Notre Dame Football: Why Brian Kelly Keeps Edge Over Dave Wannstedt

As Notre Dame returns home to face Pittsburgh this weekend, the two head coaches will see a familiar face on the opposite sideline.

Brian Kelly and Dave Wannstedt have a relatively short but eventful history against one another from Kelly's time at Cincinnati. In the three seasons that the coaches went head-to-head from 2007-2009, each game carried conference championship implications, and all of them were decided by seven points or less.

Wannstedt won the first matchup in 2007. However, Kelly took the last two, including the 2009 barnburner in which Kelly's Bearcats staged a furious comeback in the final quarter to preserve a perfect regular season.

Notre Dame Stadium is a new venue and the Irish are a new team, but Kelly should continue to keep Wannstedt's under-performing Panthers caged up. Here are the top five reasons why.

5. Dion Lewis, Meet Moose and Rocco

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 04: Carlo Calabrese #44 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish awaits the start of play against the Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 4, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Purdue 23-12. (Photo by Jon

Or rather Manti and Carlo.

Notre Dame's tandem of inside linebackers Manti Te'o and Carlo Calabrese are quickly becoming a dynamic defensive duo. Against Boston College last week, the two combined for 20 tackles, four for losses.

Lewis has struggled after a breakout sophomore year, and he won't see much production between the tackles this week.

4. Pittsburgh Has a QB Situation

Speaking of Italians, the Panthers have a Situation with quarterback Tino Sunseri. The Pitt signalcaller has struggled this season, even hearing calls from the boo birds on his home turf.

The Irish defense faced a similar style of dual-threat quarterback in Purdue's Robert Marve and managed to keep him under wraps fairly well (Michigan's Denard Robinson does not apply as he plays the freak-of-nature position, not quarterback). Sunseri is not going to be the hero in this one.

3. Notre Dame Kicker Ready For Field Goal Chicken

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 25: David Ruffer #97 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish kicks a field goal as Richard Sherman #9 of the Stanford Cardinal tries for the block at Notre Dame Stadium on September 25, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Stanford defeated No

The last time the Panthers came into Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish blinked first in a field goal staring contest that lasted four overtimes. This year, Irish kicker David Ruffer enters the game having made all eight of his field goals, showing a leg with both distance and accuracy.

Assuming he is impervious to this almost certain jinx and that the Irish actually can hang onto the ball long enough in the red zone to get him on the field, the Panthers will need some sort of amazing trickery or fake field goal if they expect to outlast Ruffer. But the Irish wouldn't be fooled by that.

2. Irish Offense Ready To Go "Woooooo"

Five games into the season, Notre Dame's high-octane offense is still driving like a Pinto. Whether it's been a leaky gasket (fumbles) or clogged fuel injectors (run game), the Irish have not yet found that higher gear to run like a well-oiled machine.

Pittsburgh's defense is not a horribly intimidating speed bump, especially after they lost their stud defensive end Greg Romeus for most of the season. This game is a golden opportunity for the Notre Dame offense to put the pedal to the floor and make some noise.

1. Notre Dame Is 2-0 Versus Mustachioed Coaches

As the facial hair converse to the leprechaun chinstrap, it's unsurprising that the results against the mustache have been so convincing:

Against Purdue's Danny Hope (or Joe Tiller v2.0): Win 23-12

Against Boston College's Frank Spaziani (or Mario with Headset): Win 31-13

You have a choice, Dave Wannstache: razor or certain defeat. What's it going to be?