Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/208902
three observations Turning Point A strong argument can be made that senior quarterback Tommy Rees' two interception tosses in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 21 were the difference. Another crucial play was with the score knotted at 21, senior linebacker Prince Shembo forced a fumble that could have been picked up by sophomore defensive end Sheldon Day for a potential touchdown return, but he instead thought the play was blown dead and Pitt maintained possession. Our pick is the 14:53 mark of the second quarter when junior defensive end Stephon Tuitt was ejected for "targeting" Pitt quarterback Tom Savage on a oneyard scramble. The call was controversial because Savage met Tuitt head on and wasn't defenseless. Pitt went on to score a touchdown on the series to tie the game at 7-7. Tuitt's absence changed the momentum and enabled the Panthers to control the game better with the pass and run the rest of the way. Stat Of The Game For the second year in a row, Notre Dame lost the turnover battle 3-0 to Pitt. Last year, the Irish managed to survive in a triple-overtime contest with the Panthers despite the minus-three figure. That seldom occurs. This time, another 3-0 deficit in turnovers to Pitt could not be overcome. In its seven victories this year Notre Dame committed five turnovers, including none versus Michigan State and only one apiece against Arizona State and By lou somogyi USC, all tight victories. In its three defeats the Irish had eight turnovers, two at Michigan and three apiece versus Oklahoma and Pitt. In those three losses Notre Dame forced one turnover. In 10 games this season, the Irish have forced a meager 10 turnovers. Two years ago during an 8-5 season, the Irish forced 14 turnovers — the fewest in the post-World War II era by a Notre Dame team. This year's squad is on pace to surpass that dubious standard. Playing Down To Competition Many reasons or excuses can be pointed to Notre Dame's defeat against Pitt, from the ejection of junior defensive end Stephon Tuitt on the first play of the second quarter to the 3-0-deficit in turnovers. In truth, the 2013 Notre Dame team has had a proclivity to play up or down to the level of the competition. It managed to escape against Purdue and Navy, but could never shake free from Pitt. The longer the Panthers stayed in the game, the greater their confidence built and the tighter the situation became for the Irish. Notre Dame's inability to establish a consistent ground game, explode out of the gates, the continued tackling issues on defense, especially on the back end, and mediocre special teams caught up to the Irish this time. The home game versus Brigham Young might be a toss-up, and the Irish could be a double-digit underdog in the finale at Stanford.