Keys To Success: Notre Dame Defense vs. Pitt
Notre Dame holds a significant talent and on paper matchup against Pitt, and this is an area where the Fighting Irish should dominate. While that looks great on paper, it requires execution and playing at a high level, and that is what the Notre Dame defense must do against the Panthers.
Here are my keys to success for the Notre Dame defense:
1. Make Pitt One-Dimensional
Pitt is a really, really poor rushing team, averaging just 107 yards per game through its first six games. The Panthers rank 70th out of 77 teams in rushing offense, and their 2.9 yards per carry average ranks 72nd. Handling Pitt’s pass game is much easier when the run game is dispatched.
A key to Notre Dame controlling this matchup is not just keeping Pitt’s yards down, but completely dominating the Pitt ground game. This means controlling the line of scrimmage and not giving Pitt any room to run. More important, it means creating negatives in the run game and getting the Pitt offense off schedule.
If Notre Dame can put Pitt in a lot of 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations they will get off the field with relative ease, and that means dominating on first down, and dominating the run game.
2. Handle The Quick game
Pitt runs a lot of quick game pass concepts, especially on early downs. To properly understand the Pitt offense, you need to understand that it uses its quick passing game on first and second down as an extension of the run game. So while its rushing yards are way down, the Panthers use the quick game to attack the defense in ways that other teams might use the run game to attack.
This is going to drag down Pitt’s yards per attempt a bit, but when the quick game is rolling it does go a long way towards getting the Panthers into a rhythm, and it puts them in manageable third-down situations.
Success with the quick game also sets up Pitt’s vertical pass game. If the Irish have a strong game plan to limit the quick game it will have a similar impact on Pitt’s offense as shutting down the run. Notre Dame’s speed at linebacker and talent at safety gives the Irish the personnel to handle the quick pass game, but the defensive line needs to help as well by getting their hands up when they see the ball coming out quickly.
3. Limit Big Plays
I talked about this in the Midweek Musings analysis about the Irish defense against the Panther offense, but it’s worth mentioning now. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (5) and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (12) have combined or 17 completions of passes that travel at least 20 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Pitt quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Joey Yellen have combined for 19 such completions on a much lower number of overall pass attempts.
If Pitt is going to beat Notre Dame it will be due to the run game and quick throws setting up opportunities to rip off big gains with the downfield throws. Notre Dame cannot allow this to happen.
During the first two games of the season, the Irish defense did not allow a single completion of a throw that traveled at least 20 yards past the line. It allowed FSU quarterback Jordan Travis and Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham to complete five of its seven attempts of at least 20 yards down the line.
4. Pressure Is A Must
Being sound in coverage and having a good game plan certainly would help the Irish defense limit the big plays in the pass game. Of course, hitting and sacking the quarterback are two more ways to limit the downfield pass game.
Notre Dame veterans ends Adetokunbo Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes need to do a better job getting after the quarterback. Ogundeji has gotten good pressure, but he needs to finish better at the quarterback. Hayes needs to be more aggressive on the edge. A big game from Ogundeji would go a long way towards Notre Dame dominating the Pitt offense.
It would also benefit the coaching staff from getting talented sophomore end Isaiah Foskey more opportunities to get after the quarterback.
Defensive coordinator Clark Lea will also need to call some well-designed and well-executed pressures, but at the end of the day it will need its front four to do some damage as well.
5. Get The Ball
Pitt has turned the ball over just six times all season. Notre Dame needs to make getting the football a central part of its game plan against the Panthers. Getting pressure on the quarterback would certainly help, as would putting Pitt in more pass-heavy situations.
Notre Dame has forced just three turnovers all season, so it would be a plus for the unit to start making more plays on the ball.
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