Another week, another opportunity to extend an early lead and come away with a decisive victory. Much like the season-opener against Purdue, Notre Dame had Pittsburgh on the ropes with a 20-7 lead early in the third quarter, only to let the Panthers back in the game. This team hasn’t learned how to close out […]

In a theatrical setting, the acts of a play signify two very different halves of the production. The first act introduces the characters, the protagonist and antagonist are established, and a problem or conflict comes to fruition. It’s not until the second act that the plot thickens, reaching the climax of the production, and the […]

The Irish seek their first winning streak of the season in a home game against the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday. Both teams enter the contest coming off a win but neither are living up to the pre-season hype—Pittsburgh started the year ranked 15th while many Notre Dame fans anticipated a nine-win season. Pitt is a familiar […]

The Pythagorean expectation—brought into the sports vernacular by baseball statistician Bill James—in its most simplest form is a tool used to describe how “lucky” a baseball team was in a given season. By comparing runs scored versus runs allowed, James was able to derive a relationship between winning and scoring margin, and thus could show […]

The Fighting Irish travel to Pittsburgh Saturday. Notre Dame visits the Panthers in the wake of a stunning loss to the Midshipmen, a game where the defense was repeatedly gashed up the middle and the offense struggled mightily in the red zone. The latter has been a theme all season while the former has also […]