Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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128 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY BRYAN DRISKELL Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi was instrumental in Michigan State going from Big Ten also-ran to league powerhouse, serving as defensive coordinator and helping lead his troops to multiple top-10 finishes. Narduzzi has failed to build that kind of defense in Pittsburgh, going 22-17 in his first three seasons. "Narduzzi is in his fourth year and coming off a 5-7 season, so there is an apprehension and a sense of urgency among the fan base," Panther-Lair.com publisher Chris Peak ex- plained. "On one hand, the fans see a veteran defense that played well late in the 2017 season and an exciting young quarterback. "On the other hand, several establishments have put Pitt's over/under on wins this season at 4.5 or 5. Fans can see that, too, due to depar- tures on offense." Late last season Pittsburgh started looking like a program one would expect under Nar- duzzi. The Panthers held four of their final five opponents to 17 points or less. Its final five foes averaged just 95.2 rushing yards per game, and the majority of that defense returns. "This should be Narduzzi's best defense at Pitt," Peak said. 'The young group showed the value of experience and settled in to play pretty well over the final half of the year. "With a lot of experience and some pretty good talent … 2018 should be a good season overall for the unit. They'll be strong against the run by design, but the pass rush should be improved and the secondary should hold its own." Improved quarterback play is desperately needed, and the emergence of sophomore Kenny Pickett late last season is another rea- son for optimism. In four games, he completed 59.1 percent of his throws for 509 yards and a score. "[Pickett] made his first career start in the 2017 finale and led Pitt to an upset of Miami," Peak said. "Pickett really did lead the victory, accounting for three touchdowns and generally willing the team to the win." If Pickett and the defense can do in 2018 what it did late in 2017, Narduzzi and the Pan- thers should start to ascend. ✦ 2018 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2017 Result Sept. 1 Albany — Sept. 8 Penn State L, 33-14 Sept. 15 Georgia Tech L, 35-17 Sept. 22 at North Carolina L, 34-31 Sept. 29 at UCF — Oct. 6 Syracuse L, 27-24 Oct. 13 at Notre Dame — Oct. 27 Duke W, 24-17 Nov. 2 at Virginia W, 31-14 Nov. 10 Virginia Tech L, 20-14 Nov. 17 at Wake Forest — Nov. 24 at Miami (Fla.) W, 24-14 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Notre Dame leads 48-21-1 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 42, Pittsburgh 30 (Nov. 7, 2015; Pittsburgh) Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi, 21-17 at Pittsburgh and overall (4th year) 2017 Results: 5-7 overall, 3-5 ACC Coastal (T-4th) Returning Starters: 13 (4 offense, 9 defense) 2018 Preseason Rankings: No. 43 by Athlon, No. 57 by ESPN Football Power Index and No. 61 by Lindy's Did You Know?: Senior offensive lineman Alex Bookser was named a preseason second-team All-ACC pick by Athlon … First-year defensive coordinator Randy Bates spent the previous 12 seasons coaching linebackers at Northwestern … Offensive line coach Dave Borbely coached the same position at Notre Dame from 1998- 2001 … Head strength and conditioning coach Dave Andrews served as the assistant director of strength and conditioning at Notre Dame in 2014 … Junior quarterback Ricky Town is at his fourth college; he signed with USC out of high school before transferring to Arkansas and then Ventura (Calif.) College before heading to Pitt. Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Pittsburgh 17 STRENGTH: Linebackers Pittsburgh's 3-2 finish to the 2018 season gives Panther fans reasons for optimism. The squad rode a suffocating defense during its late- season surge, with the Panthers allowing only 18.0 points and 329.2 total yards per game. Pittsburgh held Miami (Fla.) to just 45 rush- ing yards on 23 carries in its upset win over the then-undefeated Hurricanes to end the season. The linebacker corps was young and inexperi- enced when the season began, but it improved throughout the weeks. It found its groove late and was a prime reason for the strong finish. The unit is now expected to play a major role in a defensive resurgence. Senior Oluwaseun Idowu led the Panthers with 94 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. An athletic and experienced defender, he was pegged as a preseason All-ACC second- team player by Athlon Sports and Lindy's. Junior Saleem Brightwell returns at the mid- dle linebacker spot after racking up 73 tackles. Brightwell had four games with double-digit stops, including a career-high 13 against Syra- cuse and 10 in a win over Virginia. Senior Quintin Wirginis was projected to start at the middle spot last year before being sus- pended for the season, but he is back in 2018. CONCERN: Offensive Line Pittsburgh has had three starting offensive linemen selected in the last two NFL Drafts, most notably tackle Brian O'Neill, a second- round pick in 2018. In all, the Panthers lost three starting offen- sive linemen, including a pair of All-ACC players. According to Peak, the concern for Pitt is the unit wasn't consistent last season and now faces so much turnover. Right tackle Alex Bookser is coming off an hon- orable mention All-ACC season, but 21 of his 25 career starts have been at guard. Pittsburgh will need him to become an anchor up front. Center Jimmy Morrissey began his career as a walk-on before earning a starting spot as a true sophomore. He beat out converted defen- sive tackle Connor Dintino, who is now slated to start at guard. The other starting guard is expected to be senior Mike Herndon, who has split time between offensive and defensive line. The player tasked with replacing O'Neill — a first-team All-ACC performer last season — will be a newcomer to the roster, Kent State gradu- ate transfer Stefano Millin. Though a 30-game starter for the Golden Flashes, Millin did not receive All-MAC honors last fall. PITTSBURGH PANTHERS OCT. 13 • NOTRE DAME STADIUM • SOUTH BEND X-FACTOR: Quarterback play was an issue for Pitts- burgh in 2017, and the Panthers are hoping Kenny Pickett can fix the problem. He made one start last season, and it was Pittsburgh's 24-14 season- ending victory over 10-0 and No. 2-ranked Miami (Fla.). The then-freshman accounted for 253 yards and three scores in the upset. PHOTO COURTESY PITT ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Darrin Hall (628 yards, 9 TD) Passing: QB Kenny Pickett (509 yards, 1 TD) Receiving: WR Rafael Araujo-Lopes (531 yards, 2 TD) Tackles: LB Oluwaseun Idowu (94) Sacks: Idowu (5) Interceptions: CB Dane Jackson (2)