Comeback canceled

PITTSBURGH — Golden Tate nearly brought the Irish back, but he couldn’t quite do it alone.

Neither could Dion Lewis, but he did enough.

Lewis rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown and No. 8 Pittsburgh beat Notre Dame 27-22 Saturday.

“It was a great win for the program, a great win for the kids, particularly those who were around here five years ago when we had a bad experience here,” said Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt, referring to Notre Dame’s 42-21 win over Pittsburgh in 2005 in both his and Irish coach Charlie Weis’ debuts.

The loss dropped the Irish to 6-4, while the Panthers moved to 9-1, 5-0 in Big East play.
“It’s dismal,” junior linebacker Brian Smith said of the mood in Notre Dame’s locker room.
Pittsburgh quarterback Bill Stull completed 15-of-27 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown.

Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen threw for 283 yards, most of them in the second half, and a touchdown and an interception.

Tate wouldn’t let the Irish lose. Down 27-16, he caught a punt, dodged a tackler and burst through the coverage team for an 87-yard return touchdown to make the score 27-22 with 7:16 left in the fourth quarter. On the two-point conversion attempt, Clausen’s shovel pass to tight end Mike Ragone fell incomplete and the score stayed the same.

Tate also had nine catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

“We got Golden out there because he’s the one guy with the ball in his hands who has a chance of making a big play,” Weis said.

As good as he played, though, Tate wanted more.

“I didn’t get open enough,” he said. “Put it on me. I need to make more plays.”

Notre Dame forced a punt and got the ball back near the end of the game, but Clausen was hit as he threw on third down and the pass fell incomplete. The play was reviewed and ruled a fumble, and Pittsburgh ran out the clock. Clausen said he couldn’t tell during the play whether or not he fumbled or the ball was knocked out when his arm was moving forward.

The Irish started to move the ball in the fourth quarter. Clausen completed 6-of-8 passes on an 11-play, 71-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tate. That made the score 27-16 with 9:10 remaining. Clausen completed 9-of-12 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Before that, however, the offense stalled.

“It was kind of weird looking back on it, I know we were moving the ball and then something happened to set us back,” Clausen said.

Pittsburgh gained 193 yards on the ground while Notre Dame had only 66. Running back Armando Allen played well in the first half, but was used sparingly in the second. He finished with 14 carries for 77 yards.

Punter Eric Maust struggled again for the Irish. He punted five times for an average of 24.8 yards per punt and three punts traveled less than 20 yards.

Notre Dame’s defense picked up for the offense in the first half. The Irish defense stopped Pittsburgh on the Notre Dame 43-yard line and forced a punt, but Irish linebacker Darius Fleming was called for a personal foul when he ran into punter Dan Hutchins, extending the Panthers’ drive. Pittsburgh got into the red zone, but stalled, and Hutchins kicked a 34-yard field goal to make the score 3-0 with 9:40 left in the first quarter.

Junior kicker David Ruffer, filling in for freshman Nick Tausch because he was hurt during warm-ups and could not play, made a 42-yard field goal in the first quarter to tie the score at three.

In the second quarter, Clausen heaved the ball up to receiver Michael Floyd in double coverage. Safety Jarred Holley came down with the ball, which flew long of Floyd, for Clausen’s fourth interception of the season.

Stull connected with receiver Jonathan Baldwin for two important passes on the ensuing drive, one a 21-yard third down conversion to the Notre Dame 36-yard line and the next a 36-yard touchdown. The score gave Pittsburgh a 10-3 lead with 2:31 left in the first half.
“He [Baldwin]’s awesome,” Stull said. “You have to have faith and know who you’re throwing to and I knew who I was throwing to with him.”

Early in the second half, Stull and Baldwin again connected for a long gain. Stull threw the ball up to Baldwin, who has five inches on cornerback Darrin Walls, and he came down with it for a 51-yard completion. Walls had good position but couldn’t get high enough to make a play on the ball. That play set up a 38-yard field goal from Hutchins to make the score 13-3 with 9:15 left in the third quarter.

Freshman running back Ray Graham finally broke through Notre Dame’s run defense with a 52-yard run down the sideline, thanks in part to a block from Stull. Graham scored on the next play from two yards out to make the score 20-3 with 6:36 left in the third quarter.

Two penalties almost derailed Notre Dame’s drive after Graham’s touchdown, but Clausen scored on a quarterback sneak. Panthers defensive end Greg Romeus blocked the extra point, however, so the score remained 20-9 with 14:56 left in the fourth quarter.

After waiting all game, Lewis finally broke free. He broke a 50-yard touchdown run right up the middle of Notre Dame’s defense to make the score 27-9 with 12:44 left in the game.

23 comments

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j dougherty

Mon Nov 16 2009 19:50

Remove John Jenkins CSC as incompetent !Accountability this is similar to the AIG debacle with derivatives
Jenkins is beyond help Jenkins hire extended and retained this fat ,foul mouthed fool and smiled during charlie weis 60 minute fith tirade coming out of Sacred Heart pre -game sounded like joe pesci in ""Casino Or ""Goodfellas''-
listen to the ""DR"" jenkins video of why ''ty willingham was fired ''PERFORMANCE ON THE FIELD''
should this same consecrated priest an incompetent on football matters having caused our beloved NOTRE DAME TO BE LAUGHED AT -SPIT ON 0 and have the general public treat we Alumni like retarded children
enough fire the pig tonight Sue Weis for fraud and restitution for the millions paid to him to date.Remenber Charlie flying off to Boston to attend the second medical malpractice trial 2 weeks before the 2007 season started- We knew Weis for what he was and is -cut his 450 lb gut to remedy his gluttony blame the Harvard MD for medical mal practice Jenkins did nothing We cant sue Jenkins for mal practice but we can remove him in just th same time and fashion that the Boston jury disposed of fat bos 20 million claim eat a sandwich make a quick batroom stop and find against Jenkins and Weis

oh yeah when the jury returned the dedense verdict with Tommy not present fot the retrial weis stated ""I would have given any verdict to cahrity

Well fat boyBE A NOTRE DAME MAN-RESIGN AFTER YOUR AL ROCKER STAPLE FROM JIM HARBAUGH 56 -10 AND RELEASE YOUR BELOVED NOTRE DAME FROM ANY ANY ANY PAYOUT OR GIVE THE PAYOUT TO NEADY NOTRE DAME SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS'' GO TO BIG BOB KRAFT GO BACK TO BILLICHECK HE NEED HELP!

R

kevin

Mon Nov 16 2009 19:14

anyone see Pete Carrol jawing with Jim Harbagh. He crushed USC twice. Bring him to ND

tvc

Mon Nov 16 2009 10:21

I meant QUIT bellyaching.

tvc

Mon Nov 16 2009 10:10

I think we all need to remember that the coaches and players feel as bad or worse than we do about the recent losses. Maybe as true fans we need to get bellyaching and dreaming of who would make a better coach and get behind the players and let them know that we believe they can win! Come on Irish, let's try to be supportive.

Fred Benson

Mon Nov 16 2009 08:36

Maybe it was the curse of the crash of Dick Ebersole, president of NBC Sports. Back in 2004, Ebersole and his family (which included Charlie, who went to ND) were involved in a plane crash, which claimed the life of Teddy Ebersole, Dick's other son. The Fighting Irish have crash landed since Ebersole's crash, and it's time for Weis to be fired and Ebersole to be fired by NBC Universal. Mr. Ebersole, why don't you attend a Notre Dame game on the road and be attacked by a Michigan or USC fan. If UConn beats Notre Dame Saturday, then the University deserves a TV deal with EWTN, the Global Catholic Network. With EWTN, Notre Dame can be more relevant with there fan base. Dump Weis, Ebersole and NBC, hire Cincinnati's Brian Kelly and EWTN.

John

Mon Nov 16 2009 01:37

Remember this gem from an article by Kerry Temple (see Notre Dame Magazine, Spring 2005):

This was one of the key points that President-elect John Jenkins, CSC, made several days after the Weis announcement when he addressed Notre Dame’s Faculty Board on Athletics. He also outlined the sequence of events that led to Willingham’s firing and named those involved. “It has been said there was inappropriate trustee involvement in this decision,” he said. “As to me personally, I was not pressured into any action I took by any member of the Board of Trustees. Senior University administrators did contact me to express concern —though not to pressure me. But neither the chairman of the board nor the chair of athletic affairs took the initiative to contact me about this situation. I took the initiative to ask their respective opinions.”

The priest said “a number of high-level administrators” had expressed concern about the team’s on-field performance and about “the trajectory” of the program. Referring to the Weis press conference, during which Jenkins had noted that success at Notre Dame consisted of “acting with integrity, giving our students a superb education and excelling on the field,” the priest added, “Success in only one or two of these areas is not the success we seek. Just as we would not tolerate a program which failed to graduate its students or to act with integrity, so we should not be content with one that fails to succeed on the field.”

Craig

Mon Nov 16 2009 00:46

Sam - let's keep CW another 50 years to see if he can move the program forward! Ty gets fired but CW gets to "move the program forward" - racism and arrogance - Notre Dame at its finest!

Sam

Sun Nov 15 2009 20:35

It was a tough loss but I think we should keep Weis another year to see if he can move the program forward.

Jack T

Sun Nov 15 2009 18:48

Coach Weis is a victim of The Peter Principle. Rember that? He was a great QB coach in the NFL; he is a great QB coach at ND. That's his comfort and level of competency. A head coach, however, must function at a higher level. A head coach must be professionaly responsible for all facets of the team (defence, special teams, QBs, and offense), but poor Charlie is not up to the task. He has exceeded his level of competency. But let's not thrown the baby out with the bath. Swallow your pride, Charlie, for your alma Mater and your "football kids" and ask for reassignment. ND and Weiss should work out a deal that retains the coach as offensive coordiantor, while recruiting a real head coach that knows how to findt and develop superior defensive players, as well as great offensive playmakers..

Gene

Sun Nov 15 2009 18:46

J DOUGHERTY, YOU SHOULD FIND SOME HELP.

RichDaddy

Sun Nov 15 2009 17:19

Let's face it, Notre Dame football is now officially irrelevant.

Sally

Sun Nov 15 2009 15:35

I have never been a fan of the coaching style of Charlie's but I thought he was a nice guy until the excuse he used for losing the Pitt game.
BOOT CHARLIE!!!!

Your name

Sun Nov 15 2009 14:51

J Doughtery you are quite disturbed. It is nice to see that University of Notre Dame promotes such nasty and hate-filled language. No wonder the entire nation hates ND.

Luke

Sun Nov 15 2009 13:35

Q- What do Charlie Weis, Bob Davie, and Tyrone Willingham have in common?

A- .583 winning percentage at Notre Dame.

Fire him and save this program that is freefalling into mediocrity.

Fire Weis

Sun Nov 15 2009 13:29

Bob Davie overall record at ND: 35-25
Charlie Weis overall record at ND: 35-25

hai-eins

Sun Nov 15 2009 13:01

anybody heard yet who our new coach is next year ? wake me up when they make the announcement.

. . . and if Jack doesn't already have a heavy (and I don't mean physically) locked and loaded ready to make the announcement 1 second after the end of the Stanford game then we need to fire him too.

cheers to a team a team of great players with tons of heart . . . best of luck to CW in his next role . . . Jack, do your job - pay whatever it takes.

Gene

Sun Nov 15 2009 12:30

Another long year. The Irish haven't had a good years since they reconstructed and desacrated Rockne's stadium. THE CURSE OF KNUTE ROCKNE.

ndfacts

Sun Nov 15 2009 10:28

David86, don't forget at least Faust's 1982 team upset No.1 Pitt (at Pitt) against Dan Marino (the Jimmy Clausen of his era).....but that's ancient history. Unfortuantely ND lacks leadership at the top, including its board of trustees. CW needs to do the honorable thing FOR HIS ALMA MATER if for no other reason.

Your name

Sun Nov 15 2009 09:49

Poor Droopy Dawg....He can't coach or win a game against any team with a little competitive moxie Althoiugh he sure looks good grazing at the buffet line....Look at those moves!

No disrespect to Notre Dame's starting left tackle -- I'm sure he's trying to do his best out on the gridiron....Is his name "Turnstyle?"

Can't wait till you guys visit Palo Alto. Charlie can't either....The buffet tables are fantastic!

Class of 81

Sun Nov 15 2009 09:29

Hey Charlie...how about next week at Connecticut game we sing

Na na na na na na na na Hey, hey, goodbye.

Bring on Gruden or Kelly or anyone, really.

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