Temple searching for way to win

TEMPLE WAS a last-second 29-yard touchdown pass away from beating FCS Fordham, after coming within a couple of plays of beating Houston, which like Fordham is unbeaten. Since close doesn't count, it means the Owls (0-3) and first-year coach Matt Rhule are still winless. So are 13 other FBS teams, including Idaho (0-4), which is in its first season as an independent after spending 8 years in the now-defunct WAC. On Saturday in the other Moscow, one of them will finally get to celebrate.

The Owls are favored by eight.

"These guys need to make something good happen," Rhule stressed yesterday at his weekly luncheon. "Don't look at me. Make themselves win a game. You can look great on Tuesday. You have to make it happen on Saturday.

"Really the only issue is us."

He's been here before, as an assistant for Al Golden and then Steve Addazio. He likens this to 2009, when the Owls started with losses to Villanova and Penn State. Up next was Buffalo, which had beaten them on another Hail Mary the previous year.

"Al just put his hands up and said, 'You guys figure it out,' you know what I mean?" Rhule recalled. "Stop looking around, take the game under your control. Dominique Harris, who's a [graduate assistant] for us now, we had him show a tape we showed the team before that game. We actually found the DVD. He spoke from the heart, about the same decision this team has to make.

"I've lived through those things [here]. That's the point. In 2009 it was contagious. We'll see how [these guys] respond."

Four years ago, Bernard Pierce was lining up in the backfield. And among his teammates were a handful of fellow future pros. This group still has guys who were recruited to play in the MAC.

The Owls had last week off. Rhule gave his seniors some time off to think about it. There's been some changes to the depth chart, at least for the time being.

"I want this program to be about competition," Rhule said. "Some guys will win jobs back. They're our leaders. I couldn't look a lot of people in the eye and say I was proud of our effort [against Fordham]. That's where we're at. What you want them to learn is the difference between winning and losing is [minuscule]."

After this the Owls will host Louisville before heading to Cincinnati. Two years removed from 9-4 and a bowl win, they're trying to avoid going 0-4 for the first time since 2007. That was Golden's second season. It seems like such a long time ago.

"It sucks to lose," said junior quarterback Connor Reilly. "We didn't think we'd be in this position. Unfortunately we are. We just have to go from this. We've been in every game we played, so we're not quitting on that . . . Honestly, our opponent doesn't matter. We have to prepare like Idaho is 4-0."

Idaho, which is coming off a 42-0 loss at neighboring Washington State, is no doubt looking at Temple the same way. The Vandals, who also have a first-year head coach in Paul Petrino, have been outscored 82-16 in their two other road trips (North Texas and Wyoming). But in their lone Kibbie Dome (capacity 16,000) appearance they only lost 45-35 to 3-0 Northern Illinois.

"If you don't like being challenged then you're not really a football player," said sophomore linebacker Tyler Matakevich. "Winning a college football game is hard. People think it's easy but it's not. We have to understand we need everybody on this team. It's kind of bit us in the behind . . .

"[Losing] eats away at you."

So do something about it.

"I'm here to get this thing right," Rhule said. "We could be 2-1, but we're not. You have to make them realize how it really works. Be honest with yourself. Go out and make a play, like you've been doing your whole life. When you're 0-3, you're frustrated. You're trying to find answers. I know what has to be fixed.

"Had we knocked down that last [TD] pass [against Fordham], everyone here would've been like, 'OK, we're back.' [But] the truth is the truth."

And at the moment, it hurts.