collins, with a Diet Mountain Dew in hand, addressed the team after Foley, and he informed his players that the special teams depth chart will begin to take shape as early as Monday. "If you want to play, you better go ball the ---- out," Collins said.
When Temple hit the practice field, reporters had free reign to go anywhere on the turf as long as it did not interfere with the coaches or players. Toward the midway point of practice, Collins told a Temple staff member, "Man, B-Mack is on fire today," referring to redshirt-sophomore receiver Branden Mack. Frank Nutile made his fair share of mistakes and threw up an interception to linebacker Sam Franklin, who returned it for a touchdown. Cornerback Linwood Crump also picked off Nutile.
I did not see Tyliek Raynor on the practice field today, but I ran into him inside the practice facility and he seemed to be limping badly. Patenaude pulled up a clip of Raynor breaking out for an 80-yard touchdown run in a practice. We saw Raynor break out for a 10-yard-plus run in the 20-minute open portion of Tuesday's practice. He has been plagued by injuries since he broke his foot late in his senior season at Imhotep. Collins was not available to reporters for post-practice questions, but I will be sure to check in on this when Temple's coach addresses the media this Saturday, when the Owls will travel to Lower Cape May High School for a practice. The team will sign autographs on the Wildwood boardwalk at 1 p.m. Stayed tuned to OwlScoop.com for more preseason camp coverage.
The caveat was that reporters were not allowed to report "live" updates throughout the day, so I'll do my best to summarize what I saw in this post.
Collins met with the group of four reporters (including myself) who were on hand in his office at around 7:30 a.m., following a full staff meeting, which was closed to reporters. He went over the practice schedule, which was planned to go two hours but stretched for nearly three hours. The Owls had a total of 16 practice periods -- each went for roughly 10 minutes apiece -- and included individual and situational (third-and-long, red zone, etc.) drills.
After our brief meeting with Collins, we sat in on a meeting with the entire offense, led by coordinator Dave Patenaude. He mentioned some of the players who are considered to be playing up to Temple's "standard" in a PowerPoint presentation. Some of the names that came up include quarterbacks Anthony Russo, Frank Nutile and Trad Beatty, as well as receivers Randle Jones, Branden Mack and Isaiah Wright. He later mentioned true freshmen in particular and brought up receivers David Martin-Robinson and Jordan Smith. To conclude the meeting, Patenaude told his players, "Don't let South Florida, Central Florida, or whoever, get better today." It's worth noting that UCF and USF were picked to finish ahead of Temple in The American's preseason media poll.
The room then cleared out with the exception of the offensive line, which held a meeting led by position coach Chris Wiesehan. The offensive line meeting first consisted of a film session in which Wiesehan quizzed his players, especially true freshmen and redshirt freshmen, on which call to make in certain situations. Wiesehan also reviewed the current depth chart, which read as follows: LT Isaac Moore, LG Jovahn Fair, C Matt Hennessy, RG James McHale, RT Jaelin Robinson. Redshirt-sophomore Vince Picozzi, a projected starter at guard, was in uniform but did not receive reps. Wiesehan told reporters after practice that Picozzi will be OK. It was a mild surprise to see Moore, a true freshman from Sweden who enrolled in January, with the first-team offense.
And then came Temple's full team meeting, which was led off by tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Ed Foley, who danced as former Owls walk-on center Gordon Thomas blasted "Wifi Lit" off Future's new album throughout the meeting room. Foley displayed a special teams depth chart, which listed redshirt-freshman Connor Bowler as the No. 1 punter, while junior Aaron Boumerhi was listed as the top placekicker. Collins, with a Diet Mountain Dew in hand, addressed the team after Foley, and he informed his players that the special teams depth chart will begin to take shape as early as Monday. "If you want to play, you better go ball the ---- out," Collins said.
When Temple hit the practice field, reporters had free reign to go anywhere on the turf as long as it did not interfere with the coaches or players. Toward the midway point of practice, Collins told a Temple staff member, "Man, B-Mack is on fire today," referring to redshirt-sophomore receiver Branden Mack. Frank Nutile made his fair share of mistakes and threw up an interception to linebacker Sam Franklin, who returned it for a touchdown. Cornerback Linwood Crump also picked off Nutile.
I did not see Tyliek Raynor on the practice field today, but I ran into him inside the practice facility and he seemed to be limping badly. Patenaude pulled up a clip of Raynor breaking out for an 80-yard touchdown run in a practice. We saw Raynor break out for a 10-yard-plus run in the 20-minute open portion of Tuesday's practice. He has been plagued by injuries since he broke his foot late in his senior season at Imhotep. Collins was not available to reporters for post-practice questions, but I will be sure to check in on this when Temple's coach addresses the media this Saturday, when the Owls will travel to Lower Cape May High School for a practice. The team will sign autographs on the Wildwood boardwalk at 1 p.m. Stayed tuned to OwlScoop.com for more preseason camp coverage.
