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Temple safety Hayes may miss Central Florida game

Health-wise, Temple's football team remains in fairly good shape, but coach Matt Rhule said Monday that he expects safety Will Hayes to miss his second straight game when the Owls host Central Florida in an American Athletic Conference game Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Health-wise, Temple's football team remains in fairly good shape, but coach Matt Rhule said Monday that he expects safety Will Hayes to miss his second straight game when the Owls host Central Florida in an American Athletic Conference game Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

According to Rhule, Hayes pulled his hamstring during a seven-on-seven drill last week and didn't dress for the 49-10 win over visiting Tulane.

"He will probably be out this week," Rhule said during a conference call with reporters. "At best it would the game after that. It was one of those bad hamstring pulls."

Hayes has 12 tackles and returned a blocked PAT for a two-point score in the Owls' 25-23 win at Massachusetts.

Temple hosts a Central Florida team that had high preseason expectations but is off to an 0-6 start.

Rhule also said that Zaire Williams, who had left the team for a week, is back. Williams, a redshirt sophomore, switched from running back to linebacker late in the preseason.

A week ago Monday, Williams talked to Rhule about his playing time and the coach told him to take a week off.

According to Rhule, Williams, who rushed for 533 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2013 before missing most of last year with a back injury, returned to practice Monday and was with the team during its pep rally last Friday.

"Zaire has played a lot of football for us and right now is trying to figure out where he fits - we all are," Rhule said. "But he is a really good football player and his time will come again."

mnarducci@phillynews.com

@sjnard