Constant gifting of good field position burned Pitt in loss to Notre Dame

Rasheem Biles did not look content with the defense’s performance when he met with reporters after Pitt lost 37-15 to Notre Dame on Saturday.

The Panthers outside linebacker had a big day, turning in his second pick-6 of the season in a game that marked his return after missing the previous three with an injury.

As a unit, Pitt’s defense had its moments, picking off C.J. Carr twice and recording a goal-line stand in the second quarter to force a turnover on downs.

But Biles wasn’t in the mood to chalk up any moral victories.

“Not good,” was the assessment he provided when asked how Pitt’s defense played against the Fighting Irish.

Twenty-eight of Notre Dame’s 37 points were surrendered by the defense.

The Irish got two on an intercepted 2-point conversion that Adon Shuler took all the way back to the end zone, and Tae Johnson recorded a pick-6 of Mason Heintschel in the opening quarter.

Neither Pitt’s offense nor the special teams did the defense any favors Saturday.

Take the Panthers’ goal-line stop in the second quarter, which spoiled a 14-play, 74-drive by the Fighting Irish at the Pitt 1.

With the score 14-3 in favor of Notre Dame, Pitt got the ball back and promptly went three-and-out from its own 6-yard line.

Caleb Junko’s ensuing punt from his own end zone allowed Notre Dame to begin at its own 48, and, six plays later, the Irish scored again to go up 21-3.

Pitt also punted from its 10-yard line in the first quarter immediately after Heintschel’s pick-6, setting up the Irish at Pitt’s 48-yard line.

“We gave them too many short fields,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “I think three of their four touchdowns that they scored on our defense — which, if you hold a Notre Dame team to 28 points defensively, you feel OK — but it was the short fields. … Those were all off of kicks and covered on special teams. They got us in that.”

While the offense was a culprit in allowing those short fields, so was poor coverage on punt and kick return.

Notre Dame tailback Jadarian Price had returns for 43 and 28 yards.

Price’s long return to begin the second half put Notre Dame at its 46-yard line and was followed by a touchdown 10 plays later, making it a 28-3 game.

Narduzzi did give credit to Panthers kicker Sam Carpenter, who brought down Price on the play.

“The effort he made to go over and make that tackle was outstanding,” Narduzzi said. “… That was a gutsy effort by that young man. That’s a game-saving … that’s a touchdown if he doesn’t do what he does.”

Price’s second kick return after Biles’ pick-6 saw Notre Dame start at its own 35-yard line but still go downfield and score a touchdown.

Notre Dame punt returner Jordan Faison also burned Pitt, as his 21-yard return to the Irish 44-yard line immediately preceded Jeremiyah Love’s 56-yard touchdown run that produced the first points of the game.

In total, he had three returns for 36 yards.

Over the course of the season, Pitt usually has been the team benefiting from strong special teams play and good field positioning.

Its offense, more often than not, finished drives and didn’t get bottled up in its own end, while the Panthers’ corps of return men had produced some highlight-reel plays and even touchdowns.

But against Notre Dame, Pitt was outdueled in those key departments and suffered for it.

“We always talk about 11 guys playing as one, and there’s times where if you’ve only got nine or you’ve got eight or you’ve got seven or you’ve got 11, it’s not going to be as good,” Narduzzi said. “So 11 guys have got to play together on offense, defense and special teams, and we just didn’t do that.”