Behind the arm of true freshman quarterback P.J. Walker, Temple jumped out to an early 28-7 lead and looked like they had a shot at their second win of the season. Instead, SMU outscored the Owls 52-21 the rest of the way behind the arm of Garrett Gilbert, another AAC QB with an NFL future along with Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles. This was a high-scoring, entertaining game that featured a lot of big offensive performances.
Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (#11), 6’4, 223
The same Garrett Gilbert who played much of the 2009 BCS Championship game for Texas against Alabama and almost brought the Longhorns back, Gilbert transferred to SMU after a medical redshirt in 2011 and was able to play immediately since he graduated from Texas. This was the best statistical game of his career at either Texas or SMU as Gilbert had 538 passing yards and 97 rushing yards to go with 6 touchdowns (4 rushing).
Despite having an NFL arm Gilbert thrives in the short rhythm passing game when he can get the ball out quickly on curls and slants. He shows good pocket presence, climbing to avoid pressure and keeping his eyes downfield before tucking and running as a last resort. Gilbert overthrew a few long passes but made a big throw to Keenan Holman while stepping up into pressure to tie the game at 35 late in the third quarter. Gilbert has good mobility and can escape the pocket to make plays, as he did on a 53-yard run against Temple. He has the arm to split a Cover 2 corner and safety along the sideline and push the ball downfield, but his accuracy and pass placement could use work. Gilbert made good decisions all game long and stayed composed after falling into a big hole early. He doesn’t look like an NFL starter, but has potential as a backup and plenty of talent for an NFL team to try and develop.
Keenan Holman, WR, SMU (#81), 6’1, 185
Holman was Gilbert’s favorite target on the day and had his second 10-catch game of the season, although this one included 209 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. His first touchdown came on a short curl where he came back to the ball and got his feet moving for yards after the catch before securing the ball, manipulating the safety’s positioning to get into the endzone. He showed the speed to get down the seam, making a catch in stride on a perfect ball from Gilbert and didn’t lose any steam, maintaining distance between he and the safety for his second score. Holman’s third touchdown was his most impressive, adjusting to a back-shoulder pass from Gilbert and snatching it with just his left hand. The corner covering Holman fell after trying to make a play on the ball, giving Holman an easy path to the endzone.
Holman has stepped up as a senior and leads SMU in touchdowns (6) and is second in yards (665) to Jeremy Johnson, who wasn’t much of a factor against Temple after an early fumble. Holman is the team’s best big play threat but isn’t as reliable as Johnson or Darius Joseph, who are tied for the team lead with 64 catches compared to Holman’s 42. He did drop a pass that he let into his body on a third-down curl route and will need to secure catches like that when the big plays are fewer and farther between to intrigue NFL teams as a late-round or free agent option.
(JR) Robbie Anderson, WR, Temple (#19), 6’3, 175
Anderson came into the game with 10 catches for 134 yards and no touchdowns through four games this season before breaking out in a big way against SMU. He took an early screen pass to the house putting his great speed on display, outrunning a poor pursuit angle from the safety into the open field and also scoring on a tricky reverse pass where he easily got behind the defense. Speed is Anderson’s calling card but he has also has nice height despite a thin frame. He made a nice adjustment to a deep pass late in the game, coming off his seam route with the ball thrown towards the sideline and keeping his balance to make the catch along the boundary. Anderson tracked the ball nicely once he turned back to it and did well to stay on his feet after a sharp turn.
Anderson’s speed also impacts the return game, as he brought a kickoff out near midfield to start the second half. Anderson will have to put together more performances like this to catch the attention of NFL scouts and talent is not the question with him, but he’s worth tracking to see if he becomes a consistent option for P.J. Walker. His speed and experience on special teams may warrant a look from teams, but probably not until after his senior season.
Other Notes
-P.J. Walker may not be draft eligible for another two seasons, but scouts should take notice of his talent. Recruited by multiple SEC schools, Walker wanted the opportunity to play right away which he’s gotten at Temple. He is a dual threat with great speed, quickness and change of direction ability that can win with his arm. Walker has the arm strength on short and intermediate passes to thread the needle in double and triple coverage and can push the ball downfield as well, although his placement beyond 20 yards needs work. He completed his first 16 passes against SMU and despite the loss and 1-7 record, don’t be surprised to see his name on the draft radar in a season or two.
-SMU redshirt freshman running back Prescott Line is the younger brother of Vikings’ fullback Zach Line, who played for the Mustangs last year and signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent. He has similar size (6’0, 233) to his brother and a running style that reminds me of Peyton Hillis. Line got a chance to carry the load when Traylon Shead got hurt and showed off his patience, quick feet and powerful downhill running ability. Like Walker, he has a few years left in college but could play his way into a late Day 3 or priority free agent grade down the line.
-This matchup was not short on freshman impact from players with NFL bloodlines, as SMU’s Deion Sanders Jr. brought back some memories of his father. Sanders has great speed and quickness in every direction which was apparent on a long 4th quarter kickoff return. Sanders busted through the middle, cut quickly to get the kicker out of position and then immediately spun off the next defender around midfield to bring the ball inside the Temple 10-yard line. Sanders came into the game with just two catches on offense but had 3 receptions for 18 yards and was used a few times in the short passing game.
-Temple senior punter Paul Layton averaged only 37.8 yards per punt but was over 45 yards per game on the season and made some nice situational kicks. Of his five punts, two resulted in fair catches inside the 5-yard line that had too much hang time for the returner to let bounce and roll. One other was dropped inside the 10 and while it’s rare to see punters drafted, Layton is one of the few punters in the NCAA that could have an NFL future.
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