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Offense flips the script in Temple’s first preseason scrimmage
- Temple's offense produced four touchdowns, two field goals and 479 yards over 83 plays in the first preseason scrimmage after the defense had controlled most of the opening 10 camp practices.
- Jaxon Smolik worked exclusively with the first-team offense and finished 13 of 26 for 171 yards with one touchdown and an interception; Ajani Sheppard led the second-team offense and went 12 of 16 for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
- Freshman WR Coen Logan caught four passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, including a 48-yard score from Sheppard.
- Cornerback Denzel Chavis was Temple's defensive standout with an interception and three pass breakups, while nose tackle Lamar Fairfax forced a fumble that the offense recovered.
- Temple used 47 passes and 18 quarterback runs against only 18 running-back carries as it emphasized the quarterback battle; top RB Sam Brown was limited to three carries over eight snaps.
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Walker talks QB race, highs and lows from Saturday’s scrimmage
- Temple's starting-quarterback competition remained unsettled after the second scrimmage: Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard continued splitting first-team periods, and the staff was considering using both early in the season.
- Keveun Mason opened the scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown, but Temple's offense finished 82 plays with 402 yards and only one additional touchdown.
- Sheppard completed 25 of 35 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns across Temple's two scrimmages, showing markedly better efficiency than he did in spring work.
- The offense still needed to improve ball security and pre-snap operation after penalties and quarterback-caused sacks surfaced in the second scrimmage.
- RB Sam Brown was considered available despite limited work, but right tackle Kevin Terry was banged up and Luke Watson remained sidelined by a knee injury, leaving Zach Aamland to take right-tackle reps.
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Mason’s run highlights block party in Temple’s second scrimmage
- Keveun Mason scored on a 75-yard run on the opening play of Temple's second scrimmage, but the offense produced only one more touchdown over the remaining 82 plays.
- Ajani Sheppard completed 13 of 19 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, while Jaxon Smolik went 9 of 16 for 77 yards; the two quarterbacks split work behind the first-team line after Smolik took all first-team reps in the first scrimmage.
- Temple's defense improved after allowing four touchdowns in the first scrimmage, with Jaylon Joseph, Kevin Hornbeak and JaMair Diaz recording sacks and Joseph also batting down a pass.
- Kicker Carl Hardin made from 55 yards, but Temple had two field-goal attempts blocked, including Hardin's 57-yard try and Luke Cochrane's 37-yard attempt.
- Sam Brown, Rameir Hardy, Reis Stocksdale, Luke Watson, Jayvant Brown and Jett White were held out; Watson was the only player in that group expected to remain sidelined for an extended period.
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