Notre Dame vs. Temple Complete Game Preview
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Just like everyone predicted back in August, Notre Dame football’s Top 25 prime-time clash with Temple will be college football’s main event Saturday.
The No. 9 Irish and No. 21 Owls will meet under the lights at Lincoln Financial Field hours after ESPN’s College GameDay descends on Independence Mall in Philadelphia.
“We don’t pretend it’s not here,” Temple head coach Matt Rhule said to reporters Tuesday about the weekend’s hype. “We don’t pretend GameDay’s not coming. We don’t pretend that we’re not playing Notre Dame. All those things are great, but they don’t help us play better. All we can do is control how we play. That’s the message.”
The Owls are off to their best start in program history, 7-0 and fresh off a 24-14 road victory against East Carolina on Thursday. Notre Dame is even more well-rested, having enjoyed its bye week after the 41-31 win over rival USC on Oct. 17.
“[The Owls] just have a really solid football team,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. “Again, one deserving of where they are, a Top 25 football team. It will be a great challenge for our football team, going on the road, and one that we’ll have to play very well.”
Date: Saturday, October 31
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Place: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
TV: ABC
Radio: IMG College Sports, SiriusXM Channel 129
Spread: Notre Dame by 10.5, according to Odds Shark
Notre Dame Keys to Victory
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Solidify the Secondary
Recently, when Kelly has been asked for areas of improvement for his squad moving forward, the Irish head coach quickly points to the secondary.
Speaking Tuesday about the defense as a whole, Kelly said the staff is aware of Notre Dame’s deficiencies and how to fix them.
“We just gotta get that done,” Kelly said. “We talked about it last night again as a staff. We are making up gadget plays. We are trying to get our guys to do their job and be disciplined. We’re even enacting some techniques to make sure that guys run through their man before they cut a guy loose.”
Expect the Irish to continue to utilize both fifth-year senior Matthias Farley and junior Max Redfield at free safety. Kelly was asked Tuesday if he wants them both to play or if he wants separation at the position.
“Honestly, what I want and what we have are two different things,” Kelly said. “We just feel like I think both of those guys are going to give us what we need at the position and it’s going to be one where both of them are going to have to help us win.”
Start Fast
Each road game is different, with its own environment and set of circumstances.
But in recent road losses to Clemson in early October and USC and Arizona State in November 2014, the Irish stumbled out of the gates, getting outscored in the first quarter 52-6 combined in those three setbacks.
A sluggish start could be particularly problematic against Temple, which has dominated second halves, outscoring its opponents by a combined score of 137-29 after halftime through seven games.
“We have to start coming out with our hair on fire,” Irish senior defensive tackle Sheldon Day said of the defense. “We are definitely going to come out with a little edge from now on.”
Temple Keys to Victory
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Slow Down the Stars
As Temple head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Tuesday, you’re not going to totally shut down all of Notre Dame’s stars, such as Will Fuller, Sheldon Day and Jaylon Smith.
But if the Owls can at least slow Notre Dame’s top playmakers, they’ll be in striking range deeper into the game.
Fuller was really only limited once this season, when he was held to two catches and 37 yards against Clemson. Tigers top cornerback Mackensie Alexander played a large role in that performance, and Fuller had a costly drop too.
“I don’t know that anybody has slowed down Will Fuller,” Rhule said.
The head coach was also effusive in his praise for Irish defensive lineman Sheldon Day, whom Rhule tabbed as a “first-round defensive tackle.”
“He’s so active,” Rhule said of Day. “He’s constantly moving. He’s got power. He’s a great pass rusher. You have to have a plan for him. … He’s a really, really dynamic rusher and run defender.”
Match Notre Dame’s Physicality
Rhule didn’t outwardly express concern that the moment Saturday—with GameDay, a sold-out stadium and a Top 10 opponent—will be too much for his ascending squad.
“I’m not concerned that the moment will be too big,” Rhule said. “Are we good enough to hang with Notre Dame? That’s the concern.”
Rhule highlighted Notre Dame’s front seven and said it’s a “physical challenge” to go against that unit led by Jaylon Smith, Sheldon Day, Isaac Rochell and Joe Schmidt. Temple center Kyle Friend will be tasked with spearheading the Owls' unit up front. The senior will be making his 41st consecutive start Saturday.
On the other side, the Owls must deal with an Irish offensive line that returns left guard Quenton Nelson to the starting lineup.
“At the end of the day, Notre Dame is a running team that throws the ball really well,” Rhule said.
Matching the physicality of Notre Dame’s offensive line, which has powered the rushing attack, is a must for the Owls.
Notre Dame Players to Watch
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DeShone Kizer
What a whirlwind ride it’s been for Irish starting quarterback DeShone Kizer. With five starts under his belt after being rushed into duty in the second half against Virginia, the redshirt freshman finally had a chance to rest up during the bye week.
“He was running on fumes and not just the academics,” Kelly said. “There’s a lot thrown on him. Being the quarterback at Notre Dame, this was all new to him, having a camera, being the center of it. He needed a break. There’s a lot more pep in his step and energy and confidence, and it was a welcome break for him.”
How will that reprieve translate in the final five games of the regular season? Kizer played a good enough game against USC—throwing for two touchdowns and 227 yards without a turnover and rushing for 47 yards—but did take four sacks.
Can he take his game to another level down the stretch?
“I was in the position the first half of the year where I was a replacement,” Kizer said. “I was a guy who was able to manage a game and accomplish a mission in that sense. Now I want to take it into the second half of the year and be the best quarterback in the nation every time I step on the field. Because I know that after evaluating the first half, that I have the ability to.”
KeiVarae Russell
Notre Dame senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell nabbed his first interception of the season when he picked off USC quarterback Cody Kessler in the fourth quarter of Notre Dame’s 41-31 win.
Heading into the game, the chatty corner admitted he hadn’t practiced intensely enough over the first few weeks of the season. Russell, though, said he ramped it up in the past couple of weeks.
Is he ready to take the next step the rest of the way?
Top Temple wideout Robby Anderson doesn’t present the same challenge that USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster or Pitt’s Tyler Boyd do, but Russell can help boost a shoddy secondary with elevated play starting Saturday.
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Temple Players to Watch
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Jahad Thomas
Temple junior running back Jahad Thomas has been a crucial cog for the Owls since transitioning from defensive back to running back the summer before the 2014 season.
Now, Thomas is thriving for Temple. The 5’10”, 180-pounder has piled up 822 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 165 carries (5.0 yards per carry, 117.4 yards per game). He gashed Penn State for 135 yards and two touchdowns and notched prolific outings against UCF (199 yards and three scores) and Cincinnati (193 yards and a touchdown).
Notre Dame ranks 85th in the country in rushing defense, per cfbstats.com, and has allowed 175.9 yards per game.
Tyler Matakevich
When Notre Dame faced Temple two years ago in the 2013 season opener, Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich was just one year—but 101 tackles—into his collegiate career. Now a senior, Matakevich has since added 137 and 117 stops in his last two campaigns and 65 more this season through seven games.
The 6’1”, 232-pounder from Stratford, Connecticut, landed on the preseason watch lists for the Lombardi, Butkus, Bednarik and Nagurski awards. Matakevich has also supplied four sacks and four interceptions for the Owls this year.
What They're Saying
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“October is for pretenders, and November will be for contenders.” — Irish head coach Brian Kelly.
“They needed a break from all the other things that they are required to do, and they got that. And I think that that was probably the energy that they needed to get restored.” — Kelly on the bye week.
“I don’t think that there’s much doubt that he’s going to be playing at another level. His athleticism, his length, his toughness, all those things, his IQ, how he carries himself, he’s going to be a great pro.” — Kelly on right tackle and Philadelphia native Mike McGlinchey.
“I think we’ve eliminated that word from the vocabularies of Notre Dame football.” — Kelly on the word “relevant.”
“I don’t think I know all of them.” — Fuller on the 100 family members and friends expected in attendance Saturday to watch the Philadelphia native.
“It’s awesome to be out there watching a human highlight reel go through on a basic second-down play and pop off with a 25-yard touchdown.” — Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer on running back C.J. Prosise.
“They’re loaded. They’re absolutely fantastic.” — Temple head coach Matt Rhule to reporters Tuesday on Notre Dame.
“Really proud of Will, what he’s done there at Notre Dame. He’s a dynamic playmaker.” — Rhule to reporters Tuesday on Irish wide receiver Will Fuller.
“Jaylon Smith, whenever he comes out for the draft, he’ll be a top-10 pick.” — Rhule to reporters Tuesday.
“Sheldon Day is a first-round defensive tackle.” — Rhule to reporters Tuesday.
“Literally it looks like a video game, how fast he looks.” — Rhule to reporters Tuesday on Fuller.
“He’s gotta be a top-five, top-10 pick. You don’t see anybody beat him. He’s special.” — Rhule to reporters Tuesday on Irish left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Prediction
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Temple has plenty to gain. Notre Dame has plenty to lose.
On paper, Notre Dame is the more talented football team, “loaded” and “absolutely fantastic,” as Temple head coach Matt Rhule said. The Irish, though, must be crisper than they’ve been in recent road games. Against Clemson, of course, four second-half turnovers and a sleepwalking defensive start proved costly.
But this Notre Dame team laden with veterans has responded to adversity, lulls and deficits all season. Couple those experiences with the wealth of talent, and the Irish should be able to top a strong Temple team.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Temple 24
All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Mike Monaco is the lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco_ on Twitter.
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