After its first of two bye weeks this season, No. 14 Notre Dame football (6-2) returns to action Saturday against Pittsburgh (2-5).
Pittsburgh hasn't won at Notre Dame Stadium since 2008, and this is the first matchup in the series between head coaches Marcus Freeman and Pat Narduzzi.
The Irish have an opportunity to achieve a 10-win season while the Panthers are staring down a potential sixth loss, which would put their bowl hopes in jeopardy.
Inside ND Sports highlights two players from each team who should play an important role in how the game is decided. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. EDT on NBC/Peacock.
Notre Dame wide receiver Rico Flores Jr.
During his press conference on Monday, Freeman said he expects wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse to be closer to 100% against Pittsburgh after injuries nagged both against Louisville and USC.
The Irish have leaned on Flores a bit during their injuries. The early enrollee turned heads in preseason camp as a willing blocker and special teamer. That led to early playing time in Notre Dame's offense and the true freshman has taken full advantage of his opportunity.
The Folsom (Calif.) High product has caught a pass in every game but NC State and flashed during a 24-yard reception down the sideline against USC.
With Thomas returning, the emergence of tight end Mitchell Evans and the Irish wanting to get wide receiver Tobias Merriweather involved downfield, the volume might not be as high for Flores as it would be in other offenses but quarterback Sam Hartman has trusted Flores in situations against Duke and Ohio State. Now a starter on the depth chart, Flores' role should only grow and more targets may come his way.
Notre Dame nickelback Thomas Harper
Harper doesn't receive national recognition for his performance, but we saw his importance to defensive coordinator Al Golden at Louisville when the Irish gave up 33 points with him sidelined.
According to Pro Football Focus, Harper has an 83.5 tackling grade, which ranks second on the Irish for all defenders that have played over 200 snaps behind linebacker Jack Kiser (87.3). He has 28 total tackles including 18 solo this season.
Harper has been deployed as a pass rusher on 13 plays this season, the most of any member of Notre Dame's secondary. He's come away with two sacks, and the Irish could force Pittsburgh quarterback Christian Veilleux into mistakes by using Harper as a blitzer off the edge. His run-stopping ability will come in handy if Pittsburgh's ball-carriers make it into the second and third levels of the defense like Louisville's did.
Pittsburgh wide receiver Konata Mumpfield
In last week's loss at Wake Forest, Pittsburgh finished with a season-high 302 passing yards. The Panthers' leading receiver on the season is Mumpfield with 30 receptions, 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Mumpfield's quickness and skill set are similar to Louisville wide receiver Jamari Thrash, who had eight receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown vs. Notre Dame earlier this month.
The Irish boast three cornerbacks — Harper, Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart — that could be the toughest trio Pittsburgh has faced yet. Notre Dame's secondary, led by safety Xavier Watts, held USC's passing game in check because of their ball skills and following the disciplined principles instilled by cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and safeties coach Chris O'Leary.
Notre Dame's defense fell victim to the run game against Louisville, but Pittsburgh only averages 111 rushing yards per game. Mumpfield should be the No. 1 priority for the Irish in their attempt to limit Pittsburgh's effectiveness through the air.
Pittsburgh linebacker Shayne Simon
Saturday marks a reunion for Simon, who signed with Notre Dame in the 2018 recruiting class and spent four seasons with the Irish before transferring in 2021.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker has found a new home with Pittsburgh and is in the midst of his second season starting for Narduzzi. He's totaled 27 tackles this season including 13 solo.
Simon is tied for a team-high three sacks with defensive linemen Samuel Okunlola and Bam Brima. He's had at least five tackles in three of Pittsburgh's last four games and is a pillar of the Panthers' defense.
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