Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Schmidt had the opportunity to pick up the fumble but did not, assuming it was an incomplete pass. The Panthers fell on the ball and punted a play later, but the missed opportunity cost the Irish around 30 yards of field position in a 21-21 game. "The execution on offense was awful," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "Defensively, we kept drives alive with a pass interference penalty and a personal foul, and we weren't alert enough to get on the ball with the fumble. "Then we gave up an explosive play in the passing game. We didn't coach well enough. It's on everybody. It's not one thing. It was to a large degree though, the execution was very poor." Notre Dame regained the ball with 3:58 remaining in the game, hoping to tie the game and force overtime. After crossing midfield, the offense stalled, though, and eventually turned the ball over on downs to Pittsburgh on a fourth-down fade pass to junior wide receiver DaVaris Daniels that fell incomplete. The Irish and Panthers produced a flurry of scores late in the third quarter — three in a span of 1:35. After Panthers freshman running back James Conner scored from two yards out with 3:47 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 14, Notre Dame needed just one play to answer. Rees found senior wide receiver TJ Jones on an 80-yard strike to once again put the Irish ahead by seven. Three plays later, the Panthers tied the game on Street's 63-yard touchdown grab and run. "I think it just comes down to — if you look at it objectively — we didn't play well offensively," Kelly explained. "We executed poorly on offense, and we needed to make a tackle. "We needed to be a little more disciplined on defense. We had a fourthdown pass interference; we had a personal foul penalty." In the second quarter, with the scored tied 7-7, Jones committed a rare misstep of his own when he fumbled at the end of a 35-yard reception from Rees. Vinopal jarred the ball loose, and Pittsburgh recovered at its own 6-yard line. "I was running, tried to open up my stride, the ball was loose and I thought I knew where he was right before I went to double clutch it before they hit me," Jones said. "He got his arm inside of mine, and when I rolled over the top of him it just popped out." Notre Dame entered the game with the starting defensive line trio of Day, senior nose guard Louis Nix III and junior defensive end Stephon Tuitt for the first time since Sept. 14. Officials, however, ejected Tuitt for targeting on the first play of the second quarter. After scrambling out of the pocket, Savage lowered his helmet as he saw Tuitt approaching. Tuitt, who had also lowered his head, struck Savage's helmet with his helmet. The officials reviewed the play and upheld the original call, removing Tuitt for the remainder of the game. After the game, Kelly said the call had no impact on the outcome of the contest. Notre Dame's BCS chances likely ended with its third defeat, and the Irish will be relegated to choosing a