It was a cool November day in South Bend, Ind., 18 years ago. The No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions were heavy underdogs to No. 1 Notre Dame and eventual Heisman Trophy runner-up Raghib "The Rocket" Ismail.

When the Fighting Irish jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, it appeared as though the Lions were outclassed. But Penn State began to claw back.

And two of the key contributors to that comeback will be on the visiting sideline today.

Trailing by 14 late in the third quarter in Notre Dame Stadium, then-Penn State linebacker Mark D'Onofrio jumped in front of an Irish receiver and corralled the pass. D'Onofrio streaked down the sideline before being tackled at the Notre Dame 11-yard line. Three plays later, the Lion offense made it a one-score game.

Not long after D'Onofrio's pick, then-Lion tight end Al Golden hauled in a Tony Sacca pass at the Notre Dame three-yard line and dragged an Irish defender into the end zone to knot the game at 21.

Golden's touchdown silenced the Notre Dame crowd, and the Lions kicked a field goal with four seconds remaining to complete the upset.

In December 2005, Golden was introduced as head coach of the troubled Temple football program. The Owls had gone 0-11 the prior year and had only managed three wins the final three seasons before Golden's arrival.

One of Golden's first hires in Philadelphia was his former teammate, D'Onofrio.

Known for his fierce and almost violent personality as a linebacker, Golden said D'Onofrio was the perfect fit to be his defensive coordinator.

"Football fans remember Mark D'Onofrio for his intensity, toughness and leadership on the field," Golden said. "Mark has brought those same qualities to the coaching arena.

"He's bright and quick-witted. He shares my passion for teaching and recruiting."

When the two Owl coaches take the sideline today, they'll be back at a place they once called home.

Adding to the experience for the two is the presence of Lion coach Joe Paterno. Golden led his Temple team into Beaver Stadium in 2006, but Paterno had to watch the game from home as he recovered from a broken leg suffered the previous week at Wisconsin.

Golden, in fact, used Paterno as an example for his Temple team.

"The man is incredible," Golden said of Paterno. "He's focused and tough. I still tell my players to look at how he tried to get up after getting hit. That's the kind of toughness this team needs."

He said finally having the opportunity to coach against Paterno in Beaver Stadium hasn't fully sunk in. But said he's sure by game day his mind will start racing.

"I know when we get on the bus the memories will start to come back," Golden said. "If it weren't for my good experiences with coach Paterno at Penn State, I probably wouldn't be in coaching right now.

"Hopefully that's the impact I'll have here."

Paterno said he remembers Golden as both a reliable tight end and a leader. Golden was captain of the 1991 squad along with D'Onofrio. Golden also won the 1991 Ridge Riley Award, given annually to the Penn State player who best displays excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship, friendship and leadership.

Golden's coaching style is reminiscent of the way he played, Paterno said. Golden's never flashy and his teams are well-disciplined.

D'Onofrio, on the other hand, was a unique player according to Paterno.

"Al has always been a bright guy and was always independent. And do I have recollection of D'Onofrio?" Paterno said with a laugh. "[Give me] two hours and get the ladies out of here so I can use some language. Mark's a fiery guy and he's a good kid."

In the past, Paterno has warned coaches, including former Lion assistant Ron Dickerson in 1993, to stay away from the Temple job. He said the situation surrounding the troubled program could only mean failure for whoever took the job.

And just as Paterno predicted when Dickerson took the job, Temple compiled an 8-47 record during five-year stretch before Dickerson was fired.

But Golden, on the other hand, is a good fit for Philadelphia, Paterno said.

A native of Red Bank, N.J., Golden has recruiting ties in the area and has surrounded himself with a quality coaching staff.

In fact, Paterno said, Golden might be the perfect fit for Temple football.

"If anybody can get it done at Temple, Al and Mark can get it done," Paterno said. "You hope things go well for them ... not this Saturday. But they're doing a good job, and I'm pleased with them."

While Golden and D'Onofrio know a lot of Paterno's coaching tendencies, it doesn't mean the Lions are going to alter their preparation. He said thinking too much about an opposing coach can lead to problems.

Instead, Paterno said he has just looked at Temple's personnel and schemes.

He said he doesn't want to try to outthink himself when coaching against a former player.

Besides, Paterno said he doesn't see much of himself reflected in Golden's coaching style.

"I think he's gonna coach the way Al Golden should coach, not the way Al Golden thinks Joe Paterno should coach his team," Paterno said. "I don't see any similarity in the way he coaches and the way I coach.

"And I think that's a good thing for Temple," he said with a laugh.