Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 31, 2020 23 PITT RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Pitt appeared to give up on the ground attack and not try to force it from the start, reminding us of how Notre Dame was at Georgia last year. The Panthers had two yards on the ground in the first half while falling behind 28-3 at the intermission, and they tried to compensate with long screens that were mostly unsuccessful. One of the worst rushing teams in the country, Pitt managed only 44 yards versus the stout Irish front. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame PITT PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Minus any threat of the run, way too much of the onus was put on redshirt freshman quarterback Joey Yellen, playing in place of injured senior starter Kenny Pickett. Yellen had initial success on the opening series and connected on a couple of early fades, including 33 yards to freshman phenom Jordan Ad- dison, the top receiver in the ACC, early in the second quarter. But Addison's other two catches totaled seven yards, with sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton several times assisting the corners, especially fifth-year senior Nick McCloud, in coverage on Addison. The more Pitt fell behind — 14-3, 21-3, 28-3 — the more it abandoned the run and the more Yellen began forcing passes into the middle or out of his comfort zone, resulting in three interceptions in Notre Dame territory that set up a trio of touchdowns. In the third quarter alone Yellen, under constant duress without any threat of a run, was 1 of 7 for six yards and two picks. He finished 10 of 27 for only 101 yards. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. PITT RUN DEFENSE The Panthers entered the contest No. 1 nationally against the run (61.5 yards per game) and lived up to the data when the four Notre Dame running backs combined for 79 yards on 41 attempts, with no run longer than nine yards. Underrated and somewhat overshadowed was fifth-year senior quarterback Ian Book's mobility against the vaunted pass rush. He escaped several would-be sacks and managed to scramble for 40 yards with his impromptu skills and in- stincts. His ability to extend the play continually moved the chains for the Irish (9 of 13 on third downs the first three quarters) and frustrated a Pitt defense that sold out on the run but often seemed to lack a spy on Book. ADVANTAGE: Pitt NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. PITT PASS DEFENSE It wasn't one of Book's more accurate games (16 of 30), but you take 312 yards, 10.4 yards per attempt, three scores and no interceptions — and only two sacks from a team ranked No. 2 nationally with about five per game — any day. Several passes sailed, separation remained an issue many times and shots downfield were still fairly minimal. Still, fifth-year senior wide receiver Ben Skowronek adjusted well to the ball on his 34- and 73-yard touchdown catches, freshman tight end Michael Mayer (five catches for 73 yards and a score) added new headaches to a defense, and senior slot receiver Avery Davis (three catches for 44 yards) provided some complementary work. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Multiple penalties in the kicking game hurt the Panthers, but the ultimate demoralizing play was the blocked punt by sophomore defensive end Isaiah Foskey that he recovered in the end zone with only 11 seconds remaining before halftime. That extended the advantage to 28-3 and sealed Pitt's fate. Notre Dame's kick coverage improved after the Panthers' first two returns were brought back to their 36- and 31-yard lines. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS While building its 45-3 advantage the first three quarters Notre Dame was 9 of 13, with the tone set on the game's opening series and touchdown march when Book scrambled for six on third-and-six and then found Mayer for 12 yards on third-and-four. The 73-yard scoring pass to Skowronek that made it 14-3 occurred on third-and-14. The third Irish touchdown came after a Pitt pass interference in the end zone on third-and-nine. Overall the Irish were 11 of 18 (61.1 percent). Pitt converted its first two third downs while cutting the deficit to 7-3 — but was 1 of 11 thereafter to finish 3 of 13 (23.1 percent). Pitt's last four failed third-down conversions in the first half were all at least third-and-seven and as long as third-and-13. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame TURNOVERS Notre Dame entered the contest with only one interception during its 4-0 start, but recorded three against the Panthers over a span of 15:56 in the sec- ond and third quarters. Furthermore, those picks by junior linebacker Bo Bauer, senior rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and fifth-year senior cornerback Nick McCloud all came in Notre Dame territory, or were returned there, resulted in 21 points off turnovers. The Irish did not commit a turnover for the second game in a row. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame ANALYSIS The game was settled in the first half (28-3 at halftime) when the Panthers pretty much conceded they could not run the ball and tried to compensate by going mainly horizontal with the passing attack. When it went vertical minus starting quarterback Pickett (injured two weeks earlier), the result was three quick interceptions. A one-dimensional team is going to have severe problems against this Notre Dame defense, and it showed. Pitt's run defense did its part, but Book's escape skills against the rush and Pitt's vulnerability versus the pass while selling out against the run cost it in a fourth straight defeat. ON PAPER REVISITED BY LOU SOMOGYI Junior linebacker Shayne Simon and the Fighting Irish defense harassed Pitt redshirt freshman quarterback Joey Yellen into a 10-of-27 passing perfor- mance while intercepting him three times. PHOTO BY CHARLES LECLAIRE, USA TODAY SPORTS/COURTESY ACC