Notre Dame Football: Previewing the Pitt Game

After recording its first win of the season, Notre Dame heads to Heinz Field this Saturday to take on Pittsburgh.

The Panthers entered the season after a rocky offseason in which the team had three head coaches in the span of nearly a month.

Former Tulsa head coach Todd Graham takes over a program that enjoyed relative success under Dave Wannstedt for the past few seasons.

Pitt fans should be hopeful for a win against the Irish, as Graham's Tulsa squad beat Brian Kelly and Co. last season in South Bend.

Follow along for an in-depth look at Saturday's contest.

Pittsburgh's Offense

Todd Graham brings a high-octane spread attack with him from Tulsa that has replaced the conservative pro-style attack favored by the previous staff.

While the personnel isn't ideal to fit the new scheme, there's enough talent to move the ball down the field.

Through three games, quarterback Tino Sunseri has completed 60 of 96 pass attempts for 658 yards and three scores.

Sunseri's favorite target thus far has been sophomore Devin Street, who has hauled in 15 receptions for 236 yards along with one score.

As you can see, the play-calling is going to favor the pass, but Notre Dame cannot forget about the run game.

Pitt running back Ray Graham has amassed 419 yards on 79 carries, good for a 5.3 yards per carry average.

However, Notre Dame has been excellent at stopping the run this season, which may force the Panthers to go to the air early and often.

Pittsburgh's Defense

The Panthers have made the switch to the 3-4 set under the new staff after having been a 4-3 unit under Dave Wannstedt.

That new 3-4 scheme hasn't exactly been effective thus far, as the Panthers allowed 29 points to Maine of the FCS.

The defense also blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter at Iowa on Saturday. Hawkeyes quarterback James Vandenberg threw for nearly 400 yards and three scores against the Pitt secondary.

Despite the ugly performance of the secondary, the front seven limited Iowa's stud running back, Marcus Coker, to 86 yards on 23 carries.

Because of the Panthers' ability to stop the run, the Irish will be at a great advantage moving the ball through the air.

Like usual, Michael Floyd will create match-up problems all day, which may cause the Pitt defensive backs to lose T.J. Jones and Theo Riddick in the mix.

Notre Dame's Keys to the Game

1. Establish the run early. Pitt has shown that they will emphasize stopping the run, so if the Irish can set the tone early, the play-action will be effective all day against a vulnerable Panther secondary.

2. Protect the football. I may sound like a broken record with this point, but it is something that has to be reinforced to this team. Turnovers have been, and will continue to be, the death of the team. If this season is to be salvaged, turnovers must be kept to a minimum.

3. Take away the big play. Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham will no doubt be trying to hit the home run from the start in an effort to get the momentum swinging in the Panthers' direction. The defense must keep everything in front of them and avoid getting burned deep.

4. Control the tempo. Pittsburgh's offensive scheme operates at a blazing speed which is designed to confuse defenses. It's crucial that Notre Dame dictate the tempo and eat up the clock when it has the ball.

Pittsburgh's Keys to the Game

1. Spread the field. Notre Dame's defense is most vulnerable when opposing offenses are able to spread the field and move the ball consistently. Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri must get the ball in the hands of his playmakers and stretch the defense vertically.

2. Come with pressure off the edge. The only way for Pittsburgh to throw a wrench in the Notre Dame offense is to get in the face of quarterback Tommy Rees. Rees is inexperienced and is likely to make a number of poor throws, especially with the defense in his face.

3. Grab an early lead. Momentum is going to be a large factor for Pitt if the Panthers are to upset Notre Dame. There's no better way to get that momentum swinging in your direction than taking an early lead at home and forcing the opposition to play catch up.

Matchups to Look out for

1. Notre Dame pass offense vs. Pitt pass defense. The Panthers yielded 399 passing yards to Iowa's James Vandenberg last week en route to losing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. Tommy Rees and Co. must take advantage of Pitt's 119th ranked pass defense.

2. Notre Dame pass rush vs. Pitt offensive line. Simply put, Notre Dame's defensive line dominated Michigan State's O-line last week. Freshman defensive end Aaron Lynch seemingly lived in the Spartan backfield and recorded a sack as well as a forced fumble. Look for a similar display of dominance on Saturday.

3. Brian Kelly vs. Todd Graham. Last season, Todd Graham's Tulsa squad came into Notre Dame Stadium and stole a victory from the Irish. Graham was able to match wits with Kelly, so there's no reason why it can't happen again this season.

Conclusion

Last week's win against Michigan State was sweet, but the Irish made sure to stick to the "24-hour rule."

Since Sunday evening, the focus has been on beating a Pittsburgh squad that is on the rise under first-year head coach Todd Graham.

While the focus of the team should be solely on beating Pittsburgh, one can't help but think about this being the start of a string of victories for the Fighting Irish.

Coming out victorious against the Panthers won't be an easy task, but Brian Kelly will have his team prepared to win.

Attention to detail and to the small things has been a constant theme in practices the last two weeks, so here's to hoping the turnover bug will stop biting the Irish.

With that attention to detail and an avoidance of turnovers, Notre Dame will cruise to victory.

Final Score Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Pittsburgh 17