Notre Dame is trying not to think about last year. The blowout loss in the National Championship was last year and and now the team is trying to focus simply on their No. 14 ranking and the upcoming game against Temple.
The offseason was a tough one for the Irish. After going undefeated in in the regular season, they were blown out by Alabama in the National Championship game. Quarterback Everett Golson was suspended for the the fall after an academic issue. Brian Kelly interviewed for NFL coaching jobs. No to mention, the team is now without stars like Manti Te'o and Tyler Eifert.
Notre Dame's two biggest names back this year are Louis Nix III and Stephon Tuitt. The two defensive linemen could make for a long afternoon for Temple. Tommy Rees will be the new starting quarterback for the team. Rees has been on the team for years but continues to lose out on the starting job. In 2011, he threw 14 interceptions before Golson took over. He is 14-4 as a starter.
Temple's offense is a little one-sided. The posted the fifth fewest passing yards in the FBS last year. The three behind them all ran a triple-option offense. New head coach Matt Rhule will look to switch that around, installing a new pro-style spread in an attempt to balance out the offense.
Last season, Temple went 4-7, their first losing season since 2008. Connor Reilly is the new quarterback under center. He has never started a college game before, but was strong in the spring game, throwing for 366 yards and four touchdowns.
Notre Dame is bringing back eight starters this season. Kelly is looking to bring more of an up-tempo offense to the team this year. Rees has not proven to be much of a starter yet, but starting against Temple could help get his confidence up.