Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
The No. 8 Fighting Irish travel to Pittsburgh to take on the unranked Panthers at Heinz Field on Saturday. Overall, the Fighting Irish dominate the rivalry 47-21-1. This match up marks the 70th time the two teams will meet who won’t see each other on the field again until 2018 in South Bend.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: November 7, 2015
Start Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Stadium: Heinz Field
TV Info: ABC
Live Stream: ESPN
Radio: Sirius/XM: 84/84, Listen online here.
Ticket information: For Pitt ticket info click here. For Notre Dame ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
No. 8 Notre Dame is in the midst of a strong season with a 7-1 record. The team’s only loss was a 22-24 heart-breaker at the hands of the red-hot, undefeated Clemson Tigers.
Pitt was briefly ranked this season but is currently undefeated after their last game, a loss on October 29 to North Carolina 19-26. Their other loss was to Iowa in Week 3.
The rivalry has been marked by thrilling games with close margins of victory. In 2008, Pitt beat Notre Dame in South Bend after four overtime periods. In 2012, the year the Fighting Irish made a National Championship appearance, Pitt lost 26-29. The last time the two teams met was in 2013 when the Panthers won 28-21.
The biggest key to victory will be heart. Pitt has provided deceptively tough competition for Notre Dame even when the Panthers have fielded weak teams. This year, despite the recent misstep against North Carolina, Pitt has the tools on both sides of the ball to prove a real threat to the Fighting Irish. That, combined with the vitriol associated with the rivalry, will make for a very competitive game.
Freshman running back Qadree Ollison has carried the team on the ground in the absence of the supremely talented James Conner, who is sidelined for the season with a knee injury. Ollison only had 54 yards against North Carolina, but he had 103 against Syracuse and 83 against Georgia Tech.
Notre Dame’s quarterback DeShone Kizer is a threat both through the air and on the ground, which will make the Notre Dame offense difficult for the Panthers to defend. Last week against Temple, Kizer rushed for 143 yards, a total that included an astounding 79-yard touchdown run.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Notre Dame is favored by 7.5
Moneyline: -110
O/U: 53.5
Prediction
The Fighting Irish have a formidable, well-balanced squad, except when it comes to defending the run. They have allowed 167.2 rushing yards per game. If Ollison can exploit that weakness, the Panthers could pull off an upset.
Final Score: Notre Dame: 24, Pitt: 27