Only four other teams in history have played Notre Dame in football more often than the 69 the Panthers have entering this afternoon's contest: Navy (89), USC (87), Purdue (86), and Michigan State (77).

The Irish hold a 47-21-1 lead in the series with the Panthers, which began in 1909. Here are our top half-dozen most memorable games or significant victories.

6. Oct. 14, 1978: Notre Dame 26, Pitt 17 — Of the seven comeback miracles performed by Joe Montana during his Notre Dame career, this was the only one at home. The defending national champs had started the year 0-2 against what is still ranked as the toughest single-season schedule in NCAA history since the organization started that ranking in 1977 - and it included No. 9 Pitt at the time of the game.

The 2-2 Irish trailed 17-7 in the fourth quarter, but then Montana completed all seven of his passes for 95 yards, with touchdowns to Kris Haines and Vagas Ferguson. It was part of an eight-game winning streak that would allow them to finish No. 7 in the country

5. Nov. 7, 1964: Notre Dame 17, Pitt 15 — The previous week during first-year head coach Ara Parseghian's Miracle Season at Notre Dame, the 6-0 were elevated to No. 1 for the first time in 10 years, the longest drought in school history (they were 2-7 the previous season).

After building a 14-0 lead in the first half, highlighted by a 91-yard touchdown pass from John Huarte to Nick Eddy, Notre Dame's injury-riddled defense began to crack. Parseghian had been 6-0 twice before at Northwestern in 1959 and 1962, reaching No. 2 and No. 1 before losing in the seventh game. History seemed to be on the cusp of repeating when Pitt cut the lead to 17-15 in the fourth quarter - and then drove to fourth-and-inches to the Irish 17 late in the game.

Panthers head coach John Michelson eschewed the field goal attempt and sent Fred Mazurek into the line, where tackle Tom Regner and linebacker Jim Carroll stopped him short of the first down. The "Resurrection" campaign remained in session.

4. Oct. 19, 1935: Notre Dame 9, Pitt 6 — The Panthers were to the 1930s under head coach Jock Sutherland what Notre Dame was in the 1920s with Knute Rockne — multiple national champs. In the six meetings from 1932-37 between the Panthers and Irish, Pitt was 5-1 and out-scored Notre Dame 98-15. It became so demoralizing to the Irish, they cancelled the series — at least until 1943 when they won their next national title.

The game was a slugfest highlighted by a school record 86-yard punt by Notre Dame's Bill Shakespeare that pinned Pitt deep. With three minutes left, third-team kicker and basketball player Martin Peters was sent in to kick the game-winning field from 37 yards. Peters had been only 1-of-3 on PATs, and Notre Dame collectively was 6-of-17 on extra points.

Incredibly, he made the field goal — the first in Notre Dame Stadium history and the only one made by the Irish overall in the 13 years spanning from 1925 through 1937.

3. Sept. 10, 1977: Notre Dame 19, Pitt 9 — The defending national champion Panthers hosted pre-season No. 1 Notre Dame in the opener. It was one of the sloppiest and ugliest victories in Irish annals, but without it the 1977 national title probably wouldn't have been achieved.

Pitt took a 9-0 lead, but the game changed when Panthers quarterback Matt Cavanaugh, during his touchdown pass, had his wrist broken by Willie Fry on a near sack. Sans Cavanaugh, Pitt netted only 21 yards total offense while repeatedly muffing snap exchanges with two reserve QBs. They committed seven turnovers. Three of them came late in the fourth quarter, at Notre Dame's 16 twice and another at the Irish 11 to set up the go-ahead points.

2. Nov. 3, 2012: Notre Dame 29, Pitt 26 (3 OT) — No. 4 Notre Dame improved to 9-0 and kept its Dream Regular Season alive after rallying from a 20-6 fourth-quarter deficit. Everett Golson completed a TD pass to Theo Riddick with 2:11 left and then ran in for the two-point conversion to send the game into extra sessions. Pitt had a chance to win the gamebut missed a short field goal — and the officiating crew also missed a penalty on the play when the Irish had two players on the field with the same jersey number.

1. Nov. 6, 1982: Notre Dame 31, Pitt 16 — The No. 1-ranked Panthers with senior quarterback Dan Marino hosted a reeling Notre Dame team that was 5-6 a year earlier under head coach Gerry Faust and had a struggling offense that was averaging only 17 points its previous five games.

The bend-but-don't break Irish defense yielded 438 yards to Pitt, but forced them into field goal tries while keeping within striking distance for three quarters and trailing only 13-10 entering the fourth.

Suddenly, the Irish exploded for three straight touchdowns on a 54-yard flea-flicker from quarterback Blair Kiel to Joe Howard, an electrifying 76-yard touchdown run by freshman Allen Pinkett, and then another seven-yard scoring scamper by Pinkett.