Pitt suffers 58-7 loss to Notre Dame, drops to 2-6 for 1st time since 1998

Misery that began early this season and has multiplied almost on a weekly basis followed Pitt into South Bend, Ind., on Saturday, and the result was an ugly 58-7 loss to Notre Dame.

Only two seasons after winning an ACC championship, Pitt is 2-6 for the first time since 1998. The margin of defeat Saturday was the largest against the Panthers since a 60-6 loss at Notre Dame in 1996.

Trying to keep up with the Irish has been a nightmare for Pitt, losing its two most recent games by a collective score of 103-10.

But it wasn’t just this loss to the No. 14 team in the nation that has defined the 2023 season. Only two of Pitt’s six defeats came against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

After the game, coach Pat Narduzzi said he and his staff haven’t restocked the roster properly.

“You lose a lot of good players a year ago,” he said. “You think, as a coach, you replaced them. We, obviously, haven’t.

“It starts with me. I didn’t do a good enough job coaching (Saturday). Put it on me. We have to make plays. It comes down to making plays and doing a better job coaching.”

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Pitt is winless on the road (0-4), but Narduzzi didn’t blame the crowd of 77,622 at Notre Dame Stadium for the loss.

“It’s not the road. It just happens to be what happens on the road,” he said. “Errant passes, bad decisions. It has nothing to do with the road. It has to do with us executing, us coaching and making plays. Way too many missed tackles.

“One thing after another, snowballs a little bit.”

One of the keys to victory for the Irish (7-2) was pressure on Pitt quarterback Christian Veilleux, who was constantly under duress, often threw the football up for grabs and ended up with four interceptions, including Jaden Mickey’s 43-yard pick-6 in the third quarter.

Crippled by injuries and ineffectiveness, Pitt used its sixth offensive line configuration in eight games. Perhaps as a result, the Panthers converted only 1 of 10 third downs and never snapped the ball in the red zone.

Speaking in subdued tones after the game, Veilleux joined his coach and accepted total blame for the loss.

“I didn’t play the type of football that I want to play, that I want to showcase,” he said. “I made too many mistakes out there. A lot of it, I should have taken a sack or scrambled. It’s all on me. I take full responsibility for it.”

Pitt had 13 possessions, and 12 of them lasted five or fewer plays, including one touchdown (thrown by backup quarterback Nate Yarnell).

But the defense was just as bad. Despite a strong effort in the first quarter that included interceptions by safety P.J. O’Brien and linebacker Brandon George, Pitt gave up 535 yards of offense.

The game became a rout early in the second half.

First, Notre Dame built on its 17-0 halftime lead when running back Jadarian Price went 10 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-0. Mickey’s interception followed to boost the score to 31-0.

The lowlight was Pitt senior M.J. Devonshire trying to catch a punt on the Pitt 5-yard line. He muffed it, and the football dribbled into the end zone, where Ramon Henderson fell on it for a touchdown and a 37-0 lead with 8 minutes, 41 seconds left in the third quarter.

Veilleux completed 14 of 29 passes for 127 yards. He was replaced by Yarnell early in the fourth quarter, although Narduzzi did his best to defuse any quarterback controversy.

“Getting reps and seeing what (Yarnell) has got. Christian is not benched,” the coach said.

Yarnell went 2 for 3 for 75 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown to Konata Mumpfield.

The Irish shut down Pitt’s running game that collected only 53 yards. Starter C’Bo Flemister, who began his career at Notre Dame, carried eight times for 24 yards.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman completed 18 of 25 passes for 288 yards. Running back Audric Estime carried 19 times for 114 yards and three touchdowns, continuing Pitt’s season-long problems stopping the run.

Pitt needed a performance close to perfection to upset Notre Dame, including special teams, and that turned out to be another area of failure.

Early in the first quarter, the Irish’s Chris Tyree returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown. The play started when Pitt missed several tackles after Tyree caught Caleb Junko’s 47-yard punt at the 18. Other defenders were unable to shed blockers, and that allowed Tyree to race into the open field.

Then, in the second quarter, Ben Sauls missed a 45-yard field goal. Notre Dame answered with a field goal from the 23 on the last play of the half.

Tyree’s punt return negated the momentum created by O’Brien’s interception at the Pitt 9. George stopped Notre Dame’s next trip into the red zone when he tipped a Hartman pass to himself at the 13. But the Panthers moved no farther than the 35-yard line after that turnover.

Narduzzi noted there have been several young players thrust onto the field in starting positions. But he made it clear that doesn’t excuse the repeated litany of mistakes and poor play.

“Nobody cares. That’s no excuse. We have to grow up.”