Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/204831
Game Preview: pittsburgh On Paper By Andrew Owens Pittsburgh Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense Pittsburgh has boasted an impressive pedigree of running backs the past decade, with Ray Graham and Dion Lewis both making the NFL in recent years. This year's starter, junior Isaac Bennett, has shown signs of heading in the same direction, but the Panthers' rushing attack has been plagued by bouts of inconsistency that parallel Notre Dame's issues at the position. Through the first seven games of its schedule, Pitt ranked 93rd in the country with 140.7 rushing yards per game. The Panthers offensive line is a much larger group than the academies lined up against the Irish, and Pittsburgh — with three returning starters from the 2012 squad — experienced the most success against Notre Dame's vaunted rush defense a year ago when Graham rushed for 172 yards. Notre Dame's rushing defense has been similarly inconsistent, but has improved since the Oklahoma game. (The Air Force and Navy results inflate the stats a bit because the two triple-option teams are so rushing dependent.) Senior nose guard Louis Nix III has battled knee tendinitis in recent weeks, and his availability against the Panthers will be key for an Irish defense looking to force Pittsburgh to become one-dimensional and rely on streaky quarterback Tom Savage. Through eight games, Notre Dame ranked 42nd nationally with an average of 144.1 rushing yards allowed per game. Advantage: Even Pittsburgh Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense Outside of a six-touchdown performance in a 5855 win over Duke in September, Savage has been Fifth-year senior quarterback Tom Savage threw for 1,546 yards and 13 touchdowns in Pittsburgh's first seven games this year, but he also was sacked 24 times. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH inconsistent in head coach Paul Chryst's offense. Outside of the defeat of the Blue Devils, he has not thrown more than two touchdown passes in a game, and recorded three games without an interception and three games with two interceptions through