Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH "Physically, they're almost a wash. Peterman's got a tad better arm, but Voytik can run a little better. It came down to comfort level — Narduzzi said the offense just seemed to move better with Peterman." Changes from what was expected in the preseason don't stop at quarterback in the offensive backfield. All-American running back James Conner was ruled out for the season with an MCL injury suffered in Pittsburgh's season-opening win over Youngstown State, vaulting redshirt freshman Qadree Ollison to the forefront. The 6-2, 230-pounder has rushed for 662 yards and seven touchdowns in the Panthers' first seven games. "It's been a committee approach re- placing Conner, but Ollison has been the center of it," Peak said. "He's a bigger back; he's more in the mold of Conner. They really have been riding the hot hand, but Ollison has been the guy. "He's the one they rely on the most, and his numbers reflect that." Junior Tyler Boyd headlines the re- ceiving corps after he picked up first- team All-ACC honors in 2014. Boyd and Larry Fitzgerald (2002-03) are the only players in school history to achieve multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and the junior had already collected 578 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 63 receptions in Pitts- burgh's first eight games. "They're even finding a way to get him involved in the run game; he had 15 rushes in his first six games," Peak noted. "What you're seeing this year is more handoffs and screens, so he hasn't been able to get downfield as much for big pass plays. "So his yards per reception [9.2] are down this season, but everything else is right on pace with his previous seasons. He's one of the top two or three play- makers in the ACC, and he's got a great shot to be a first-round pick in the next NFL Draft. I don't see him coming back for his senior year." Defensively Pittsburgh was allowing 2015 PITTSBURGH SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 5 Youngstown State W, 45‑37 Sept. 12 at Akron W, 24‑7 Sept. 19 at Iowa L, 27‑24 Oct. 3 at Virginia Tech W, 17‑13 Oct. 10 Virginia W, 26‑19 Oct. 17 at Georgia Tech W, 31‑28 Oct. 24 at Syracuse W, 23‑20 Oct. 29 North Carolina L, 26‑19 Nov. 7 Notre Dame (ABC) 12 p.m. Nov. 14 at Duke TBA Nov. 21 Louisville TBA Nov. 27 Miami (ABC/ESPN) TBA 2015 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 5 Texas W, 38‑3 Sept. 12 at Virginia W, 34‑27 Sept. 19 Georgia Tech W, 30‑22 Sept. 26 Massachusetts W, 62‑27 Oct. 3 at Clemson L, 24‑22 Oct. 10 Navy W, 41‑24 Oct. 17 USC W, 41‑31 Oct. 31 at Temple W, 24‑20 Nov. 7 at Pittsburgh (ABC) 12 p.m. Nov. 14 Wake Forest (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 21 vs. Boston College (NBCSN)* 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at Stanford TBA * Shamrock Series at Fenway Park in Boston