Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH Syracuse and to struggle against Louisville … even [in a win] against Buffalo [126 rushing yards] they weren't dom- inating the Bulls on the ground." The Panthers ranked 32nd nationally in total defense (342.1 yards per game) through Oct. 20, thanks to a defensive sec- ondary that was allow- ing just 199.4 yards per contest. The bright spot defen- sively has been a quartet of safeties, led by starters Facts & Figures the two schools, with Notre Dame leading the all- time series 46-20-1. The Fighting Irish have won three of the last five games against the Panthers, including two straight. Pittsburgh Head Coach Paul Chryst's Record • 3-4 (.429) in one season at Pitt Satellite Radio (channel 129). Series Facts: This is the 68th meeting between missed the final five games in 2011 with an ACL injury but still rushed for 948 yards in his junior campaign. He had five touchdowns and 513 yards through seven games this season, and he was av- eraging 4.5 yards per carry. He has also caught 18 passes for 173 yards and a score. signal-caller was plagued by turnovers in 2011, throwing 11 interceptions compared to 10 touch- downs, though his 247 completions tied a single- season school record. This fall, Sunseri has thrown for 1,878 yards and 10 touchdowns with just two picks on 142-of-206 passing. • RB Ray Graham (1) — The 5-9, 190-pounder Prime Personnel • QB Tino Sunseri (12) — The fifth-year senior Game Info Date: Nov. 3, 2012 Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,795) Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET Television: NBC Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS PITTSBURGH AT NOTRE DAME Jason Hendricks, who led the team in tackles (48) and interceptions (four), and Jarred Holley, who ranked second with 42 tackles, along with ju- nior defensive end Aaron Donald, who had seven tackles for loss thus far. ✦ ful defensive end, Donald (6-0, 275), while fight- ing double-teams most of the year, powered to a team-high seven tackles for loss, two sacks and 25 total tackles in the first seven contests. His 10 quarterback hurries nearly matched the 13 by the rest of his teammates. • S Jason Hendricks (25) — The 6-0, 180-pound • DE Aaron Donald (97) — A quick and power- redshirt junior safety leads a secondary that ranks 27th nationally in passing yards allowed per game (199.4). He leads the team with 48 tackles and four interceptions. sons at Wisconsin (2002, 2005-11), mostly as the Badgers' offensive coordinator. In 2011, Wisconsin finished 11-3, played in the Rose Bowl and broke several offensive school records, including points per game (44.1), total offense per game (469.9 yards), total rushing in a season (3,298) and pass- ing yards in a season (3,280). • The future of the Notre Dame-Pitt rivalry, at For The Record • Pitt head coach Paul Chryst spent eight sea- least on a yearly basis, is unclear once the Irish be- gin playing five ACC teams a season per the stipu- lations of its recent acceptance into the league in all sports other than football and hockey. The Irish and Panthers, who will join the ACC next season, have squared off nine times since 2001, but the ACC will determine Notre Dame's five conference opponents each season on a rotating basis moving forward.