Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh Football 2009
Fighting Irish Aim to Slow Down Surging Panthers
Nov 13, 2009
The No. 8-ranked Panthers have won five consecutive games since suffering their lone defeat of the season — a 38-31 decision at North Carolina State on Sept. 26. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is coming off a 23-21 home setback to Navy.
Coach Charlie Weis' Fighting Irish (6-3) boast a deadly passing attack ignited by junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen and junior receiver Golden Tate. Notre Dame averages 325.6 yards per game through the air, ranking fifth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. The Irish are sixth in total offense (463.7 yards).
But they'll be battling a PIttsburgh team that leads the FBS in sacks. Coach Dave Wannstedt's Panthers have recorded 39 of them, averaging 4.3 per game. They had four in last week's 37-10 win over Syracuse.
Pitt, nonetheless, is also a potent offensive team that is tallying 34.6 per game — 4.5 more than Notre Dame. Freshman running back Dion Lewis and senior quarterback Bill Stull pace a unit that is gaining 408.4 yards per contest.
The Panthers are 5-0 in the Big East, and a win over Notre Dame would provide additional momentum for two huge conference games — vs. West Virginia on Nov. 27 and No. 5 Cincinnati on Dec. 5.
The Fighting Irish and Panthers will be meeting for the 65th time. Notre Dame leads the series 44-19-1, but Pitt won last year, 36-33, in four overtimes.
ABC will telecast Saturday's game, which is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.
Pitt Propelled by Deep Defensive Line
Pitt's pass-rush prowess is made possible by a deep defensive line. Tackle Mick Williams paces the group with 33 tackles — including a team-best 13 for losses.
Williams, who's posted three sacks and forced three fumbles, is joined up front by ends Greg Romeus (team-high 7.5 sacks) and Jabaal Sheard (2.5 sacks), as well as tackle Gus Mustakas (26 tackles).
The depth of the unit is made evident by the fact that reserves have compiled better sack numbers than most of the starters. Myles Caragein, Brandon Lindseyy and Chase Alecxih are tied for second on the team with four apiece.
Safety Dom DeCicco is the leading tackler for the Panthers, who are allowing 17.1 points and 310.9 yards per game. DeCicco has 64 stops, and linebackers Max Gruder (58 tackles) and Adam Gunn (44 tackles in 7 games) are next on the list.
Other key defensive players for Pitt include cornerback Jovani Çhappel (7 pass breakups) and safety Jared Holley (33 tackles).
Stull Steps Up for Panthers
Notre Dame's Clausen is third in the FBS with a passing efficiency rating of 162.88, but Stull is just two spots behind at 161.61. The Panthers senior has connected on 67.6 percent of his passes for 1,879 yards and 17 touchdowns. Stull's been intercepted just four times.
His most frequent target is standout tight end Dorin Dickerson, who's made 39 catches for 450 yards and an impressive 10 TD receptions. Sophomore wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin (35 catches, 698 yards, 4 TDs) provides big-play capabilityy in a 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame.
Pitt's most dangerous weapon might be Lewis. The 5-9, 195-pounder has rushed for 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Lewis is seventh in the FBS with an average of 126.56 rushing yards per game.
The Panthers have committed just nine turnovers — the same number as Notre Dame.
Floyd Returns to Spark Notre Dame Offense
Clausen has thrown only three interceptions in 308 attempts while tossing 20 TDs. He's completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 2,770 yards. Tate averages 117.7 receiving yards per game – third best in the FBS. He's made 65 catches for 1,059 yards and 10 TDs, and has rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
But the team's most explosive offensive player might be Michael Floyd. The 6-3, 220-pound wide receiver missed five games because of a broken collarbone, but he returned last week to make 10 catches for 161 yards and a TD vs. Navy. In four contests in 2009, Floyd's made 23 receptions for 499 yards and six touchdowns.
The bad news for Notre Dame is that tight end Kyle Rudolph (33 receptions, 364 yards, 3 TDs) is down with a shoulder injury.
Injuries have also hit the running back corps. Leading rusher Armando Allen Jr. (514 yards, 3 TDs in six games) has been sidelined by an ankle injury. If Allen's not back this week, the Irish will continue to depend heavily on Robert Hughes (331 yards, 5 TDs).
The Irish have yielded 19 sacks — not bad when considering how much they pass. Pressure, though, could reach a new level when they face Pitt.
FIghting Irish Susceptible to Pass
The Notre Dame defense has received some strong, even heroic, performances, and its average of 22 points allowed per game ranks in the upper half of the FBS. But the Irish are giving up a below-average figure of 386.2 yards per game — including a way-below-average 237.4 through the air. The latter figure ranks 88th in the FBS.
Notre Dame, which has registered 18 sacks this season, could stand to apply a heavier pass rush. The Irish have been led in that department by linemen Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson, who have three sacks each. Lewis-Moore also paces the team withh 11.5 tackles for loss.
Safety Kyle McCarthy is the team's leader in tackles (72) and interceptions (5). Other top tacklers are linebacker Brian Smith (51), safety Harrison Smith (46), linebacker Manti Te'o (41) and Lewis-Moore (40).
