Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: TEMPLE On PaPer BY BRYAN DRISKELL TEMPLE RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE A season after rushing for just 107.8 yards per game, Temple was up to 151.8 yards per contest during its 5‑0 start. A veteran line has been a contributing factor, but the primary reason has been the play of junior run‑ ning back Jahad Thomas. An elusive runner with speed, Thomas started the season with 135 yards and a pair of scores in Temple's 27‑10 upset victory over Penn State Sept. 5. A week later, he set a career high with 193 yards in a 34‑26 road win over Cincinnati. Through six weeks, Thomas ranked fifth nationally in all‑purpose yards (182.4 per game). Junior quarterback P.J. Walker rushed for a total of 656 yards and six touchdowns during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, but an injury to his non‑throwing shoulder has dramatically limited his effectiveness as a runner. Through five games, Walker had rushed for minus‑eight yards and just one touchdown. Notre Dame has been inconsistent against the run, holding its non‑option opponents to 136.8 yards per game. The Irish allowed Clemson to rack up 212 yards on the ground, but they have also had some strong moments. Notre Dame held Texas to 60 rushing yards, and limited Navy's potent triple‑option attack to just 79 yards in the second half of its 41‑24 victory. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame TEMPLE PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Throwing the football effectively has not been a strong suit for the Owl offense in 2015. Walker passed for a career‑high 391 yards in a comeback win against UMass, but in the other four contests to start the season he didn't reach the 200‑yard mark. He threw for just 81 yards against Cincinnati and 116 yards in a 37‑3 win over Charlotte Oct. 2. Notre Dame has steadily improved against the pass this season, but questions regarding the Irish second‑ ary remain. The Irish have not been able to achieve consistency on the back end — but they match up well against the Owls, who lack the perimeter speed to threaten the secondary. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. TEMPLE RUN DEFENSE Behind the strong running of senior C.J. Prosise, the Irish racked up 238.0 yards per game during their 5‑1 start. In the first five years of head coach Brian Kelly's tenure, the Irish offense never averaged more than 4.87 yards per rush. In its first six games, Notre Dame averaged 5.93 yards per carry. The Owls have been stout against the run, allow‑ ing only 97.2 yards per game to rank 10th nationally Junior running back Jahad Thomas' average of 182.4 all-purpose yards per game ranked fifth nationally through the first six weeks of the season. PHOTO BY JOSEPH V. LABILITO/COURTESY TEMPLE UNIVERSITY