On a perfect day for football in the Steel City, Notre Dame notched an impressive 37-15 ranked win over No. 22 Pitt. The Irish’s dominant play silenced the Panthers’ vibrant head coach Pat Narduzzi. The win also adds another impressive mark to Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff resume.
The game started off cagey. Pitt’s initial possession ended with a monstrous sack from junior defensive end Joshua Burnham. The 6-foot-4 mammoth of a human being powered through the Panthers’ lackluster offensive line before clobbering Pitt’s talented freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel to the ground. Sophomore safety Adon Shuler added an equally impressive hit that sent shockwaves around Pittsburgh just a few plays prior.
To the dismay of the large contingent of Blue and Gold faithful nestled in the upper decks at Acrisure Stadium, Notre Dame’s offensive unit was able to carry the momentum of the defense into its opening drive. The Irish worked the ball into field-goal range. However, freshman Erik Schmidt’s attempt hooked wide right.
One Panthers three-and-out later, Notre Dame’s superstar junior running back Jeremiyah Love exploded on the Irish’s first play of the drive for a 56-yard touchdown. After racing through a hole opened by Notre Dame’s star-studded offensive line, Love cleverly twirled around an oncoming defender before racing to the house. The play deservingly generated a ton of buzz on social media, with many labeling Love as a Heisman candidate.
The run is made even more impressive considering Pitt marched into the top-25 clash boasting the third-ranked rushing defense in the country, giving up just shy of 81 yards per game on the ground.
After the game, Freeman spoke of Love’s explosive playmaking ability against the stingy Panthers’ rush defense, saying, “Man, it was like a fight. Grit, every yard. Then also, Jeremiyah is going to break one. That’s what he does. He’s going to break a tackle and make a play.”
With the touchdown, the Irish took a 7-0 lead. Just 10 seconds later, that lead was doubled on the first play of Pitt’s drive as Heintschel was picked off by freshman safety Tae Johnson. The young safety took it to the end zone directly in front of the previously-rowdy Pitt student section. From that moment on, the atmosphere within the stadium was different. The rambunctious cheering turned into a hopeful, reserved one before eventually falling flat as the game moved along.
Both teams traded possessions for the rest of the quarter. Burnham found great success in the pass rush, adding another sack to his collection and tallying three tackles.
To open up the second, freshman quarterback CJ Carr threw an uncharacteristically dangerous ball. The pass was picked off by Pitt senior Kavir Bains-Marquez with a lengthy return following. Although the Panthers were once again uninspiring on the offensive side of the ball, they were able to settle for a field goal to at least remove any possibility of a shutout.
The Irish responded with a methodical, eight-minute drive, chewing the clock through a pounding brand of football. Eventually, nestled just one foot shy of the goal line, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock opted to pass on fourth and goal. The decision backfired as Carr rolled right and couldn’t connect with senior tight end Eli Raridon.
However, the offense had a chance to remedy its mistakes after Pitt once again went three-and-out. On first down and 10 from the Pitt 29, Pitt jumped offsides. With the free-play opportunity, Carr heaved a ball for senior wide receiver Malachi Fields. The former Virginia star came down with it, providing the Irish with a 21-3 lead that they carried into halftime.
The play wasn’t Fields’ only big-time play of the half. On the last play of the first quarter, Fields made an otherworldly 35-yard one-handed grab.
“He made some huge contested catches,” Freeman said on Fields. He continued, “We got them to jump offside a couple times, and we were able to throw it up. That 50/50 ball was a 100/0 ball. He was able to make those plays when he did, and that’s what we expect out of him.”
For the most part, the Irish dominated the second half. They controlled the clock, squandering any chance the Panthers had at mounting a comeback. Fields found the end zone once again early in the third. Pitt responded off of a well-timed interception from Rasheem Biles on Notre Dame’s next offensive possession. Backed up at the 15-yard line, Carr’s intended screen to freshman wideout Micah Gilbert was jumped and returned for a touchdown.
If that play gave Pitt any sense of hope, Adon Shuler’s subsequent 107-yard pick-two on the Panthers’ two-point conversion attempt diffused it all.
The Irish’s final touchdown came early in the fourth quarter courtesy of a five-yard run from Carr. In the final five seconds of the game, Narduzzi called a timeout with Pitt on Notre Dame’s 21-yard line to the surprise of most in the stadium. Out of the break, the Panthers snapped the ball quickly, and tight end Malachi Thomas galloped into the end zone to put a bow on the game and move Pitt into double digits.
“I wanted to go celebrate, but here’s what I’m thinking. To each their own. You know what I mean? I don’t ever comment on another program. But also, I don’t even have time to think about that. Like, they called a timeout, ‘OK guys, let’s get them stopped.’ That’s my challenge with my guys. I don’t know exactly what happened on the last play and how they scored on it,” Freeman said on the action-packed finish to the game.
Regardless of how the game ended, the Irish controlled the tempo throughout. Love became the first rusher in nearly three years to notch over 100 yards against the Panthers’ strong run-stopping defense.
With the win, Notre Dame puts itself in good position to possibly host a home Playoff game. The Irish return to The House that Rockne Built for a Senior Day clash against Syracuse next Saturday before wrapping up the season on the road at Stanford. Both of those teams lost to Pitt. With college football being ever unpredictable, there is a good chance that the Irish can move up.
Regardless, Freeman’s intent is clear.
“They know the opportunity at hand. They know that all they can focus on is the opportunity in front of us. Like, I don’t have time to focus on anything else but this football program and what we have to do. If I focus on something other than that, then I am wasting time. That’s our focus, and that’s got to be our players’ focus,” Freeman said.
Freeman understands the Irish control their own destiny. It’s up to the team to get the job done.
