Seeing double: K.C. Keeler "would be surprised" if Evan Simon and Gevani McCoy don't both play at UMass
With Temple’s Aug. 30 season opener at UMass just five days away, head coach K.C. Keeler met with reporters at Edberg-Olson Hall for his first weekly Monday press conference of the season.
You can listen to that interview here, along with interviews with linebacker Curly Ordonez and starting center Grayson Mains.
One of the most notable developments to come out of Monday’s presser was Keeler revealing in his opening statement that both Evan Simon and Gevani McCoy would likely play at UMass. Keeler said last week that he did not plan to name a starter prior to the opener, and what he told reporters Monday stayed consistent with that, but Keeler got ahead of the question before opening things up to reporters.
“I would be surprised if both guys don’t play in the ball game,” Keeler said. “I’m not sure which one we’ll roll out first, but it’s one of those things where we felt really good [about] the growth of both the quarterbacks during training camp. Didn’t see that happening. Thought we’d have someone go win the job directly, but I think it’s a good thing for us that we have two quarterbacks that can play at this level.”
Simon, who threw for 2,032 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions across nine starts at Temple last season, took all of the first-team reps during Monday’s practice, which was open in its entirety to the media. Neither Simon nor McCoy, who spent last season at Oregon State before a stop at Texas State during the spring, were able to engineer a touchdown drive in the one scrimmage series each had at the end of practice.
The team also released its first depth chart ahead of Saturday’s opener.
On the injury front, the Owls are mostly healthy heading into the opener. Kevin Terry, who had been consistently working as the first-team left tackle in preseason camp, did not practice Monday as he continues to recover from a right knee injury he sustained two weeks ago. With redshirt freshman Giakoby Hills continuing to take the first-team snaps at left tackle, Terry was in full uniform Monday, and Keeler said Terry would go through an individual workout Tuesday.
At linebacker, a position room where Keeler said he continues to feel good about his depth, UMass transfer Jalen Stewart participated in individual drills Monday as he works through coming back from a knee injury he sustained last season with the Minutemen.
