Notre Dame Football: 3 bold predictions for upcoming beatdown of Pitt
By Jacob Wilson
3. Pitt doesn’t get in the end zone
Pitt’s offense has been far from efficient this season, averaging just 26 points per game through six weeks. With the Panthers falling flat against both Penn State and UCF, it has been matchups against North Carolina and Syracuse that have inflated this number to what it is. With a respectable 5.2 yards per carry this season, Pitt is much more inclined to run than pass.
However, there haven’t been many opportunities for the Panthers to do either this season as Pitt ranks 120th in the nation with an average of 63.2 offensive plays per game. On the other side of the ball, Pitt is allowing opposing offenses to call an average of 70 plays per game, limiting their time of possession while granting added chances to opposing offenses.
It doesn’t help that Notre Dame’s defense has been stingy in the red zone this season. So far, Notre Dame has limited opponents to field goal attempts 50 percent of the time. This strong red zone defense is what kept the Irish in their matchup vs. Virginia Tech, a game in which the Hokies were gifted great field position on more than one occasion.
Considering Pitt’s mostly inept offense and Notre Dame’s defensive success in the red zone, quarterback Kenny Pickett and his Panthers offense face a tall task this weekend. With Notre Dame playing its best football in years, look for the Irish to make a statement at the expense of Pitt.