Growing pains shape the future for Anthony Russo, Temple football

Temple’s hot streak came to an end last week at Boston College despite a valiant comeback effort late in the fourth quarter, but at least redshirt quarterback Anthony Russo showcased glimpses of greatness.

With the score 21-13 midway through the second quarter this past weekend against Boston College, Temple football seemed poised to pick up another big win on the road. Coming off of a drive that featured five completed passes from quarterback Anthony Russo and topped off by a Ryquell Armstead touchdown run, the Temple defense forced a three-and-out as the Owls prepared to pull away.

Their drive began with back-to-back completions by Russo. On first-and-10 from their own 49-yard line, Russo rocketed a borderline catchable six-yard ball slightly behind Freddie Johnson and Boston College pounced on the interception.

After a quick 52-yard AJ Dillon touchdown run, the offense was back on the field. In the blink of an eye, Russo forced another pass into tight coverage that resulted in another Boston College interception and Dillon was in the end zone for another score.

It was that kind of game for the Owls and Russo’s two interceptions and fumble on a sack leaves many Temple diehards wondering: “Is this really the kid we want to trust with our future?”

The answer is, yes. Entering this week’s matchup against East Carolina at Lincoln Financial Field, coach Geoff Collins officially named Russo the starter once again. It’s about time.

Russo’s stat line in his first three appearances is less than stellar. He sports a passer rating of less than 50 percent and his five interceptions stand out significantly more than his mere one touchdown. It may be easy to look at his numbers and call it a day for the short-lived Russo era, but the numbers don’t always tell the full story.

Russo showcased promising arm strength in several deep balls downfield in the past three games, including a 47-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Yeboah in the Maryland game, a 41-yard completion to Randle Jones in the Tulsa game, and a 35-yard bomb to Isaiah Wright against BC.

In addition to impressive arm strength, Russo proved more than capable of taking control in crucial moments down the stretch. He connected with Wright for a 30-yd completion on 4th-and-5 that set the Armstead up for a one-yard touchdown run to bring the game to within 10 late in the third quarter.

With Temple down 10, Russo led the Owls on a 14-play, 83-yard drive that lasted just over five minutes. During the drive, he completed four passes for 32 yards and delivered a beautiful ball to Branden Mack, who drew a pass interference penalty that led to another Armstrong touchdown run and put Temple within a field goal of the previously ranked Boston College squad.

Though he fell short of leading the Owls to an incredible comeback, Russo competed yet another big game atmosphere and is sure to pocket that experience for future reference. Looking forward, the Owls face several tough tests the remainder of this season, and Russo will utilize this type of experience against a top tier opponent in his final two seasons. He will face Maryland and Georgia Tech in the 2019 season before traveling to Miami (FL) his senior season in 2020.

As for the abundance of interceptions and lack of touchdowns in his first three starts, you can chalk that up to growing pains and you are only kidding yourself if you think there won’t be more throughout the season. It’s a blessing that Russo has the opportunity to go through these struggles this season, a season in which he has a senior running back to help shoulder the weight.

With Armstead and senior fullback Rob Ritrovato graduating and no standout recruits coming at running back, the entire load will fall on Russo’s shoulders in the years to come. After this season, this will be Anthony Russo’s team, and I can’t wait to watch him grow into a superstar leading Temple back to the national spotlight.

The “official” Russo era begins this Saturday at home against an East Carolina team that lost two tight games against NC A&T and USF, clobbered UNC and pulled out a close one with Old Dominion who somehow upset Virginia Tech. Temple enters the game as the favorite by just under two touchdowns, and I look for the Owls to take out their frustration on the Pirates to win this game handily.