Notre Dame returns to action after a much-needed bye week to take on the undefeated Temple Owls on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Fighting Irish may not have circled this game on the schedule in August, but Matt Rhule’s program has exceeded expectations in his third year at the helm. The Owls are ranked 21st in the nation and Rhule is being mentioned as a potential Coach of the Year candidate. Meanwhile, Notre Dame (6-1) has no margin for error if it expects to “complete its mission” by winning its remaining games and qualifying for the national championship playoffs. The ABC network will broadcast the game to a national audience beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern time.

While Temple’s can hardly be considered challenging, the Owls thrashed Penn State in the season opener by 27-10 and recorded ten sacks in the process. The common opponent between Temple and the Irish is UMass, whom the Irish buried after a close first half. The Owls barely edged the Minutemen in the final moments by a 25-23 score. The teams first met in the 2013 season opener, when Notre Dame defeated the Owls by 28-6.

The Irish hope to regain the services of starting guard Quenton Nelson, who suffered an ankle injury a few weeks ago. Since then, backup Alex Bars went down for the season in the game against USC. Although most of the notable injured Notre Dame players are out for the year, but the return of Nelson and possibly safety Avery Sebastian would certainly be a boost for the stretch run.

Notre Dame’s playoff prospects improved last week when Utah and Florida State fell from the ranks of the unbeaten and below the Irish in the latest AP poll. The picture will come into greater focus next Tuesday when the Playoff Committee issues its first ranking of the season. Meanwhile, contending teams such as the Irish will endeavor to win impressively so they can leap over the casualties in the heavyweight matchups that occur in November. The first question is whether Temple has sufficient resources to derail Notre Dame or give them a healthy scare on Halloween Night.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. TEMPLE’S DEFENSE

The Irish will face a defense that does not appear to be formidable on paper, but has managed to hold opponents to fewer than three yards per carry in the running game. The Owls are stout in the middle of their 4-3 alignment with tackles Matt Ioannditis and Averee Robinson, but ends Nate Smith and Haason Reddick average only 230 pounds and will be at a disadvantage against Notre Dame’s massive offensive tackles. Smith is the team’s best pass rusher with 6.5 sacks on the season.

Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich lines up on the weak side and is by far the Owls’ leading tackler. He also has four interceptions to his credit, which indicates he is quite effective against both the run and the pass. Jarred Alwan is in the middle, where he has also been effective as a run-stopper. The Irish will try to seal the edge against this group and use their superior speed to break off large chunks of yardage in the running game with C.J. Prosise and Josh Adams, who is returning to his hometown area for this contest.

DeShone Kizer and his receivers, led by another Philadelphia area native, Will Fuller, will attack Temple’s veteran secondary. Cornerback Sean Chandler is the only underclassman in the group, but he and senior Tavon Young have held up well against teams that have been forced to the air against them. Chandler also has a pick-six to his credit. Note that Fuller’s mother has procured more than 100 tickets to the game, so the Irish speedster will be well-supported. The same is true for another Philadelphia native, right tackle Mike McGlinchey.

The Owls have surrendered only 216 passing yards per game and are ranked in the top ten nationally in total defense. They have managed to produce negative plays and sacks at critical moments this season, so the ability of Notre Dame’s offensive line to sustain its blocks and handle stunts will be an important key to success. If the Irish can fire off the ball with authority after a two-week hiatus, they will be able to wear down the Owls and give Brian Kelly a chance to play his reserves in the second half.

TEMPLE’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Owls prefer to run the ball, and tailback Jahad Thomas is largely responsible for their success. The junior has averaged 117 yards per game behind an offensive line anchored by highly regarded senior center Kyle Friend. Quarterback P.J. Walker has been effective in his first year as the starter, although his completion rate is a relatively modest 60%, he rarely throws the deep ball and has not been pressed to bring his team back from a large deficit.

Walker is not considered to be a running threat, but he has been sacked only seven times in as many games. His receivers are tall and sure-handed. The most frequent target is senior Robby Anderson, who will be a tough matchup for Notre Dame’s cornerbacks. Freshman Ventell Bryant has emerged as a capable player, while tight end Colin Thompson has caught only two passes this season. Walker usually looks to drop off the ball to Thomas when Anderson is not open, and Temple’s screen game is particularly effective. Walker has only three interceptions in nearly 200 attempts.

Jaylon Smith should be the Irish antidote for the multiple threats posed by Thomas in this game, while KeiVarae Russell seems to have emerged from an early season funk and may be assigned to keep Anderson under wraps. The Owls should not pose any unusual problems for Notre Dame as compared to the elite athletes on USC’s roster or even Clemson’s. The visitors must simply tackle with authority and be disciplined enough to avoid being burned on trick plays or exploited through unprotected gaps in their alignment. So far, this has been easier said than done for Brian VanGorder’s charges.

Temple’s strength is that it manages to avoid too many third and long situations, and its conversion rate is a healthy 43%. Notre Dame must change that dynamic and force Walker into obvious passing situations where he will be less efficient.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Owls are above average in this area, which is a characteristic of a well-coached team. Anderson returns both punts and kickoffs with help from Thomas, who has returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and Chandler, who sports a 16-yard average as a punt returner. The Owls have also blocked four punts on the season, which is very impressive.

Place kicker Austin Jones is reasonably accurate within 40 yards, but does not have above-average leg strength. Punter Alex Starzyk is well above average at 42.5 yards and very few returns allowed.

The Irish specialists have performed well this year and the coverage units have done an exemplary job, but the return game is mainly a case of untapped potential. C.J. Sanders has shown flashes of ability against undermanned opponents, but his teammates don’t create much running room for him on a week to week basis.

SUMMARY

Notre Dame did not play well in its first two road games this season, and they are now embarking on a stretch of games that will take them away from home on four of the next five weekends. Recent patterns suggest the Irish will start slowly and need the threat of an embarrassing defeat to spark them into gear. The team can survive such a start and still win, but it’s the time of year when pollsters are separating the truly dominant teams from the pack. Temple will try to control the clock with a successful rushing attack and keep the ball away from Notre Dame’s explosive offense, and the Irish must not sleepwalk until late in the third quarter before forcing Rhule to abandon that plan.

The Owls are coming into the contest with added confidence following a come from behind road win at East Carolina that Rhule called his most significant victory to date. This week, the local hype and the presence of the ESPN Gameday crew is leading many to say the matchup with Notre Dame is the biggest in school history, but Temple’s veterans are trying to downplay that notion. “Notre Dame is a big game because it is what’s next on our schedule”, Thomas said. “The outsiders say this is the biggest game in Temple history. As players, it’s just another game that we would love to win. We’ll prepare the way we have the previous seven games.”

Here are a few questions that will provide insight into the outcome:

Will the Irish match the Owls’ early emotion and intensity, or start slowly once again?

Which team’s talented tailback will have the biggest impact?

Will Temple’s surprising pass rush be able to pressure Kizer?

Can Walker carry the fight to Notre Dame through the air?

Will the Owls get the better of the Irish on special teams?

Which team will be burdened by penalties and turnovers?

Will the Irish defense finally avoid being gashed for long plays due to mental errors and sloppy play?

How long will it take Notre Dame to turn the Owls into 7-1 pumpkins?

PREDICTION

It would be a mistake to discount Temple’s chances due to their relatively soft schedule, as they are a well-coached team that will play at a high level on Saturday. Notre Dame’s superior size, depth and athleticism will emerge during the contest, but those who remember the Virginia game would prefer it happen sooner rather than later. The fact that the Owls are undefeated might work to Notre Dame’s advantage, as the Irish are more likely to take matters seriously from the outset and shake down the cobwebs after two weeks on the couch.

NOTRE DAME 40 TEMPLE 17