Eric Hansen

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - He was the leading rusher on the worst rushing team in Notre Dame history last season.

As unimpressively pedestrian as that sounds, 2008 started off even worse for Irish junior running back James Aldridge. He was, more or less, the third option in essentially a two-back rotation.

In the past two games, though, the 6-foot, 225-pounder has racked up more than half of his 191 rushing yards on the season and all three of his career rushing touchdowns. And he was the leading ground-gainer in ND’s season-high 252 rushing yards last Saturday against Washington.

Flavor of the week? Or ready to turn the corner?

“I think for about the last month in practice he's been getting better and better every day,” ND head coach Charlie Weis said. “He's been running with power in practice, and (offensive coordinator Mike) Haywood has rewarded him by giving him more opportunities on the field.”

Saturday against Pittsburgh (5-2) in South Bend, there may be a reversal of field of sorts. The Panthers have statistically the second-best rush defense the Irish (5-2) have faced so far, but Aldridge’s opportunities might be limited more by the game plan than by Pitt.

That’s because the No. 1 key to victory Saturday is plagiarizing what Rutgers did.
The Scarlet Knights had amassed all of 39 points combined in their three games leading into last Saturday’s Pitt matchup, then passed at will in upending the Panthers at home, 54-34, in the worst defensive performance by a Pitt team in 15 seasons.

That’s not to say Notre Dame should abandon the recent strides it has made in the running game completely. But Pittsburgh, with its 94th-ranked pass defense, may actually be worse than that figure indicates, given that the Panthers have yet to face one of the top 25 passing attack in the country.

Until now. The Irish are the most prolific passing team (20th) on Pittsburgh's schedule.

If Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen is on, Pittsburgh could be struggling to play catch-up all afternoon.

No. 2: Turn over a new leaf
These two teams have decidedly different styles, but they are so even in terms of personnel and octane that mistakes will likely make a big difference in the final outcome. In both of Pitt’s losses, to Bowling Green and Rutgers, the Panthers had a turnover deficit. Ditto for the two Irish losses, to Michigan State and North Carolina.

No. 3: Three’s a charm
Three as in third quarter. The Panthers have had trouble making adjustments after halftime, and have been outscored 48-17 in period No. 3. The Irish, conversely, hold a 45-29 edge on their opponents in the third quarter but had bad third quarters in both of their losses.

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No. 4: Do the little things
And that starts on special teams. The Panthers have an uncanny ability to block kicks (three extra points, two field goals and a punt in 2008), and kicker Conor Lee is close to automatic on field goals. But beyond that, Pitt’s special teams are a mess. Their coverage units are mediocre. The Panthers’ return games make mediocre seem palatable. Net punting is unimpressive. So there’s a real opportunity for the Irish to dominate the field-position battle.

No. 5 Press the issue
LeSean McCoy is the nation’s leading scorer and No. 11 rusher, and he is too good to simply shut down. What the Irish can do is mitigate his yardage by playing with the lead and by relentlessly rushing the Pitt quarterback, whether it be junior Bill Stull or sophomore Pat Bostick.

The Irish dialed up the pressure last Saturday against admittedly a struggling offensive team in Washington, but it did produce the best numbers by an Irish defense (124 total yards) since the end of the Lou Holtz Era (1996). Pittsburgh is worse at protecting the passer than any team the Irish have played, except for Washington.

Notre Dame has a solid enough secondary to bring the blitzes early and often.

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