DeKALB | Yes, Temple’s football team is in the midst of a 19-game losing streak.

It began on Nov. 13, 2004 when Temple lost its last game of the season 34-17 to Boston College.

That fall was also Temple football’s last year competing in the Big East Conference.

Now, MAC football fans will be seeing a lot more of Temple when it joins the conference in 2007. In the meantime, the MAC has allowed Temple to be an affiliate member and to play each conference team one time during 2005 and 2006.

But before the start this fall, Temple added fresh blood in its attempt to not only turn around recent struggles, but the entire history of the program.

You see, Temple football began in 1894, and since then the program has put together an all-time record of 388-504-52. That’s a .408 winning percentage — that is, if you want to call it a winning percentage.

And the brave man who has taken on the task of turning things around is first-year coach Al Golden.

Although Golden’s team is off to an 0-7 start this fall, the coach said his focus is not so much what’s happening on the field, but off it.

“We needed to change the culture and identify the things that would be the bedrock of our program,” Golden said.

That bedrock included attending all classes, sitting in the front row and not wearing hats in class. It also meant reinstalling team and individual discipline, and being on time.

But Golden also wanted the players to know he came to Temple to serve them first. His mission statement: provide service to players, above all else.

Golden came in before the start of this summer and built in a block of time within each of his assistant coach’s schedules so they could spend time with players from 1 to 3:30 p.m. over the summer.

He even turned the players relaxation and pool table room into a 15-computer academic study center. The result: the team’s highest GPA in years, a 3.06 over the summer semester.

“There wasn’t a winning culture here,” Golden said. “But we know the MAC is an excellent conference. There’s a sense of pride in Midwest football, and it suits us perfectly.”

Maybe too perfect. For those who forgot, NIU coach Joe Novak’s teams lost 23 games in a row at one point from 1996-98, and joined the MAC in 1997.

Golden said he spoke to Novak, and “Smokin’ Joe” told him two things. One: stick to your plan and don’t back down. Two: surround yourself with the best people you can find.

From 1996 until now, Novak’s philosophy has led NIU football to greater heights. So, it’s not impossible, Coach Golden. Not yet.

Sean Connor is an NIU football beat reporter for the Northern Star.