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temple preview Aug. 28, 2013 Rebuilding TempleRhule took Ruins Rookie head coach Matt over a project under construction this year By Dan Murphy T he Temple program Matt Rhule inherited this past winter was not the same one he left in 2011. Rhule spent six seasons helping pull Temple out of the Football Bowl Subdivision cellar with head coaches Al Golden (now at Miami) and Steve Addazio (now at Boston College). He arrived on the Philadelphia campus for the first time midway through a 20-game losing streak for the Owls. In Rhule's last three seasons, the Owls posted a record of 27-12, narrowly missed a Mid-American Conference championship in 2010 and went to two bowl games (winning one). Rhule held a variety of roles, including offensive coordinator for four of those years, before moving on to the NFL's New York Giants as an assistant coach in 2012. In Rhule's absence, the Owls had a 4‑7 record and the 107th-ranked offense in the country. He returned in the spring to pick up the scattered pieces — many of which he recruited — and to try to turn the program back around in the new American Athletic Conference. "One trait trumps all," Harrisburg Patriot-News columnist David Jones said when describing why Rhule was the right man for the job. "An asset that not many who've tackled Temple football can claim: Rhule seems like he actually wants to be here." Rhule proved that by spending his first month on the job sleeping on a couch in ✦ Game Facts Date: Aug. 31, 2013 Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,795) Kickoff: 3:41 p.m. ET Television: NBC Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (28-11, fourth season), Temple — Matt Rhule (0-0, first season). Series Facts: This is the first meeting between Notre Dame and Temple. Prime Personnel: Offense — Fifth-year senior Chris Coyer Fifth-year senior H-back Chris Coyer was named to the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the most versatile player in major college football. started nine games at quarterback last season before moving to the H-back position this spring. He ran for 444 yards in 2012, good for second on the team, and threw for another 946 yards and eight touchdowns, and he is considered one of the team's top athletes. Defense — Sophomore linebacker Tyler Matakevich was the Big East Freshman of the Year last season. The 6-1, 230-pounder made a team-high 101 tackles — 67 of them solo stops — and recovered two fumbles in his first season. He also broke up three passes and successfully defended three others from his spot in the middle of the defense. For The Record: Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is 2‑1 in home openers during his time in South Bend. He was 3‑0 in home openers at Cincinnati and 1‑2 in the first home game of photo courtesy temple the year while at Central Michigan … Senior Tommy Rees will be Notre Dame's opening-day starter for the first time in his career. Yet, if he attempts 350 passes this season, completes 200 of them and throws for at least 18 touchdowns, he'll leave school ranked among the top three quarterbacks in Irish history in those categories. He currently holds the best career completion percentage (.636) of any quarterback ever at Notre Dame … The Irish have faced seven new opponents since the 2008 season (Temple will be the eighth): San Diego State (2008), Nevada (2009), Connecticut (2009), Tulsa (2010), Utah (2010), South Florida (2011) and Wake Forest (2011). Notre Dame is 4-3 in those games, with defeats against UConn (33-30 in double OT), Tulsa (28-27) and South Florida (23-20).