Temple University Athletics
2023 Media Day & Fall Practice Blog
8.25.23 | Football
With Temple Football's 2023 season opener just around the corner, the Owls hosted their annual media day on Tuesday, August 1, followed by the first day of fall practice on Aug. 2. Temple is less than one month away from its first game of the 2023 season, a home matchup against Akron on Sept. 2.
OwlSports.com will post a daily blog along with video of the players and/or coaches made available to the media on such days. Please come back throughout August to keep up with your Temple Owls.
Wednesday, August 2
The Owls opened up fall camp today, the first fall action in helmets.
Graduate cornerback Elijah Clark recorded a pass break up in passing drills, batting down a deep ball on the right side of the field. Wide receiver John Adams ended the drill with a nifty sideline catch from 20 yards out. In seven-on-seven drills, quarterback E.J. Warner connected with wide receiver D'Wan Mathis for a 20-yard catch on the right side. Linebacker Yvandy Rigby capitalized on a tipped pass, hauling in an interception for the defensive unit.
The play of the day came on a 25-yard dime from Warner to freshman wide receiver Zyheem Coleman-Frazier along the right side of the field.
After seeing that a few mistakes occurred at the tail end of practice, Coach Drayton emphasized the importance of treating the final segments of practice with the full intensity of the fourth quarter of an actual game.
Thursday, August 3
Junior cornerback Dominick Hill, looking poised to make an impact in his second full season with the Owls, broke into the backfield to stop two screens during today's first 11-on-11 drill. After an even back-and-forth between both units, the defense recorded two pass breakups to conclude the drill. Sophomore safety Shamar Williams recorded a play worthy of SportsCenter Top 10, leaping up for an attempted one-handed interception that ultimately fell to the ground at the conclusion of the play.
Freshman tight end Peter Clarke settled into a rhythm during seven-on-seven drills, hauling in consecutive passes from quarterback E.J. Warner for 10 and 15 yards. Later in the drill, quarterback Quincy Patterson completed another 15-yard pass to Clarke on the left side of the field.
The play of the day came from outside linebacker Tra Thomas, who broke into the backfield during 11-on-11 drills to force a fumble.
Following practice, Coach Drayton continued to emphasize finishing practices with maximum effort in order to emulate making crucial plays late in games this season.
Friday, August 4
The Owls took the field in pads today, embracing a light rain that served as a changeup from the summer heat.
Both sides of the ball maintained a high energy during 11-on-11 drills, with both the offense and defense capitalizing on a number of big plays.
Temple's running backs had a productive day across the board. Edward Saydee broke loose for a 20-yard run to the left side during 11-on-11 drills.
On defense, both Darrell Sweeting and Elijah Clark hauled in interceptions on the day. Safety Alex Odom broke into the backfield on an end-around for a tackle for loss.
E.J. Warner found a good rhythm during 11-on-11 drills, connecting with numerous wide receivers on the roster. Wide receivers Zae Baines, Xavier Irvin, and Dante Wright all hauled in deep balls from Warner, while Richard Dandridge was on the receiving end of a deep throw from Quincy Patterson.
The defensive play of the day came during 11-on-11 drills, as freshman Kaleb Barnett leaped for an empathic pass break up on a wide receiver screen. Peter Clarke made the offensive play of the day, snagging a 50/50 ball for a 15-yard completion during seven-on-seven drills.
Saturday, August 5
The players were given an off day as head coach Stan Drayton and Temple Vice President and Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson led a contingent of more than 60 donors and former teammates of Joe Klecko to Canton, Ohio, for the enshrinement of the former Owl into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Practices will resume tomorrow.
Sunday, August 6
After an off day, the team got off to a lackluster start but was quickly inspired by Coach Drayton. Drayton snapped them back into focus turning up the intensity with an 11-on-11, move the ball period.
Overall, the practice was physical with a heavy dose of inside runs and short yardage passes. Running backs Edward Saydee, Darvon Hubbard, and E.J. Wilson, along with quarterbacks E.J. Warner and Tyler Douglas, all had runs that gained chunks of yardage.
The defense had its moments as well, with a sack by safety Tywan Francis, an interception by safety Zyil Powell, and pass breakups from cornerbacks Ben Osueke and Darrell Sweeting.
The play of the day, however, came from wide receiver Elias Collins who hauled in a 30-yard over the shoulder pass from Douglas.
Monday, August 7
The Owls hit the field Monday on an overcast morning, looking to set a high energy level from the jump. Head coach Stan Drayton noted in his post-practice interviews that the team started off drills much more organized and cohesive than the previous day.
In the opening 11-on-11 drills, Temple's running backs flashed several plays. Redshirt-sophomore running back Darvon Hubbard took an inside run to the left side and broke through the defense for a huge gain. The Owls were stout overall on defense in the early team drills, batting down several passes at the line and recording a handful of pass break ups.
During redzone drills, the offense and defense exchanged a series of big plays. Junior safety Brenyen Scott recorded an interception off a deflected pass. Senior quarterback Quincy Patterson recorded three touchdown throws during the drill, spreading the love to several receivers.
The play of the day came in 11-on-11 drills, when Patterson connected with Amad Anderson Jr. on a 30-yard pass along the right side of the field.
Tuesday, August 8
Temple started off the day with precision on offense in one-on-one drills. Juniors Dante Wright and D'Wan Mathis both hauled in deep passes from quarterback Quincy Patterson during the drill.
Running back Edward Saydee made several polished runs during the practice, with his best play occurring during 11-on-11 drills. The junior took an inside run, made several jukes, and broke loose on the left side for a big gain.
The Owls looked stout on defense throughout the day, as Sam Martin Jr. recorded an interception off a tipped pass during 11-on-11 drills.
The play of the day came during redzone drills, when cornerback Darrell Sweeting made an interception in the back of the endzone. Just one play later, linebacker Corey Yeoman recovered a fumble off a backwards pass. The defense got into a good rhythm, stopping the ensuing two running plays. Sophomore quarterback E.J. Warner got the last laugh in the drill, connecting on a touchdown to Wright near the back of the endzone on the final play of practice.
Thursday, August 10
The Owls once again weathered a rainy morning practice, which played to the defense's advantage. The bulk of the first half of practice consisted of passing-focused drills for both the offense and defense. Temple's defense put together arguably its strongest day of camp, holding both the first- and second-team offenses to one-for-four in redzone drills.
In 11-on-11 drills, the defensive unit stopped several runs for minimal gains or loss of yardage. Graduate linebacker Jordan Magee recovered a fumble followed by an end-around stopped for a loss of yards. Freshman running back Joquez Smith ended the drill by breaking loose for a huge gain on the right side of the field.
The offensive play of the day came in redzone drills, when graduate quarterback Quincy Patterson rolled outside the pocket and connected with junior running back E.J. Wilson for a sliding touchdown catch. The defensive play of the day was a tackle for loss by junior safety Brenyen Scott in 11-on-11 drills, drawing praise from his teammates on the defensive side of the field.
Friday, August 11
With a live scrimmage scheduled for tomorrow and the looming season just three weeks away, the Owls looked to sharpen the iron in today's practice. Each side of the ball, aiming to get game ready.
This improvement was evident in the live drills. Linebacker D.J. Woodbury used a good read and positioning to make an interception in the open field on the first play of the team drill. Staying up the middle of the field, tight end Jordan Smith made an incredible one-handed catch for a gain of 30-yards.
The red zone portion of practice, however, drew the most excitement. Both the offense and the defense exchanged blows. Running back Edward Saydee broke free for a 15-yard touchdown, staying behind excellent blocking from his offensive linemen. Quarterback Patrick Keller squeezed a tight throw to D'Wan Mathis for a back of the endzone touchdown. Cornerback Daiyaan Hawkins got one back for the defense, however, with an interception in the endzone.
The play of the day came from wide receiver John Adams who caught a 35-yard touchdown over a defender off the hand of quarterback Forrest Brock.
The team will look to continue these explosive plays in tomorrow's scrimmage as players keep sharpening each others tools.
Saturday, August 12
Today marked the summer's first scrimmage and the intent was to establish depth on the roster with many frontline players being held out.
The defense set the tone with a three-and-out on the first series and overall had a great day with five takeaways including interceptions by safeties Tywan Francis and Alex Odom and linebacker D.J. Woodbury. There was good balance, however, as the offense had their own moments throughout the day.
After that early three-and-out, the offense struck back with a 10-play, 65-yard drive that was capped by running back E.J. Wilson's two-yard touchdown plunge. During that same move the ball session, quarterback Tyler Douglas scored on a 31-yard scramble. That drive was sandwiched between two outstanding defensive possessions.
The first one stalled when safety Kamar Wilcoxson stuffed a tight end screen on second down, followed by a team sack, and a 4th-and-5 failed pass attempt. The later one starred defensive lineman Lancine Turay. He recorded a sack on the drive's first play, and on third down broke into the backfield for a TFL on a draw play.
During the session with the offense pinned to its goal-line, the offense was able to find ways to gain good field position. Big plays were made by tight end James Della Pesca (a 27-yard pass from Quincy Patterson), running back Qwentin Rose (40-yard gain off a screen pass), wide receiver Amad Anderson Jr. (15-yard catch from Patterson) and running back Kyle Williams (25-yard burst).
Conversely, the defense played well with its back against the wall. During the Red Zone session, the defense saw big plays made by safety Alex Odom (interception in the end zone) and Layton Jordan (sack and PBU) to thwart a few possessions.
Tomorrow will be an off day for the team and they will resume practice on Monday.
Monday, August 14
The Owls hit the field Monday with an early emphasis on team and situational drills, in addition to a heavy dose of special teams work.
Temple's defense was sharp in 11-on-11 drills, recording several pass breakups and a consistent showing of tight coverage. Cornerback Ben Osueke had a strong pass breakup that brought on applause from his defensive teammates.
The offense recorded several exceptional plays, including a 35-yard dime from quarterback Quincy Patterson to tight end Reese Clark. Later in 11-on-11 drills, tight end David Martin-Robinson dove for a 30-yard catch down the middle of the field from quarterback E.J. Warner.
The play of the day came on a sideline route to wide receiver Elias Collins, who hauled in a 35-yard, one-armed catch from Warner.
Tuesday, August 15
Temple took to the practice field on a hot August morning today with a heavy emphasis on in-game scenarios, with referees present for team drills.
The Owls were sharp overall on defense during the back half of 11-on-11 drills. The defensive unit recorded a handful sacks, several pass breakups and forced a fumbled that was recovered by the defense.
Safety Alex Odom broke in his new single-digit jersey and made the play of the day with an interception on the right side of the field during seven-on-seven drills. Cornerback Ben Osueke and linebacker Corey Yeoman both came up just short of interceptions during the drill.
During special teams work, the Owls showed fire on both returning and covering punts. Offensively, Temple conducted a run-heavy load of offensive plays that saw several of the team's running backs made solid runs during 11-on-11 drills.
Wednesday, August 16
The Owls allotted several sessions in today's practice toward special teams walkthroughs and drills, both at the beginning and back end of practice.
Running back Edward Saydee had a productive day, breaking off several solid runs during 11-on-11 drills and scoring a touchdown during the team's redzone drill. The new single-digit player recorded the play of the day in seven-on-seven drills, hauling in a tiptoe catch along the right sideline on a throw from freshman quarterback Tyler Douglas.
The offense got off to a fast start in 11-on-11 drills, as quarterback Quincy Patterson connected with wide receiver John Adams from 25 yards out for a touchdown. On the ensuing play, running back Darvon Hubbard broke a big run to the outside on the right sideline. Patterson later connected with tight end David Martin-Robinson on a dime across the middle of the field for 25 yards.
Temple's defense held strong during redzone drills, batting down a pass and forcing a holding on the final play of the session. In 11-on-11 drills, the Owls recovered a fumble on the line and batted down two passes.
Friday, August 18
In the first session of team drills, linebacker Corey Yeoman recovered a fumble that ignited the defensive sideline.
Temple spent a significant portion of practice focusing on special teams drills, including kickoffs, punt returns and field goal attempts. Senior kicker Camden Price was sharp during the field goal drill, recording the play of the day with a 55-yard field goal with plenty of distance.
In seven-on-seven drills, wide receiver Dante Wright recorded a slick tiptoe catch along the right sideline.
In 11-on-11 drills, Temple's defensive coverage in the secondary was strong. The Owls recorded several pass breakups and incompletions, as well as converging on receivers to limit any big gains.
The Owls are set to return to the field on Saturday for a scrimmage.
Saturday, August 19
The Owls took the field at Edberg-Olson Hall for an intrasquad scrimmage between the offense and defense on Saturday. Temple is just 14 days away from its season opener against Akron on Sept. 2.
Early on, both sides of the ball had high energy and were itching for game action. Safety Sam Martin Jr. set the tone by flying in on a screen pass and making a big hit in the backfield.
In the first half of the scrimmage, the offense play of the day came on a 65-yard touchdown connection between quarterback E.J. Warner and wide receiver John Adams. Warner threw a deep ball 35 yards down the right side line and Adams took care of the rest.
The defense responded with their own play of the day, as linebacker Yvandy Rigby snagged an interception. Toward the end of the first half, linebacker Corey Yeoman came up with an interception off a deflected pass. The offense bounced back on the very next play with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Warner to tight end Reese Clark.
Temple's defense was solid overall in the second half, forcing a safety and fumble while the offense started with their backs against the goal line. Quarterback Tyler Douglas ended the drill with a completion to Zyheem Coleman-Frazier that pushed the offense toward midfield.
In the two-minute drill, wide receiver Xavier Irvin took a screen from Warner 60 yards to the house. The defense stopped the two-point conversion and ended the scrimmage with an interception by safety Zyil Powell.
Monday, August 21
With under two weeks remaining until Temple's season opener against Akron on Sept. 2, the Owls took the field for another hot August practice.
In seven-on-seven drills, quarterback E.J. Warner got into a rhythm making three straight completions, two of which were to wide receiver Amad Anderson Jr.
The play of the day came during 11-on-11 drills, when Warner connected with John Adams for a 65-yard touchdown down the middle of the field. Temple's defense stepped up late in the 11-on-11 drill, recording a sack and consecutive pass breakups.
Tuesday, August 22
Temple took the practice field at Edberg-Olson Hall on Tuesday, continuing to simulate a game week in preparation for the season opener against Akron.
In seven-on-seven drills, quarterback Forrest Brock connected with running back Darvon Hubbard for the play of the day. Hubbard extended along the right sideline to make a tiptoe catch inbounds, reeling in 20 yards for the offense. On the next play, Brock completed a deep ball down the middle of the field to wide receiver Elias Collins for 40 yards. Linebacker Yvandy Rigby closed out the seven-on-seven drill with an interception over the middle of the field.
Brock found Collins once again in redzone drills, this time for a touchdown completion across the middle of the endzone. Quarterback Quincy Patterson also scored on a scramble on the left side.
Temple's defense closed out the day on a strong note, recording two interceptions in the final set of 11-on-11 drills. Cornerback Daiyaan Hawkins and safety Tywan Francis both snagged passes during the final session of Tuesday's practice.
Wednesday, August 23
Temple's running backs collectively had a strong day, with several players in the group breaking loose for big runs. In the slate of 11-on-11 drills, running back Edward Saydee broke loose in the middle of the field for a big chunk of yardage. Running backs Kyle Williams and Joquez Smith each recorded quality runs during today's team drills. On defense, safety Alex Odom recorded an interception off a tipped pass during the first 11-on-11 session of the day.
The play of the day came during 11-on-11 drills, when wide receiver Xavier Irvin leaped up for a 40-yard reception down the middle of the field while being heavily covered by the secondary. The throw came from quarterback E.J. Warner, who made several deep connections with receivers on the day, including a 55-yard touchdown across the middle of the field to wide receiver Amad Anderson Jr.
In seven-on-seven drills, Temple's defense came up with a fumble recovery. During the drill, Williams found the endzone on a 35-yard strike from quarterback Tyler Douglas.
Thursday, August 24
A modest rain in North Philadelphia this morning did not hinder the Temple Football team from continuing to ramp up toward Week 1 against Akron on Sept. 2.
The Owls conducted a pre-planned walkthrough to begin simulating a standard game week. Up next, Temple will close out its fall camp on Friday before operating a walkthrough at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday. Tomorrow's practice will include the final fall camp practice blog.
Friday, August 25
The Owls closed out their 2023 fall camp with a high-energy practice under a rainy sky at Edberg-Olson Hall.
In the team's opening 11-on-11 drill, running back Joquez Smith broke loose on the right side of the field off a screen pass from quarterback Quincy Patterson.
Temple's offense looked sharp in redzone drills, led by a strong day in the session from E.J. Warner.
The play of the day came in one-on-one drills, when wide receiver Cole Sprague hauled in a contested pass along the right sideline for a large gain.
Upon concluding fall camp, the Owls will head to Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday for a gameday walkthrough and begin game week ahead of the team's season opener against Akron on Sept. 2.
