Might as well kick this one off. Pitt had a bad game last week and somehow managed to let Rutgers put 50+ points on the board. They may or may not have their first string QB in the game and their starting center is out for the season. The Irish need this one to stay on course for a possible Gator Bowl bid cause I don't feel real good about our chances against BC next week as we play on their field( or what ever that thing is that they play football in over there. ) Hopefully JC got his bad game out of the way last saturday and will be a lot more accurate and look for the checkdowns more. Unfortunately this one feels like it will be close and have me stressed out till the final seconds but ND is capable of taking this one if they don't make too many turnovers. 8)
Tim I feel good about this game. Teams improve or don't as the season goes on. I don't see where Pitt is improving. Part of that of course is injuries. I'm knocking on wood here because this has been a very fortunate season so far. Irish too balanced and too tough at home. ND by at least 10.
I'm with Gip. I'm superstitious about predicting victory, but we sure seem to be heading upward and Pitt seems to be moving backward after last week's shellacking by Rutgers. If Clausen has returned to his senses and our running game continues to improve, our offense could be downright exciting to watch.
I'm optimistic about a win, but we'll need to be able to contain McCoy and of course our offense will need to be very productive. Terry
ND/Pitt <r>Well I hope jif is right but like Terry I don't like predicting game scores anymore, much less a win. <br/> <br/> Having said that I would submit one note though:<br/> <br/> <br/> "THE HELL WITH PITT" <E></E></r>
Yeah while I would like for our defense to hold Pitt to 13 points, we are not a great run stop defense and so McCoy worries me quite a bit. He is one of the best backs in the country.
To me the offense is clearly on the rise, we have shown marked improvement from the begining of the year and there is no reason why we shouldn't continue to improve, all our "stars" or key players are very young and improving. The next thing is for the defense to improve. While the bottom line is always keeping the other team from scoring of course, I would like to see us force some turnovers and get some sacks. It was a little disappointing that we couldn't force any turnovers vs Washington inspite of the nearly complete shutdown of their offense. If by the time we roll into L.A. we can say that the defense is playing very well and getting some sacks and forcing some turnovers as well as holding down the opposition scoring I'll feel pretty good about being a very good team in 2009. Terry
There will be a lot of recruits (Jr's for the 2010 Class) on campus for the Pitt game. Just another reason to have a great game. According to what I hear the weather should be perfect for the game. Hopefully a great weekend for the Irish and a lot of young men impressed with the Irish and eager to sign up!! I know if they could just talk to ElPasoTim they'd sign up!!
ND/Pitt <r>This game will really not be any different than any we have played thus far in that.....we have the talent and if we don't turn the ball over, we should have a chance to win it.<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> "THE HELL WITH PITT"<br/> <br/> <br/> <E>8)</E></r>
Didn't play great the 1st half but I'll take the 17-3 lead. Michael Floyd is having a tremendous game and the defense is playing well. We had some luck as well that catch by Golden Tate was a tribute to his skill in following the ball and a great catch...but he did need a little luck. We also got lucky on that int, it looked like Harrison Smith got some jersey and knocked the Pitt WR off his route. Clausen is showing his strong arm in making those out throws to Floyd and that ball to Tate was right on the money just 2 Pitt guys right there as well, but as I said earlier being a CF in baseball probably helps him follow the ball and he makes the grab anyhow!!! Pitt does have a good defensive game plan though, it'll be interesting to see what the Irish do comming out of halftime to counter that. LeSean McCoy looks every bit as good as advertised, the kid is fast, powerful, shifty...a great looking back. Terry
Ever <t>ND fan should be embarrassed by the team and a group of real average coaches. Lose at home to an average Pitt team that just got embarrassed by freakin Rutgers last week.<br/> This is why I don't get real excited about the Irish program anymore.<br/> There are no excuses, the program is real average.</t>
Very tough loss, the Pitt defense had the perfect plan today. They didn't need to blitz they could play 7 guys in pass defense..double zones, whatever and we couldn't beat it. Our FG kicker who had been terrible finally had a great game, but his one miss was the differenc. But I don't blame him, I couldn't believe our offense couldn't score 1 TD in 4 tries from the 25 yd line in OT. Defense played pretty well today, LeSean McCoy had a great game but he's maybe the best back in the country. This hurts.
Weis' decision to go on 4th down from his own 48 yard line at the end of the 4th quarter in a tie game was perhaps the most reckless I have ever seen in big time football. He handed the ball back to Pitt with a minute left and a T.O. and a great kicker. We should have lost the game there but Bruton bailed him out with the INT.
The most disappointing to me has been the play of the OL, they gave up sacks to a bad Wash DL and they had trouble with the 3 and 4 man rushes that Pitt used today.
So I woke up this morning and it was a beautiful early Nov. day. So we got in the car and drove down to the game. Where to begin, how about the kicking game. Maust had a terrible day punting. After his first punt was blocked his second was shanked. If the D hadn't been playing tough in the first half he'd have put us down at least 10 pt. The kickoffs were just as bad. The wind was calm. Every Pitt KO came down on the goal line and ours came down on the 10. While they were starting between the 25 and 30 we started often at the 15. Next bitch, Jimmy, baby you can not keep locking in on receivers. He had a number of passes batted down today because the defense knew where you were throwing. Speaking of passing, I want to know who called that 4th and 8 play. Now maybe another play was called and JC checked off, but a 2 yd. slant pass on 4th and 8 doesn't do the job. I have to watch crap like that on Sun. with the Lions. That's enough. And speaking of play calling, we seemed to be very successful throwing intermediate passes on first down in the first half. So how do we start the second half? With a running play to Allen. He loses 5 yds. So what do we do to start the second series? Same play, same lost 5 yds. What the....? Of all the plays, the one that probably turned the game around was Smith's Personal foul after we made a nice stop on 3rd down on Pits first possession in the second half. With the ball back they scored and made it a 7 pt. game. Changed the whole momentum. And now for the top boner of the game. How the f##k do we come out of a time out, not have the right personel or know what the play is and have to call a second time out? In the last minute of regulation no less. Embarassing and unacceptable. Other than that, the flyover by F 16's was cool and Bon Jovie was there.