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Temple QB Anthony Russo misses practice with calf injury

Russo suffered the injury Monday, according to coach Rod Carey.

Anthony Russo sat out Tuesday's practice.
Anthony Russo sat out Tuesday's practice.Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer

Temple quarterback Anthony Russo who started 10 games last year and was the clear No. 1 entering this season, sat out practice Tuesday because of a calf injury.

The redshirt junior suffered the injury in Monday’s practice, which was closed to the media. The Owls will open their season by hosting Bucknell on Aug. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field.

“Russo had a little lower leg, calf deal, muscle, kind of strained it a little more than normal,” Temple coach Rod Carey said Tuesday after the morning practice. "He has to rest right now, and we will see how long that rest is.”

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Russo completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 2,563 yards with 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last year.

Carey described when the injury occurred during Monday’s practice. “It had been nagging him a little bit as practice went on, it kind of built up and then he burst it a little bit and it kind of gave way on him,” the coach said. “He bounced up, and you have to give him rest.

“Russo had been playing very well,” Carey added. “He had really been establishing himself in that competition.”

Redshirt sophomore Todd Centeio, a dual threat, took the first-team reps Tuesday. “Toddy has been playing well, too,” Carey said. “They were both elevating their game.”

Last year, Centeio completed 12 of 18 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 82 yards and a score.

More on injuries

Two redshirt juniors, wide receiver Branden Mack and tight end Kenny Yeboah, are battling hamstring injuries. Both are expected to be major parts of the passing game. Last year, Mack had 44 receptions for 601 yards and five touchdowns and Yeboah had 13 receptions for 154 yards and one score.

Also out Tuesday was junior cornerback Harrison Hand, a transfer from Baylor who is in line for a starting spot.

“We are trying to get ahead of that because he had a little of that in the spring,” Carey said about Hand’s hamstring injury. “He missed a little bit yesterday, but we are trying to get ahead of that with him.”

Camp observations

Freshman running back Re’Mahn Davis, a 5-foot-9, pounder, has a quick burst and showed it while scoring on a 50-yard touchdown run. He appears ready to battle graduate student Jager Gardner and redshirt freshman Kyle Dobbins for playing time.

“He is having a good camp, now has some young-guy mistakes we have to clean up so he can get in there and deal with all the situations, protections, routes and not just running the ball and alignments and things like that," Carey said. “... It’s helping push the other backs, like Dobbins and Jager, and I think the whole back group has elevated certainly probably because Ray is pushing them.”

Ifeanyi Maijeh, a 6-2, 285-pound defensive tackle, is also enjoying a strong camp. The redshirt sophomore made some impressive plays in Tuesday’s practice and Carey said afterward that he is pushing for playing time.