Notre Dame’s Stunning Top-25 Road Triumph Over Pitt: What It Means for Their Championship Hopes

Notre Dame didn’t exactly cruise to a flawless victory on the road against Pittsburgh, but 37-15 was more than enough to keep the Panthers from pulling off an upset on Saturday. From the jump, the Irish stamped their authority with a pair of quick touchdowns, setting the tone early and cruising comfortably thereafter. As we’ve come to expect, Jeremiyah Love was central to the offensive fireworks, racking up 167 total yards and crossing the goal line once again.

Defensively, Notre Dame chipped in on the scoreboard—a promising sign—while chipping away at what Pittsburgh typically dishes out. Sure, there’re still areas begging for cleanup, but that didn’t overshadow what was a solid eighth consecutive win. After letting this one marinate overnight, I’m ready to unpack my final thoughts on how the Irish continue to sharpen their game as the postseason looms closer.

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It wasn’t a mistake-free 37-15 road win for Notre Dame, but it was more than enough to knock off upset minded Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The Irish took control of the game fairly early with a quick two touchdown burst, and was comfortable for the rest of the contest. It was once again star running back Jeremiyah Love leading the way, scoring once and gaining 167 total yards from scrimmage.

Notre Dame’s defense accounted for some of the points against Pitt, which was great to see. There was plenty more to be excited about after this Irish win, but there were some aspects that could be cleaned up.

After having a night to think about Notre Dame’s road win over Pitt, here are some final thoughts that I have on the Irish’s eighth-straight victory.

Notre Dame’s defense is still improving

This was another fantastic performance from the Notre Dame defense, the same one that was once viewed as a potential downfall of the team. They allowed just 10 points to Pitt (the field goal was on a short field after an interception), who came into the game averaging almost 40 points-per-game. They came close to beating the Panthers on their own, as they had a pick-6 (more on that later) and a pick-2 on a two-point attempt. The 219-yards gained was well under Pitt’s season average of 426, it was a great performance from the Notre Dame defense.

Kicking is still an issue

Nov 8, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish kicker Erik Schmidt (18) kicks an extra point against the Navy Midshipmen during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

While it does look like extra points have been solved for the Irish, field goals still have a ways to go. Erik Schmidt missed his only try from 46-yards, and while its not a chip shot, he had plenty of leg. The attempt went wide right, but it seemed like head coach Marcus Freeman wasn’t too bothered by the result. Schmidt wouldn’t get a chance to redeem himself, so the issues still loom.

Is CJ Carr pressing too much in big games?

For all the praise that Carr has earned during his freshman season, there’s still more than a few areas that he can clean up to level up. Some of his misses seemed like he wasn’t setting his feet correctly or rushing his throw. The choices he was making were most the right ones, it’s just that he was off on his mechanics. Young players tend to press when they see teams across the field with numbers next to their names.

There are times where he looks like the best quarterback in the country, see the first touchdown pass to Malachi Fields, and others like the attempt to Eli Raridon in the end zone where he looks like a freshman. This is another aspect of his game that you can’t teach, Carr just needs the experience. Hopefully this is the last one that we see where he’s got these “jitters.”

Jeremiyah Love won’t win Heisman but …

What an insane highlight reel this young man has. The 56-yard spinning jaunt to start the scoring was jaw dropping. Love wasn’t touched on the play, going away from his typical hurdle or last weeks sitting on an opponent then taking off. The list goes on and on, and while I doubt he wins the Heisman, I think he’s a shoo-in for the Doak Walker Award.

Another disappointing weekend for the wide receivers with an exception

Fields had a huge game, catching 7 receptions for 99-yards and two scores, but his position teammates did virtually nothing. The accounted for six catches for 26-yards, which is not very good. Sure, Jaden Greathouse didn’t play, but he hasn’t really been a factor for much of the year. This is the biggest area of the offense that needs to improve, there needs to be a second receiver emerge, so better teams can’t just focus on Fields.

Tae Johnson is that dude

It will be surprising if we don’t see Tae Johnson on multiple Freshman All-American teams after the conclusion of the season, as he’s continues to show he’s just scratching the surface. His pick-six was all about anticipation, he saw it developing right in front of him, and took advantage. He just missed another one later in the game as well. The Notre Dame defense has taken off since Johnson was inserted into the starting lineup, and he showed once again why.

Eli Raridon is very underrated

Nov 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Eli Raridon (9) runs after a catch against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Part of the reason why many aren’t as worried about the wide receivers is due to Raridon’s play, which has been a huge surprise this fall. ESPN during the preseason said the unit was Notre Dame’s weakness, and it looks like they were wrong. Raridon is being held back by one thing, he hasn’t found the end zone this fall. After averaging about one every five the previous two seasons, with 24 this year, he hasn’t scored yet.

I don’t have that feeling with this Notre Dame team… yet

Last year, when Notre Dame beat trounced Navy, had an off week, then beat Florida State even worse, it was obvious that they were a championship level team. This season, I haven’t yet had that moment, but I’m not saying that it’s not there. The 2025 Notre Dame team is very good, but it does have a few warts. There is still time and a favorable final two games against Syracuse and Stanford to work out some of the issues we’ve seen. That’s the good news, as I don’t think this team has reached its ceiling yet with the College Football Playoff coming soon.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Day after: Final thoughts on Notre Dame’s top-25 road win vs. Pitt