SOUTH BEND – The parallels to 2012 continue to build.

Notre Dame, fifth in the standings, improved to 7-0 with the 19-14 win Saturday against the non-ranked Pittsburgh. It did not take many extra hours, as at the 2012 meeting, but the Irish dragged most of the afternoon at Notre Dame stadium.

Ian Book's 35-yard touchdown pass to Miles Boykin while it was 5:43 left to put the big favorites to stay after a game full of mistakes. It was the 10th consecutive home win for Notre Dame.

Pittsburgh hoped to win his third victory on a team of the top five in as many years. In 2016, the Panthers eliminated the number 3 Clemson on the road in 43 to 42 shots, before returning in 2017 to overturn the number 2 of Miami 24-14.

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Arriving at Notre Dame lasted only two minutes and 13 seconds all season, all in the first quarter at Wake Forest on September 22nd. The Irish had not trailed at all for more than three full games (181: 40) before the match. The Panthers completed a 17-yard, 88-yard touchdown run that took almost 10 minutes to the game clock in the first quarter.

The Irish put an end to a series of 10 consecutive losses at the half-time break on September 12, 2015. It was then that they climbed a 14-hole gap. 12 at the Virginia break and won 34-27 on the 39 yard DeShone Kizer. touchdown goes to Will Fuller 12 seconds from the end.

Three reasons why Notre Dame won:

FINAL CHAPTER

For the second time in his young career, junior quarterback Ian Book made two interceptions, although his arm was hit by the second mistake. He also passed Boykin in the end zone in a two-point conversion attempt that could tie the score at the end of the third quarter. But Book, now 4-0 as a starter since replacing Brandon Wimbush, also led the scorers 71 and 80 yards, the Irish facing a deficit of 14-6.

SPECIAL HELP

The kickoff cover team granted a 99-yard touchdown return to Maurice Ffrench for the opening of the second half, but sophomore kicker Alex Kessman missed both attempts (47 and 36 yards) in the second half, which could have given the defenders an advantage. an indispensable margin of maneuver. Last week, in a 44-37 victory over Syracuse, Kessman scored 54, 55 and 45 yards, the last of his efforts in overtime to eight seconds from the end.

CHIPPING IN

The starting cornerback, Troy Pride Jr. sits with a sprained ankle, forcing junior Donte Vaughn to take his place in his place. When Vaughn struggled to get up early, rookie TaRiq Bracy stepped in and helped Irish quarterback Kenny Pickett make his career debut.