Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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to score a rushing touch- down against the Irish this season. "I thought he ran ex- tremely well," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "We tackled subpar for us in terms of our defense. I know [defensive coordinator Bob] Diaco would not be happy right now." Graham almost didn't get to make the trip to South Bend. Two days before the game, he and two other Pittsburgh players were charged with assault, stemming from an incident that oc- curred shortly after the Panthers beat Buffalo Oct. 20. Redshirt fresh- man ornerback Lafayette Pitts, who returned five kickoffs for 128 yards against the Irish, and redshirt junior wide re- ceiver Devin Street, who had three catches for 35 yards, were also named in the alleged assault. Pittsburgh released a statement Friday say- ing the school would not suspend any of the football players before it was able to gather more information about the charges. WALKING WOUNDED The after effects of a flu virus that hit the Notre Dame locker room a week ago took its toll on some of the play- ers against Pittsburgh and during the week of preparation. Junior nose guard Louis Nix III did not start and played sparingly in the first quarter after spending two nights in the infir- mary earlier in the week. Senior Kona Schwenke started in Nix's spot, but the 320-pound corner- stone of the defensive line played through- out the second half. He finished the game with four tackles and a half a sack. "The kid was sick all week, and he busted his butt to help our football team today," head coach Brian Kelly said. "Louis Nix has a lot in the bank of trust with me." Sophomore safety hard," fifth-year captain Kapron Lewis-Moore said. "They fought through sickness, and Mat thias wi th his thumb, those guys are tough." "Those guys fought down with three min- utes remaining in regu- lation, Notre Dame was at midfield and in need of a big play. Sophomore quarterback Everett Gol- son scrambled on first down, buying a long time for his receivers to find open grass before heaving a 45-yard bomb to classmate DaVaris Daniels. Daniels was running BIG DAY FOR DANIELS Trailing by a touch- Matthias Farley also played through pain against Pi t tsburgh. Doctors inserted two metal plates and six screws into his right hand in a surgery ear- lier in the week. Farley played with a cast on the hand Saturday. He was relieved at times by first-year player Nicky Baratti. a dig route near the 35- yard line when he saw his quarterback was in trouble and turned up the field to provide a deep option. Daniels got behind his defender before slipping back in front of him to catch Golson's pass at the 5-yard line. "The whole week I've kind of been on DaVa- ris about when a play breaks down, improvise and just get open," Gol- son said. "He did it one time before. I was so for-