The Sports Xchange
By Ray Fittipaldo, The Sports Xchange
Pittsburgh 28, Notre Dame 21
PITTSBURGH — Pitt scored three touchdowns in a 9:11 span in the second half to complete a 28-21 comeback victory over No. 24 Notre Dame on Saturday night at Heinz Field.
Pitt safety Ray Vinopal intercepted Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees twice in the second half to spark the comeback. The first came on a second-and-goal from the Pitt 4-yard line when the score was tied at 21 early in the fourth quarter. Vinopal returned the second one 40 yards to the Notre Dame 5 to set up James Conner’s game-winning 1-yard run with 9:36 remaining.
Pitt (5-4) snapped a two-game losing streak and needs one victory in its final three games to become bowl-eligible. Notre Dame (7-3) had a four-game winning streak halted and as well as a three-game winning streak in the series against the Panthers.
The game had been decidedly defensive until late in the third quarter when 21 points were scored in the span of 1:35. Notre Dame led 14-7 at halftime, but Pitt tied the score with 3:37 to go in the third quarter when Conner bulled his way into the end zone for a 2-yard scoring run.
The tie lasted all of 18 seconds. On Notre Dame’s next play from scrimmage, Rees threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Jones, who got behind K’Wuan Williams and raced into the end zone.
Pitt answered quickly to tie it again with a long scoring strike of its own. Pitt quarterback Tom Savage found Devin Street for a 63-yard touchdown on the third play of Pitt’s series. It was the third touchdown in five plays from scrimmage.
The Irish scored first when Rees tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver DaVaris Daniels with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers tied the score when Street reeled in a 3-yard pass from Savage with 10:20 left in the second quarter. Savage was the recipient of a head-to-head hit by Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt on the second play of the 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive. Tuitt, one of Notre Dame’s top defensive players, was ejected from the game for targeting the head.
Notre Dame took the halftime lead when Jones scored on a 1-yard run with 6:34 remaining. A 38-yard pass from Rees to junior tight end Ben Koyack set up the Irish at the 1 after a 13-yard punt return by Jones to the Pitt 39.
NOTES: Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly entered the game needing one win to become the first coach in school history to notch eight victories in each of his first four seasons. … Pitt WR Tyler Boyd entered the game needing one 100-yard receiving game to set the school record for most 100-yard receiving games by a freshman. Larry Fitzgerald set the record in 2002 with four 100-yard games, and Boyd tied it last week. … Former Pitt RB Tony Dorsett attended the game. Dorsett said this week that he suffers from a degenerative brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
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