Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame preview
Notre Dame Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) Notre Dame 22, Pittsburgh 27
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly and Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt are very familiar with each other.
Last fall, Kelly was the head coach of Cincinnati, which edged Wannstedt’s Panthers 45-44 in one of the most exciting games of the year. The game ultimately decided the Big East Conference title and sent Cincinnati to its second straight BCS bowl game.
The two coaches meet again Saturday, although Kelly is now in his first year at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish and Panthers meet for the 66th time in their series at South Bend.
Two years ago, Pittsburgh beat the Irish under Charlie Weis 36-33 in a four-overtime thriller. It was the longest game ever for both schools.
Last fall, Pitt won again 27-22, surviving a scare when the Irish scored 19 fourth-quarter points. The Panthers come into Saturday’s game 2-2 while Notre Dame is now 2-3 after a convincing 31-13 win over Boston College last Saturday night.
Kelly’s spread offense has performed well as quarterback Dayne Crist has thrown for 1,358 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has passed for more yards in his first five career starts than any other quarterback in Notre Dame history.
Senior running back Armando Allen is having the best season of his career, having rushed for 392 yards. But it’s the Irish defense that’s vulnerable. To date, Notre Dame has yielded over 400 yards per game to its opponents.
Pittsburgh crushed Florida International last week 44-17, but struggled the previous week in losing at home to Miami 31-3.
The highlight of the FIU game was the play of tailback Ray Graham. Subbing for the injured All-American candidate Dion Lewis, Graham had a career day. The sophomore rushed for 277 yards on 29 carries, averaging 9.6 yards a carry, and scored three touchdowns.
It was the second-best single-game rushing mark in Panther history. Only Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett rushed for more, going for 303 yards against Notre Dame in 1975.
Graham has rushed for 492 yards in only three games. Lewis, who did not play against FIU because of a shoulder injury, is expected back and ready to play Saturday.
Lewis ranked third nationally in rushing (138.38 yards per game) and was the most decorated freshman in the country a year ago. He earned Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors.
Sophomore quarterback Tino Sunseri has completed 63 of 100 passes and thrown for four touchdowns for Pitt.
Defensively, the Panthers are still without senior defensive end Greg Romeus, who remains out following back surgery. Jabaal Sheard has helped pick up the slack with three sacks and six tackles for losses.
The Pitt secondary is vulnerable, however, as evidenced by Miami’s 348 yards in total offense against the Panthers. The two keys for Saturday’s game will be whether the Irish defense can halt the Pitt ground game and if Crist can light up the Panthers’ defensive backfield.
The series goes back to 1909, when the Irish won the first meeting 6-0. Notre Dame leads the rivalry, 44-20-1.