Notre Dame-Pitt: By The Numbers

1-16 Pitt’s record against Notre Dame when the Fighting Irish are ranked in the top 5 of the Associated Press poll at the time of the game. This includes an 0-3 mark against head coach Brian Kelly’s troops: 29-26 in triple overtime versus No. 4 Notre Dame in 2012, 19-14 against the No. 5 unit in 2018, and this year’s blowout.

The lone Pitt victory occurred when the it defeated the 3-0 and No. 4 ranked Irish in 1987 by a 30-22 count after taking a 27-0 lead on their first four possessions

5 Receptions for 73 yards, highlighted by a 14-yard touchdown, by freshman tight end Michael Mayer. His catch total tied the single-game Notre Dame record by a freshman at his position, with Kyle Rudolph snaring five for 70 yards in a 28-21 victory versus Stanford in 2008.

The most yardage by a rookie Fighting Irish tight end is believed to be 82 by Dean Masztak on four catches in the 27-25 loss at USC in 1978. Rudolph also had 78 yards on four grabs in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl 49-21 victory versus Hawaii.

9 Carries in a row by junior running back C'Bo Flemister for 36 yards during the fourth quarter while Notre Dame was running out the clock. The consecutive carries tied the school record that Cam McDaniel set during the 41-3 win versus Miami in 2012 at Soldier Field.

9.8 Points per game permitted by Notre Dame during its 5-0 start, the second best in the nation among teams that had played at least four games. Marshall (5-0) is No. 1 with a 9.4 average.

The 49 points allowed by Notre Dame are the fewest in the first five games to begin a season since 2012, when it permitted 39 during what would be a 12-0 regular season. After limiting Louisville to seven points last week and Pitt three this week, it also is the first time since November 2012 the Fighting Irish held the opposition to single digits in back-to-back games. Back then it was a 21-6 win at Boston College followed by a 38-0 whitewash of Wake Forest.

11 Consecutive wins by Notre Dame dating back to the 21-20 squeaker versus Virginia Tech last Nov. 2. It represents the longest streak in the country in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

25-3 Career record of fifth-year senior quarterback Ian Book as the starter, not including rallying Notre Dame to a 21-17 victory over LSU in the 2018 Citrus Bowl while coming off the bench.

The .893 winning percentage is third on the Notre Dame chart among signal-callers with at least 20 career starts. Three-time national champion John Lujack is No. 1 with a 20-1-1 (.932) mark in 1943, plus 1946-47 after returning from World War II. Tony Rice, who spearheaded the school record 23-game winning streak in 1988-89, was 28-3 (.903). Ralph Guglielmi (1951-54) is fourth with a 26-3-2 (.871) ledger.

29 Straight wins versus unranked opposition, which ties the school record set from 1990-94. Only Alabama has a longer current such streak with an NCAA record 94, dating back to 2007.

42 Margin of victory by Notre Dame, the largest against Pitt in their last 17 meetings, or since the 60-6 rout on Nov. 16, 1996. The 45 points scored also were the most against the Panthers since a 45-21 win in 1997.

62 Career touchdown passes by Book after tossing three against the Panthers. That put him past his position coach and first-year coordinator Tommy Rees, who tossed 61 from 2010-13, for sole possession of second place on the all-time chart. NFL first-round pick Brady Quinn had 95 from 2003-06.

73 Yards on fifth-year senior Ben Skowronek’s touchdown catch and run in the second quarter that put Notre Dame ahead 14-3. It was the longest reception by a Fighting Irish player — with or without a score — since the 38-20 loss at Stanford on Nov. 26, 2017, when Kevin Stepherson and Equanimeous St. Brown caught 83- and 75-yard scoring passes, respectively.

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