Entering last week’s game, Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi said he wouldn’t be fazed by losing to Notre Dame because it was not a conference game. That kind of losing sentiment carried over in his team’s performance as the Irish declawed the Panthers 37–15. The Notre Dame defense held the Pittsburgh offense to 219 total yards of offense. That included a 21-yard touchdown pass against reserve players that came after Narduzzi called a timeout with five seconds remaining in the game.
The game was never in doubt as Notre Dame controlled it from beginning to end. That kind of domination will be needed again this weekend if the Irish hope to continue to impress the College Football Playoff committee.