Panthers prepare for Fighting Irish

As the Panthers get set to take on the Fighting Irish this Saturday, they can?t help but… As the Panthers get set to take on the Fighting Irish this Saturday, they can?t help but feel some of the added excitement that comes with a game against Notre Dame.

Notre Dame (1-3) is one of the most storied and prolific programs in the country, and although the Irish are off to a slow start, the Panthers know what a great opportunity they have in front of them. Seniors like fullback Lousaka Polite know what a momentous occasion this is, especially after letting the game slip by the two previous years.

?When you?re younger, all you hear about is Notre Dame,? Polite said. ?Just the opportunity to play them is an honor, and to beat them would be an even bigger memory, so a win against Notre Dame would be huge.?

Senior wide out Yogi Roth was actually on the sidelines for a recruiting trip when Pitt last beat Notre Dame in the final game ever played at Pitt Stadium. Roth shared Polite?s outlook and knows just how much this game means for the program.

?This is the reason I came to Pitt,? Roth said. ?It?s like I told the guys, I remember every single play from every time we?ve played them. This is a game that we?re going to remember for the rest of our lives. Hopefully we can do what we did four years ago.?

For the Panthers to be successful on Saturday, they will need the defense, the secondary in particular, to improve. In the last two games combined Pitt?s secondary has allowed 778 passing yards, five touchdowns, 70 completions, only three pass break-ups, and have had no interceptions by cornerbacks.

In order to slow the Notre Dame aerial attack, pressuring freshman quarterback Brady Quinn will be essential. Quinn is making only his second career start after replacing an ineffective Carlyle Holiday. He had a big game at Purdue, but did make some key mistakes, as he threw four interceptions.

Pitt?s defense now knows it has depth at the middle linebacker position. After Lewis Moore went down with an injury at Texas A’M, freshman Clint Session filled in brilliantly with a team-high 12 tackles. The promising young freshman will be a player to watch on Saturday.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers will look to continue to put up astounding numbers. Quarterback Rod Rutherford is averaging 316.75 total yards per game and continues to lead the nation in passing efficiency with a 182.64 rating. Larry Fitzgerald has been Rutherford?s favorite target and is leading the nation in receiving yards per game with 145.75.

The Panthers should have starting tailback Brandon Miree back on the field for Saturday?s game. Miree was forced to sit out with a calf injury against Texas A’M, but was able to practice this week with the aid of a brace.

?I got the results back from my MRI and they were negative,? Miree said. ?There?s no fractures or anything, so I?ll be ready to go.?

The bye week came at the right time, giving the Panthers an extra week of much needed rest. After two consecutive road games, the Panthers return to the friendly confines of Heinz Field and will be playing in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday. The veterans on the team appreciate the newfound home field advantage even more.

?It?s been a complete 180,? Polite said. ?When I came here in ?99, we?d be lucky to get 20,000. But now pretty much every game is close to filled up and that?s exciting and it shows that our program has turned around.?

?We?re ready to go,? Roth said. ?We hope it can be loud as can be on Saturday night to make it as tough as possible on that Notre Dame offense.?