It’s an understatement to say that Notre Dame faces white hot pressure straight out of the gate this fall. The Irish had a pretty quiet spring which is almost always a good sign and today we’ll start winding our way through the 2017 opponents and their updates this off-season.
First up is a program in the dumps 10 years ago and now experiencing perhaps its best run in team history.
TEMPLE
2016 Record: 10-4
2016 S&P Rank: 32
Offense Returning Production Rank: 85
Defense Returning Production Rank: 95
New Coach, New Era?
There was a time when Al Golden was considered an immortal God for going 17-8 over a two-year span at Temple. But that was in a brief stint in the MAC. Matt Rhule just finished 2015-16 with a 20-7 record in a tougher AAC conference all while racking up bigger wins and far more love in the advanced stats log books.
Geoff Collins now takes over after defensive coordinator stints with Florida and Mississippi State. Strength on strength? The Owls have built their reputation in recent years off a fearsome defense (5 NFL Draft picks over the last two years) and still have a few key players coming back to continue the legacy.
P-Dubs Gone
One quarterback, Phillip Walker, started for the entirety of the Matt Rhule era and has now moved on to the real world. He was never great but a good college quarterback: mobile, prone to make big plays, and a good leader. Although there were times when his lack of passing ability (never got to 60% completions in any of his final 3 seasons) brought grumbles and catcalls for increased competition his presence will be sorely missed with a new coach in town.
Temple went through a legit 4-way quarterback competition in the spring which means the outside world will have virtually no clue about any of these guys well into August. Redshirt sophomore Logan Marchi was the backup last year so you could either say he still has the edge going into fall camp or it’s not great he hasn’t distanced himself from everyone yet. Collins has mentioned he wants some mobility and ability to run the option so Marchi’s tiny size (6’0″ 192 pounds) at least provides him with that strength.
Summer Spread: Irish Favored by 7.5 Points
Everyone is predicting a slide by Temple but not too big of a drop. Their incoming freshmen class sunk back to historical Temple levels thanks to Rhule taking off for Baylor. However, the two classes prior to that were very strong for their standards and will provide the bulk of new starters in 2017.
Things could be okay-to-maybe-quite-good on offense if a quarterback emerges in fall camp with quality passing skills. Three big pieces are gone (aforementioned Walker, starting running back, and a second round(!) pick guard Dion Dawkins) but plenty of talent returns.
The defensive front seven is absolutely gutted and needs to be rebuilt which is a scary prospect for a program that’s basically lived off disruption from these units. First round pick(!!) Haason Reddick alone put up 22.5 tackles for loss last year to finish tied for 3rd nationally. The other top 4 TFL leaders are also gone, too.
Everyone is predicting Temple to take a sizable step back which kind of puts them in a good spot for the opener in my mind. They’ll get to unveil new schemes, a new quarterback, and play up the underdog card while still being several steps above a bad team.
The AAC has been a really good conference in recent years but breaks in 5 new coaches this fall. That change could keep Temple near the top or they could sink quickly. There’s a wild range of outcomes in a new era for the Owls.
Buy or Sell: Geoff Collins
Overweight, front balding coach following a suave up and coming young coach? Sell all day, Collins looks like someone who’s going to run the Temple offense right into the ground, struggle to live up to the lofty defensive expectations, and be gone in 2 seasons. Hiring a coordinator from Florida didn’t work out too well the last time, either.
Know a Player: RB Ryquell Armstead
He burst on the scene last year with a hot and cold season. Armstead picked up just under 57% of his 919 yards against Army, SMU, USF, UConn, and Navy, while in 6 other games he had 4.0 YPC or less and some big stinkers.
Outfitter: Under Armour
Temple switched from Adidas to UA in 2010 and signed a new 10-year extension worth a reported $30 million to begin the 2015 season. The Temple campus is less than 2 hours from Under Armour’s corporate headquarters.
Most Important Game: Houston, Week 5
The Owls travel to USF for a tricky game the week prior and host Houston before a run of easy games until November. A win over the Cougars could have Temple ranked when they face Navy on November 2nd.
I think losing Matt Rhule is going to be a huge blow to Temple. He always seemed to put together great gameplans, regardless of the talent on the field. If the line is 7.5, I think the Irish easily handle that.
I agree that Temple is going to take a big slide, having to replace that front seven and finding offense somewhere, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is going to be an uncomfortably tight, San Diego State-esque opening game.
I am hoping for a 2009 Nevada type opening.
However, I will also accept a 2015 Texas based effort.