Houston @ Temple preview

The newly realigned and re-branded American Athletic Conference officially kicks off Saturday when Houston visits Temple. Houston, formerly of Conference USA, has changed conference affiliations for the sixth time since the program was founded in 1946. Temple, a holdover from the "old" Big East Conference, began league play in 2012 with victories over fellow AAC members South Florida and Connecticut but went on to lose its last five conference games.

The Cougars look to build upon a dominating 62-13 win over FCS opponent Southern University, while the Owls hope to bounce back from a 28-6 season-opening loss at Notre Dame. Houston, picked to finish sixth by AAC coaches, has lost four straight road contests. Temple is under the direction of first-year head coach Matt Rhule, who looks to guide the Owls to their fourth consecutive conference-opening win.

TV: 12 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Temple +3

ABOUT HOUSTON (1-0): The Cougars have a wealth of returning talent led by the sophomore running back tandem of Ryan Jackson and Kenneth Farrow, which combined to rush for 217 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries last week. The Cougar defense forced four turnovers in its 2013 debut, while quarterbacks David Piland and John O'Korn and the rest of the Houston offense were mistake-free. Punter Richie Leone scored 11 points in his first career game as a placekicker while averaging 47 yards on four punts to garner AAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

ABOUT TEMPLE (0-1): Rhule, a former New York Giants assistant, has installed a pro spread offense for first-year starting quarterback Connor Reilly, who threw for 228 yards and rushed for 65 yards in his debut against the Irish. The Temple defense gave up touchdowns on Notre Dame's first two possessions, but recovered to allow just one score in the second half. The Owls will also seek improvement at placekicker after freshman Jim Cooper, Jr., missed a pair of field goals and a PAT against the Irish.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Houston has captured top spot in the last two conferences in which it has debuted (Conference USA in 1996, Southwest Conference in 1976).

2. Temple has won 17 of its last 24 home games at Lincoln Financial Field.

3. Houston is known for its big-play ability, recording gains of 20 or more yards 254 times in the last three seasons - second only to Oklahoma State.

PREDICTION: Houston 34, Temple 31