There are apparently no Pittsburgh Steelers scouts at today’s Ohio State-Michigan game, a contest that could rightly be billed as “game of the year.” But the black and gold were on the trail Friday night, reportedly in attendance to watch the Memphis Tigers take on the Temple Owls.
That’s according to local reporter Jonah Dylan, who noted the Steelers were one of two NFL teams in attendance, joining the Carolina Panthers and CFL Calgary Stampeders.
The Tigers rolled the Owls in a 45-21 victory. An unsurprising outcome as Memphis improved to 9-3 while Temple fell to 3-9, their fourth straight season with no more than three victories.
Tigers’ starting QB Seth Henigan is only a junior and could return for another season. But he’s enjoying a fantastic 2023, throwing for over 3,500 yards with 28 touchdowns. A three-year starter, he’s consistently improved his completion percentage with a solid touchdown-to-interception ratio (75 touchdowns, 25 interceptions for his career). He’s also rushed for a combined eight scores over his last two years. Against Temple, he threw for 250 yards and four touchdowns in a game that was essentially decided by halftime.
Senior RB Blake Watson is having a fine season, too. An Old Dominion transfer, he’s rushed for 1,045 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year, including 95 and a score yesterday. With great size at a listed 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he has the frame Pittsburgh looks for. He’s also effective out of the backfield, catching 50 passes and another three scores. Defensively, linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arku has 72 tackles and two forced fumbles.
A team rebuilding, Temple offers fewer attractive prospects. But TE David Martin-Robinson has been a consistent source of offense, catching 40 passes for 537 yards and four touchdowns. A six-year player for the Owls, he has 94 career grabs for nearly 1,200 yards. In the secondary, DB Tywan Francis leads the Owls with a pair of picks. A Colorado State transfer, he finishes 2023 with 78 tackles (six for a loss) with five pass breakups and those two picks.
