Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2017 73 WINNING CULTURE Matt Rhule made his head coach‑ ing debut with a 28‑6 defeat at Notre Dame Stadium on Aug. 31, 2013, the start of a 2‑10 campaign. The Irish grabbed a 14‑0 lead less than five minutes into the game on back‑to‑back touchdown passes from Tommy Rees (now the first‑ year Notre Dame quarterbacks coach) to DaVaris Daniels, but the Owls showed some fight by getting outscored only 14‑6 over the final 55 minutes. Temple improved to 6‑6 the next year and then Rhule's star power rose with consecutive 10‑win seasons (the first in school history) in 2015‑16 to land the Baylor job last Dec. 6. This included a victory at Rhule's alma mater, Penn State in 2015, and a last‑ minute 24‑20 defeat to a Notre Dame team that started 10‑1 and made it to the Fiesta Bowl. To appreciate how difficult it is to win 10 games in back‑to‑back sea‑ sons, consider that it hasn't hap‑ pened at Notre Dame since the three straight from 1991‑93, nearly a quar‑ ter century ago. Temple's identity under Rhule was built on defense, with the Owls finishing No. 3 in total defense and No. 11 in scoring defense last year. New head coach Geoff Collins also comes in with a strong defensive his‑ tory, serving as the coordinator for the 2016 Florida Gators unit that was No. 5 nationally in total defense and No. 6 in scoring defense. Meanwhile, to keep continuity on offense, Collins kept most of Rhule's staff on offense, including Ed Foley (the interim coach in the bowl game), receivers coach Frisman Jackson, and running backs coach Chris Wiesehen. Temple's last five recruiting classes were ranked No. 84, No. 59, No. 73, No. 60 and not even in the top 100, per Rivals, but this is a team that has learned how to win by maximizing what it has. How much carryover it will have with a new head coach will be Temple's X‑factor. STRENGTH VERSUS CONCERN? On paper, Notre Dame's top strength is the offensive line with four returning starters, two of whom are projected first‑round picks. On paper, Temple's top concern is a defensive front seven that lost six starters from last year 's stellar defense, most notably the end tan‑ dem of Haason Reddick — the No. 13 overall pick in last spring's NFL Draft — and Praise Marrtin‑Oguike. They combined for 18 quarterback sacks last year, or 15 more than the entire 2016 Notre Dame defensive line. It should be an opportunity for the Fighting Irish offense to assert it‑ self, whether it is with the run or the pass, while cleaning the slate from last season. The Notre Dame defensive line — considered a potential Achilles hell on the outside — will have simi‑ lar opportunity against top Owls running back Ryquell Armstead, who had an outstanding sopho‑ more year that included 14 rushing touchdowns. Both teams have new quarterbacks, so controlling the line of scrimmage becomes even more important. ✦ GAME PREVIEW: TEMPLE Senior safety Sean Chandler, who compiled 51 tackles and two interceptions in 2016, was part of a Temple unit that ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense and No. 6 in scoring defense. PHOTO BY JOSEPH V. LABOLITO Predictions Corey Bodden: Notre Dame 35, Temple 13 We could see Notre Dame falling behind early, but the Irish will eventually settle in and control the game. The visiting Owls must replace five of their six top tacklers from 2016. Bryan Driskell: Notre Dame 34, Temple 17 Notre Dame's experience and its veteran offensive line will overwhelm a game Temple defense that lost all but one starter from its stout front seven last year. David McKinney: Notre Dame 42, Temple 17 Brian Kelly has seemingly completely revamped the 4-8 team, and a revitalized group of players should come out hungry. While that may not last all season, the first loss won't come against Temple. Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 31, Temple 16 Former head coach Matt Rhule did sensational work with the Owls before moving to Baylor. He in- fused a winning attitude that can't be overlooked and could still carry over to this season.