The kickoff time for the Notre Dame – Pitt game this coming weekend at Heiz Field in PIttsburgh has finally been announced by ABC. The Fighting Irish and Panthers will kickoff in primetime Saturday night at 8:00 PM ET – Notre Dame’s 5th primetime contest of the season.
The game will be nationally televised on ABC as the 8:00 prime time ABC telecast.
Notre Dame previously faced Michigan, Purdue, Arizona State, and USC in primetime this season. Notre Dame is 3-1 in those games and 1-1 on the road with a win over Purdue and loss to Michigan earlier this season.
Notre Dame and Pitt played in primetime in Pittsburgh in 2005 and 2009 most recently. PItt took the Irish down in Charlie Weis’s final season in South Bend after Weis first team stormed the Panthers in Prime Time in 2005.
Notre Dame’s last trip to Pittsburgh came two seasons ago in 2011. That game wasn’t a prime time match up with kickoff a rare noon start for the Irish. The ensuing game lived up to the hype of a noon kickoff too with the Irish sleepwalking their way to a 15-12 victory over the Panthers for their second win of the 2011 season. Tommy Rees had a fairly pedestrian game on that late September afternoon completing 24 of 41 for 216 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Rees lone touchdown that day did prove to be the game winner though. Even still, Notre Dame fans will be hoping for a much better trip to Ketchup Field this time around for Rees after he tossed two interceptions against Navy this past weekend.
For Pitt, the Panthers will be looking for some revenge after Notre Dame snuck away from Notre Dame Stadium with a double overtime win to keep their perfect regular season intact. The Irish were fortunate to walk away with the victory last year after it was reported that Notre Dame had two players on the field with the same number on Pitt’s missed field goal in the first overtime.
I am a Pittsburgh resident but a lifelong ND fan(subway alumni) and saw a most exciting game in the 50’s when George Izo hit Red Mack with a 50 yd pass on the last play of the game only 10 yds short of the end zone. Pitt 29 ND 26 I was 11 years old. It has been a great series and I hope to be there for this one.
JCM
I see us struggle in a night game, at Pitt, on TV. Pitt plays us tough pretty consistently. No reason I see that changing. Give the ball to FOLSTON and LET HIM RUN. I know we are banged up so this will only make this. Game more challenging.
any way to keep brent cheesberger from the broadcast…he
is way past his prime as a broadcaster and egregiously a
ND hater…
Remember last year when, during the OU game, he proclaimed, “Folks, let me say this loud and clear: Notre Dame is relevant again!”
What a self-imporant douchebag. As if the nation needed him to explain that by waving his magic opinion wand.
And who could forget his swooning over McCarron’s girlfriend. Yeah, she was hot. But his comments certainly left me feeling a bit creeped out. Even Herbstreit seemed uncomfortable. Lucky for ESPN they were bailed out on a big play on the field right after to change the subject.
Pitt may be looking to take the Irish down. Why not? But because of a missed call of that sort. I’d have a hard time getting all bent out of shape over that. It wasn’t a missed holding call or interference call that could have changed the game. Having 2 guys on the field with the same number didn’t cause them to miss the field goal.
mar–I would say Tommy Rees does not play in Kelly’s preferred offensive system. As a result, Kelly has to limit the playbook, at least from a QB standpoint.
Tommy only had one pick last week, remember the fallen receiver. He’s been passing great lately, I’m more concerned with the injuries on defense. As far as mediocre coaches I didn’t see too many complaints last year. Remember no Teo. no Jake, the D got u to the big game, not the same D don’t think you can blame coaches for graduation and Golson being asked to leave
MAR – Never post here again. Never!! Never!! and Never!!
For what it’s worth, “Bad preparation, bad schemes, bad adjustments”, as you point out, has netted Coach Kelly and staff a 19-2 regular season record the past 2 seasons, which a real chance of making that 22-2.
But, you’re right, I’d love to go back to the 3-9, 6-6 days of Charlie, Tyrone and Davie. These 12-1 and 10-2 (even 9-3) seasons are unacceptable.
GEE irishdonny2 What do you think of your hero now? Coach of the year perhaps.
I would like your expert opinion on basics(IE tackling and blocking), preparation, play calling, adjustments.Please give us a grade for each component.
But I guess your idea of a great coach is a vein popping, purple faced,jerk swearing and cursing at his players in front of millions.
Pitt seems to give ND trouble more times then not! Thank God their not running the option. ND was pathetic against Navy, trying to stop it. Glad to see the ND running game improving. Let’s hope Rees can manage not to throw any interceptions this week. With Stanford and BYU on tap shortly, his accuracy better improve! Go Irish!
Two interceptions you say? First one was a perfectly thrown ball to the spot the receiver would have been had he not slipper on the terrible turf. Second was also well thrown and the defender made a great play by blocking the receiver from getting to the ball. Blame them on the receivers, not the QB.
8:00, just my luck. Taking all 3 kids and we have pee wee superbowl the next day. The kiddos will just have to suck it up. Go IRISH!! Actually, they can’t wait to go.
I seriously doubt you know anything about Temple or Air Force either.
Outcoached!! again!! Again!! and Again!!
Bad preparation, bad schemes, bad adjustments.
There hasn’t been a game all year that was exciting to watch, well maybe one. We barely beat teams that we should be walking over and losing to teams (Michigan) that we should be beating. ( Yup I know about Temple and Air force)
We have outstanding talent, but merely mediocre coaches.
We keep waiting from year to year for the “whole” play book to be featured.
What a crock.
The great ND coaches saw their opportunity as the high point and culmination of their careers. They loved this university. This one is looking to leap to the NFL!
Mediocre coaches or really, mediocre game plan? How many times in the past two years have you witnessed the poor results of HC Kelly’s “bend but don’t break” philosophy. CB’s and LB’s who play 7 yds back on obvious passing downs resulting in way too many first and fours. CB’s who are taught to allow the catch, then punish the receiver in hopes of a fumble. The worst example of this strategy was in the Championship game against Alabama. ON UA’s first possession they had 3rd and 7 or 8 and completed a sideline pass where our defender was playing about 7-10 yds back. Know what, they never changed that scheme throughout. Another example, the fair catch punt returns instead of setting up a run back. Last week (Navy) was the ultimate BAD game plan. It was as though BK’s plan was for the defensive front to not penetrate, but to catch the option runner on the way through the line. Re-watch the first half. Our front line was being pushed backwards by a “lighter” weighted O Line because we stood up on the snaps, instead of trying to penetrate. It’s easy for a 200+ pounder to push back a 300+ pounder if the 300+ guy stands up. No leverage. Navy did it all through the first and mostly through the second half. I remember Lou H and Ara P living in the opponents backfield styfling the option before it began. I at first thought it was defensive coordinator Diaco’s poor judgement but from what i see of BK’s blustering, Diaco had to be overruled. The clincher was at the ‘end of game summary’ offerred by Doug Flutie, when he confirmed that ND was not attempting to penetrate the OLine for fear of giving up the big breakaway gain. Look, i acknowledge, BK is a damn good recruiter. He has ammassed 4 & 5 star athletes at the “talent” positions. Now let them play. Give them better game plans, be more aggressive.
Michael,
We get everybody’s A game. That’s nothing new. So why don’t we prepare for that? You don’t think Bama doesn’t get revenge games from teams they beat the season before? Sure. And they just continue to pound their opponents. Throw your A game at Bama and they beat you up with their B game and destroy you with their A game. Plus Saban always has his teams expecting to play an A game. I can’t say I’ve seen a single A game at ND since Holtz’s best days in the late 80s and early 90s. That’s a long time ago, Michael.
If there’s one thing we’ve seen this year, it’s the revenge factor from last year’s opponents we handled.
OK and Mich. played out-of-their minds in our two losses, as did MSU,$C, Navy, and even Purdue, despite each falling short.
Beware Pitt, seeking revenge for the double OT loss last year, then more of the same with BYU and Stanford;
and Navy chop-blocking half of our starting DL onto the injury list doesn’t help matters.
Hopefully, Ishaq and Louis Nix will return. If not, we’ll have to go with the next man after the next man in!
First Spond, then Grace, now Councell gone for the year with Springmann and possibly our big guys up front on the DL and some starters on OL. Imagine if we were at full strength. I’m scared to see what might happen if we make a BCS bowl, but if we handle Stanford maybe there will be hope. Next man in from here on
out