In front of a sellout College GameDay crowd, Notre Dame takes on Pittsburgh at noon in a critical matchup to stay in the playoff hunt. The No. 9 Irish and No. 22 Panthers are both 7-2, boasting strong run defenses and at times suspect pass defenses. Here’s how the Irish can get it done with the world watching.
Establish the run early
Pitt boasts one of the most statistically effective run defenses across the entire Power 4, yielding only 2.5 yards per rush and 86.4 yards per game. The Panthers have given up 170 rushing yards twice this season: once against West Virginia in an overtime loss and once against Florida State in a three-point nail-biting road win. Mike Denbrock’s offense on the other hand is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and nearly 200 per game. In fact, the junior tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has only been held under 100 yards once, in the game against Miami in the season opener.
In that game, the Irish only attempted 16 rushes between Love and Price, season-low carries for both. Simplifying the game plan for freshman CJ Carr resulted in quick throws, and the Irish didn't have the luxury of leaning on the struggling ground game facing a double-digit deficit in the second half. This was the only game where the Irish were outrushed by an opponent throughout this season.
Notre Dame must control the line of scrimmage by leaning on the run against Pitt. Even if the attempts fail to yield early success, Notre Dame must run the ball to open up space for receivers in play action. Notre Dame has been fantastic creating chunk rushes and converting third downs, which it must excel in once again.
Prevent the deep ball
Freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel has filled in nicely as quarterback for Pitt after the 2-2 start that left the season on the ropes. However, the inexperienced passer has tossed five interceptions in his five starts, and has made normal mistakes for a young quarterback against good defenses. Pitt has liked to push the ball deep and is averaging 300 yards through the air.
Pitt is below average on the ground at just 120 yards per contest and 3.4 yards per carry. While Pitt may not be able to break big runs, it uses its backs to create play action looks to push the ball downfield. Irish corners Christian Gray and Leonard Moore will likely be tested in man coverage against receivers Kenny Johnson and Poppi Williams, both of whom have eclipsed 500 yards.
Put Pitt’s offense under pressure by scoring early
After the shaky start for the Irish defense at the beginning of the season, it has molded to resemble many of the opportunistic Marcus Freeman defenses of the past. Now averaging two takeaways and over two sacks per game, the defense has shown its backbone in a big way, especially in seemingly every second half. Building an early lead could be the difference for the Irish against a young, untested offense.
With Pitt’s young quarterback and mediocre rushing attack, an early deficit could be fatal for the Panthers. Heintschel overcame a 21-14 deficit against Florida State on the road, but outside of that game, the freshman has not been in many demanding situations. Florida State has self-destructed since the Pitt loss, which cannot be said for an Irish defense which is only improving. With Notre Dame’s ability to control a lead, scoring on the first drive of the game and coming out of the half well should be essential parts of Mike Denbrock’s game plan on the road.
Tune the noise out
Notre Dame is firmly in playoff contention as the highest-ranked two-loss team, sitting in the playoff committee’s No. 9 spot. Despite the team’s red-hot success, winning seven games in a row, drama looms in college football discourse. Coaching rumors are swirling about Marcus Freeman bolting to the NFL or an SEC job, and even while it might be speculation, the rumors have been all over major media outlets. Additionally, fans have questioned Notre Dame’s merit at No. 9 as the highest two-loss team in the playoff committee’s most recent ranking.
Most notably, coaches across conferences have taken shots directly at Notre Dame for remaining independent from a football conference. This week, when asked about concerns of the pressure of College GameDay, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said, “It is not an ACC game … I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10 … They could put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that.”
Notre Dame’s players and coaches must tune out the noise in the most important game of the season. This requires focus, trust in the preparation and most importantly, attention to detail on Saturday. The Irish will have an opportunity to prove the chatter meaningless in front of America. Notre Dame and Pitt kick off at noon inside Acrisure Stadium.
