Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Game Preview: temple Fifth-year senior nose guard Levi Brown is the only returning starter from a defensive line that was often overwhelmed at the point of attack last year, allowing 199.8 rushing yards per game. photo courtesy temple the first time at Notre Dame, Kelly did the same this year by isolating the team two hours away to Shiloh Park for the first four practices. Third, victory No. 200 for Holtz was expected to come in the 1995 opener at home versus Northwestern, a moribund program that was 3-7-1 the previous year and had not finished above .500 in 23 seasons. The Irish were installed as four-touchdown favorites. Likewise, Temple is considered on paper the weakest opponent on Notre Dame's 2013 schedule after finishing 4-7 last year and now on its third head coach in four years. The Fighting Irish again are expected to be favored by several touchdowns. Alas, in 1995 Notre Dame opened with a 17-15 loss to Northwestern (which went on to win the Big Ten that year and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl), and Holtz's win total remained at 199 before getting 200 at Purdue the next week. Lightning is not expected to strike again 18 years later for another Notre Dame coach gunning for his 200th overall career win … but it's easy to forget a lot of lightning — and thunder — also struck in the Irish opener two years ago under Kelly versus South Florida, a 23-20 victory by the Bulls that experienced two in-game delays