Notre Dame football vs Pitt predictions, keys heading into ranked 'Gameday' contest
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What should be the final true test of Notre Dame football’s regular season is on the biggest stage in college football this Saturday, Nov. 15.
The No. 9 Irish travel to Acrisure Stadium to face the No. 23 Pittsburgh Panthers in a noon ET contest that will be the featured tilt on ESPN’s “College Gameday” earlier that morning.
Notre Dame has won the last four meetings against Pitt and leads the all-time series 50-21-1. Yet the 2025 contest holds extra weight not just because the 7-2 Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes are on the line, but because it’s the first time Notre Dame and the Panthers have both been ranked in a game against each other since 1991.
The Irish won that one 42-7 in South Bend. They’re favored by 10.5 points this weekend, and here’s how Notre Dame can quell Pitt’s five-game winning streak.
Make the lights too bright
After dropping two straight games to West Virginia and Louisville in Weeks 3 and 4, the Panthers benched former starting quarterback Eli Holstein in favor of true freshman Mason Heintschel. So far, that tough decision has paid off as Pitt is on a five-game winning streak all with Heintschel as QB1.
Beating a previously ranked Florida State team in Tallahassee is a nice win for Heintschel to have under his belt, but this Saturday against Notre Dame will take the cake for easily the biggest game of Heintschel’s young life. He never made a state championship appearance in high school, and he certainly hasn’t faced the pressure of being expected to defend an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team’s home field against a Top-10 opponent.
To make matters worse for Heintschel, he’ll be facing a ball-hawking Irish secondary that has the most interceptions in the FBS through nine games this season. He’s already thrown five interceptions in just five starts.
This stage might be too much for the 18-year-old to handle, and Notre Dame should realize that early.
Win in the trenches
When West Virginia handed Pitt one of its two losses this season, the Mountaineers collected six sacks and eight tackles for loss. While it took a last-second comeback in regulation and an overtime score to clinch the win, a big factor in how West Virginia conquered the Panthers came down to pressuring the quarterback and stopping plays before they even reached the line of scrimmage.
Through nine games this season, Notre Dame has the exact same number of team sacks as West Virginia with 24. Finding comfort and stability in the pocket is one way Heintschel can have a successful day, and it’s already been established that he’ll be facing the most internal pressure of his brief career.
The Irish need to ensure he feels that external pressure, too. That could lead to hurried throws, which could lead to interceptions. Even if it doesn’t, the Irish need to nip any big-play potential in the bud, and the best way to do that happens up front.
Let CJ Carr cook
In Pitt’s loss to Louisville, the Panthers allowed former USC quarterback Miller Moss to throw for 339 yards and three touchdowns. You think CJ Carr couldn’t do that?
The Irish’s redshirt freshman quarterback has been outstanding this season, compiling 2,275 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns in nine starts. Carr’s 67.6% completion percentage is also top-25 in the FBS.
Junior Heisman Trophy candidate running back Jeremiyah Love has been the focal point of Notre Dame’s offense, and he will be productive regardless of opponent, but this Saturday is Carr’s chance to shine.
South Bend Tribune staff predictions for Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh football
Mike Berardino, Notre Dame football beat reporter: No. 9 Notre Dame 38, No. 23 Pitt 24: It’s not an ACC game and it’s not a hundred, but it will do.
Tom Noie, columnist: No. 9 Notre Dame 35, No. 23 Pitt 31: This is the one game everyone has pointed to as a potential pitfall in Notre Dame’s run back to the College Football Playoff. It will be a test, but one the Irish will pass.
Kyle Smedley, sports reporter: No. 9 Notre Dame 34, No. 23 Pitt 22: This one has “trap game” written all over it for Notre Dame. Turns out that won’t be the case, as the Irish ride a particularly impressive second half to a double-digit win.
Austin Hough, sports content coach: No. 9 Notre Dame 31, No. 23 Pitt 17: The Panthers can hang around here, but the Irish run game is just too much to stop right now. Notre Dame clears its last “major” hurdle to a CFP spot.
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@gannett.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Staff predictions, keys to victory for Notre Dame football vs. Pitt
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