A closer look…

The Teams: In what is currently the last scheduled meeting between the two teams in… The Teams: In what is currently the last scheduled meeting between the two teams in South Bend, Ind., the Pitt Panthers (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big East) go on the road to take on the No. 24-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-3).

The Coaches: Walt Harris is 49-43 in his eight seasons at Pitt while Tyrone Willingham is 21-13 in his third season at the helm.

Last Meeting: Notre Dame running back Julius Jones rushed for a school-record 262 yards as the Irish beat the Panthers, 20-14, in front of a sell-out crowd at Heinz Field on Oct. 11, 2003.

Break the Curse: The Panthers will attempt to snap a losing streak at Notre Dame that spans the last 18 years. The Panthers have not won in South Bend since 1986, and have lost during each of their last six visits. Pitt’s last victory in the series was a 37-27 triumph in the last game at Pitt Stadium, back in 1999.

Ready to Bowl: A win over the Irish would clinch a winning regular season for the Panthers and make them officially bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive year.

Red Zone Success: The Panthers have converted on 23 of 29 scoring opportunities inside the red zone this season, including 15 touchdowns.

National Top 10: Two Panthers are in the top 10 nationally in different statistical categories. Wide receiver Greg Lee is eighth in the country in receiving yards per game, averaging 104 yards per game. Sophomore punter Adam Graessle is ninth in the country, averaging 44.6 yards per punt.

Palko’s passing: Quarterback Tyler Palko, who earlier in the season became the sixth quarterback to throw for 300 yards under Harris, has now thrown for more than 300 yards three times on the season after his 342-yard performance against Syracuse. On the season, Palko has passed for 1,906 yards, 13 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Fresh Faces: The Irish offense is led by true freshman running back Darius Walker, who has rushed for 567 yards and four touchdowns. True sophomore quarterback Brady Quinn leads the Irish passing attack with 2,008 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Great Goolsby: Mike Goolsby leads the Irish with 84 total tackles on the season. He also has 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and three pass breakups.