If asked what Irish football rivalry is the most historic, many say USC or Michigan. However, the Pittsburgh Panthers are often left out of the conversation despite over 100 years of history with Notre Dame. Since their first meeting in 1909 when Notre Dame won in a 6-0 feat, Pitt has become a regular fixture on the football schedule. They have played 72 times, the fourth-most of any Irish opponent. Notre Dame leads the series 50-21-1. Many matchups between the two were routine Irish wins, but a few games continue to stand out.
The first such game was in 1965 when the Irish won in a 69-13 demolition. Bill Wolski starred in the match, running for five touchdowns before exiting in the third quarter due to a very comfortable lead. From 1973 to 1976 it was the reign of running back Tony Dorsett, who the Panthers used as their main weapon against the Irish. Dorsett ran for 754 yards against Notre Dame over four seasons, the most any individual player has ever tallied. In 1975, his 303 rushing yards resulted in a 34-20 Pitt win after 11 years of Irish dominance.
Notre Dame performed an upset of their own in 1982, riding off the back of Allen Pinkett. Although the Panthers proved they deserved their No. 1 ranking, compiling seven wins, Pinkett scored two touchdowns from over 50 yards out, demanding the 31-16 win that knocked Pitt out of its top spot. The Irish dominated in the 90s, winning six of its seven games. The highlight came in 1993 from Lee Becton running 142 yards on 16 carries en route to a 44-0 clobbering. In 1996, Allen Rossum became the third player in program history to return two punts all the way to other end zone, securing a 60-6 win.
The first decade of the 2000s was action-packed on both ends of the rivalry, with an even 5-5 record split. In 2003, Julius Jones led Notre Dame to a 20-14 decision, scoring the only two touchdowns of the day, but hitting his program record of 262 rushing yards for 24 carries. The Panthers returned the following year with a better offense. Quarterback Tyler Palko threw five touchdown passes, totaling 334 yards, and a field goal from Josh Cummings secured the 41-38 Pitt win. In 2005, the last time the two teams played for College GameDay, the Panthers fell short in the second quarter and lost 42-21. In 2008, fans witnessed the longest game in the matchup, with a quadruple-overtime thriller in favor of Pitt, 36-33. Despite the Irish having a 17-3 lead at halftime, the game slipped away from them, and it came down to kicker Conor Lee kicking five field goals to keep them extending overtime and ultimately scoring the last points of the game.
Both teams enter the matchup with 7-2 records, Pitt recording losses to West Virginia and No. 21 Louisville. The Panthers have beaten mutual ACC opponents Boston College and NC State, but has also recorded big wins against Stanford, Syracuse and Florida State.
At Monday’s press conference, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi voiced his interesting options about this weekend’s game stating, “It’s not an ACC game. I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110-10 in that game. They could put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that.”
College GameDay is heading to Pittsburgh this weekend for Pitts’ fourth appearance on College GameDay, and the first since 2022 when they beat West Virginia 38-31. A victory will improve Notre Dame’s record by granting it another ranked opponent. If the Panthers were to pull out a win, it may generate some buzz about a late-season College Football Playoff run.
The rivalry will not be going away anytime soon, as both teams remain on future schedules for nearly 10 years. The 73rd matchup is set for 12:30 p.m., Nov. 15 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
