Notre Dame Picks Off Pitt Four Times in 51-Point Rout
Notre Dame (7-2) picked off Pitt quarterback Christian Veilleux four times, including two by safety Xavier Watts, on its way to a 58-7 victory.
It’s the Panthers’ biggest loss to the Irish since a 60-6 defeat in Notre Dame Stadium in 1996. The Irish have outscored coach Pat Narduzzi’s squad 103-10 in their last two meetings.
“We almost finished with a shutout,” coach Marcus Freeman said on Saturday. “It was great to get those takeaways.”
Preseason All-American cornerback, who finished tied for third in 2022 with six interceptions, missed the game with a strained quad. During the game, Notre Dame’s other starting cornerback, Cam Hart, suffered an upper-body injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.
If anything, those losses emboldened the secondary.
The Irish held Veilleux to 14 of 29 passing for 127 yards and four interceptions.
Safety Xavier Watts picked off two passes, giving him five forced turnovers in the last two games.
Cornerbacks Jaden Mickey and Christian Gray came away with highlight-worthy interceptions in the third quarter.
“It was one of the first things we did was give those two credit for stepping up in big roles,” Freeman said. “Neither of them knew they were going to start or play.”
Mickey jumped a route in the third quarter, scoring on a 43-yard pick-six to put the Irish up 31-0.
On the next series, Gray lept in the air near the west sideline and managed to tip the ball to himself, securing it as he hit the ground.
“Me and Christian, we were ready. On any play, it can happen, but we’re praying with Ben and Cam to get back out there, but I think me and Christian did a good job of trying to hold it down today.”
The run defense proved equally as dominant, holding Pitt to 53 yards on 19 carries.
The Panthers didn’t score until midway through the fourth quarter when backup signal-caller Nate Yarnell connected with wideout Konata Mumpfield for a 25-yard touchdown against Notre Dame’s third-string defense.
Notre Dame totaled 535 yards on offense, with 302 yards and 41 points coming in the second half.
“Offensively, more than anything, we needed this,” Freeman said. “We need the confidence. We were doing a good job in the first half of driving the ball down the field, but we just weren't finishing.”
Quarterback Sam Hartman started off shaky, throwing two interceptions in the first quarter. He eventually settled in and completed 19 of 26 passes for 321 yards in three-quarters of action.
Backup Steve Angeli played the entirety of the game's final period, getting some invaluable reps with the first-team offensive line.
Audric Estimé continues to put himself in contention for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back. He carried the ball 19 times for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
On the season, he’s produced 1,010 yards from scrimmage and 12 scores.
In addition to Mickey’s pick-six, the offense also benefited from a punt return touchdown and a muffed punt by Pitt that safety Ramon Henderson recovered in the end zone.
“If you score three touchdowns on non-offensive plays — I'm sure the stats would tell you it's probably close to 100%, 99% you'll win that game. That was huge for our team to do today.”
Stat of the Afternoon
Safety Xavier Watts picked off two passes for the second game in a row.
He entered the day tied for fourth in the nation with four interceptions, with three defenders leading the country with five on the season.
“You see a lot of guys on our team and other teams that are in position to make a play,” Freeman said, “but they don't make the play. Xavier (does).”
Watts is in a prime position to lead the FBS on Sunday morning with six picks on the season. That amount of interceptions would’ve tied him for the nation’s best in two out of the last three years.
Highlight Reel
Wide receiver Chris Tyree carried the Irish early in the game. He produced 141 all-purpose yards in the first quarter.
That included his electric 82-yard punt return for a touchdown, where he spun his way to the open field before outsprinting everyone to the end zone.
Freshman receiver Jordan Faison returned a punt for 20 yards in the second half. The team’s 102 total punt return yards is the most Notre Dame has had in a game since 2002.
What’s Next?
Notre Dame will hop aboard another chartered flight to face Clemson (4-4) for another pivotal road test.
The once-dominant Tigers have fallen from grace this season. They’ve lost two in a row, and all four of their losses came against ACC foes.
Still, a Notre Dame win is far from automatic. Clemson still owns a top-10 defense.
“If you're not a fierce competitor and that doesn't excite you, man, this isn't going to be the right sport for you,” Freeman said. “We're excited to get another opportunity to play this game versus a really good opponent, and it's on the road in a hostile environment. Our guys will be ready to roll.”
Thankfully — at least from a player, coach and media perspective — the Irish avoid a third straight night game on the road. Instead, the contest will kick off next Saturday at noon on ABC.
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