Frankie V’s Prediction: Can Notre Dame Overpower Pitt to Stay Hot?

Notre Dame hits the road on Saturday afternoon looking to keep its late-season surge rolling against a 7–2 Pitt team that has been far better than anyone expected back in August. The Irish have been dominant on both sides of the ball between the 20s, but this matchup has all the familiar warning signs: a well-coached defense, a proud program treating Notre Dame like its Super Bowl, and a long history of these games getting much stranger than they ever should. Still, if the Irish avoid the self-inflicted wounds that have cropped up in recent weeks and let their playmakers dictate terms, this is a matchup they should control from start to finish.

Things That Worry Me

Pitt’s Defense Can Turn This Into a Grind

Pitt may not have an elite unit, but they’re absolutely capable of dragging a game into the kind of muck that frustrates Notre Dame. They’re top-15 nationally in yards per play allowed and force opponents to earn everything. If the Irish offensive line starts slow or struggles with early-down efficiency, this becomes a classic, uncomfortable Notre Dame–Pitt rock fight.

Notre Dame’s Red-Zone Issues

This remains the one glaring season-long flaw. Notre Dame sits near the bottom of the FBS in red-zone scoring percentage, and against a defense that limits explosive plays, settling for field goals is how upsets happen. If the Irish don’t finish drives, they risk keeping Pitt in the game far longer than necessary.

Third-Down Defense

Notre Dame’s defense is excellent overall, but the third-down numbers remain only average. Opponents have been able to extend drives in spots where ND should be getting off the field, and Pitt—despite an inconsistent offense—has enough streaky playmaking to turn those mistakes into points.

Things That Don’t Worry Me

Notre Dame Slowing Down Pitt’s Run Game

This is one of the biggest matchup advantages of the afternoon. ND’s rush defense is top-15 nationally and allows barely three yards per carry. Pitt isn’t built to run consistently, and if they can’t generate balance, Notre Dame’s front should dictate the game.

Notre Dame Generating Chunk Plays

The Irish remain one of the most explosive offenses in the country, ranking near the top nationally in yards per play. With CJ Carr delivering accurate downfield shots and a deep pool of playmakers, Notre Dame has far more ways to create explosive plays than Pitt can realistically defend for four quarters.

Placekicking

Freshman Eric Schmidt continues to improve, and Pitt is without its starting kicker, making a potential weakness for Notre Dame a pretty even match. This could be a game where both teams are forced to go for it on 4th down more often than they’d like with shaky kicking situations.

Players to Watch

CJ Carr — Narduzzi will throw every disguise he has at a freshman quarterback, and Carr needs to make the right checks and protections at the line to keep the offense on schedule.

Cam Williams — Notre Dame dialed up a deep shot for him last week, and this feels like another matchup where he gets a vertical opportunity against Pitt’s press-heavy coverage.

Jeremiyah Love — He hasn’t put together a start-to-finish dominant game since USC, and ND needs his explosiveness to show up early to keep Pitt from selling out on the pass.

Boubacar Traoré — After not seeing the field against Navy, his pass-rush burst is badly needed today to make Pitt’s inconsistent offense even more uncomfortable.

Tae Johnson — His instincts have been sharpening every week, and this feels like the kind of game where he jumps a route and comes away with an interception.

Eli Raridon — He hasn’t found the end zone yet this season, but this matchup in the seams is tailor-made for him to finally break through.

Donovan Hinish — If he’s cleared to play, the Pittsburgh native is the exact kind of interior disruptor who can leave a loud mark in his hometown.

Prediction

The only real path for Pitt is to drag this game into the mud, steal a possession or two, and hope Notre Dame stalls in the red zone. But this feels like the kind of afternoon where the Irish offense finally strings together four quarters, hits multiple explosive plays, and forces Pitt to play from behind—something the Panthers aren’t built to do. If Notre Dame protects the football and handles third down more efficiently than it has the past few weeks, the talent and depth gap will take over by the middle of the third quarter.

Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Pittsburgh 13