Pittsburgh. November 1, 2008

Welcome back to another Anti-Preview from The Subway Domer. The Irish are back home to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in their second to last game at home for the 2008 season. Notre Dame can become bowl eligible with a win and they can also earn a little bit more respect with the voters with a nice victory over an opponent with a winning record. So here we go...

Pittsburgh. Pitt limps into South Bend with a similar 5-2 record and they are coming off of a 20 point loss to Rutgers at home. In that game, Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel threw for 351 yards and 6 TD's as they put up 54 points ( the highest point total Pitt has allowed since a 60-6 loss to the Fighting Irish in 1996) on a supposedly good Pitt defense. Pitt may be without starting quarterback Bill Stull after he suffered a neck injury in the Rutgers game. It's looking more likely that Stull will play as he has practiced in full pads this week but if he is not able to play, Pat Bostick will get the nod. Pitt has a dynamic running back in LeSean McCoy and the Irish have trouble with those types of backs.

What should you be drinking? Someone mentioned in an e-mail a few weeks ago that Steel Reserve would be a good choice for the Pitt game. I begged to differ, because I find it almost undrinkable. Fucking nasty. There is another Pennsylvania treat that has been a good friend to The Subway Domer for as long as I can remember drinking- Rolling Rock. Sadly, Rolling Rock was bought out by Anheuser-Busch and the brewery was moved to New Jersey.

How about a fall classic then that is simple and addictive? Apple Cider and Morgans. OOHHHH! How do I make it Subway Domer? Simply. That's how. Any moron can make this concoction:

• Take one bottle of Captain Morgan (750 ml)
• Take one gallon of Apple Cider.
• Mix it all up.
• Enjoy!
• You may also warm this up in a pot and add some cinnamon sticks if you are straight up gay.

This would also be a good week to imbibe in a blue collar beer such as Pabst Blue Ribbon. A personal favorite, or any of these family of beers.

What should I be eating? Lots of solids if you choose the Pabst. Seriously though, make yourself a chowder. I like a good shrimp and corn chowder. You can make this right at your tailgate if you do just a little prep work at home and brink along some kind of big ass pot and a tripod. Here is a video of yet another variation of this classic. They use crab instead. Still sounds fucking tasty. (BTW- Do yourself a favor and have some cornbread ready to serve with the chowder).


What should you be wearing? The forecast calls for great weather (especially for a November game in South Bend) on Saturday. This will be a great game for a t-shirt ( I always recommend these) and a pair of jeans. Plus if you want to celebrate the great mustaches in the world, stop shaving or get a fake one and let Dave know what you think of his porn star image. But, there is something that would top it off and make it complete. I want one of those Golden Dome Hard Hats with Mary on top. Where can I get one? Anyone? I can't even find a good picture of them on the internet anywhere. Those things need to be worn by about 40,ooo fans inside the stadium. It would be too sweet. So if you know where to get them, shoot me an e-mail or just leave a comment below. I want one!

What freshman will make the biggest impact? I have been putting Michael Floyd in a different category for a few weeks now, and that is stopping right now. Mike Floyd will make the biggest impact. I really don't have to explain why. He kicks ass and dominates his competition. need proof? Here ya go (I swear I hear Jimmy say "Pink Floyd" before the ball is snapped)...


What offensive player needs to step it up? Armando Allen. Irish fans are starting to forget that Allen is the main option at running back for Notre Dame. That should be a hard thing to do considering that Allen is the Fighting Irish's all-purpose yardage leader. But, after a couple of good performances, fans are screaming for more Aldridge. "I gotta have more Aldridge baby!" But Allen is the option that the Fighting Irish need to go to more often than not. Not only has he kept improving as a runner with better vision and a spectacular burst, but his receiving out of the backfield has proved to be very dangerous and a nice option for Clausen as the last check down. The Irish offense is becoming more and more potent as more weapons emerge from the freshman and sophomores, but the mainstay should be Allen. I'm calling for a HUGE game for Armando. 130+ yards rushing and 60+ yards receiving with a couple of touchdowns. Mark it down.

What defensive player needs to step it up? Brian Smith. Brian is coming off of a game against Washington where he suffered a mild concussion. I'm surprised that he didn't have a full blown concussion after a few of the hits that he had on the Huskies. Pittsburgh has a fantastic tailback in LeSean McCoy and the Irish are going to need to slow him down as much as possible to get the Panthers off of the field and get Jimmy and the scoring machine back on to it. Brian Smith will be the key to this formula. he has the speed and the strength to get to McCoy and drag his ass down... hard. A forced fumble or two would certainly be nice from Smith, but mostly the Fighting Irish just need Smith to be a McCoy Death Ray and destroy him play after play.

What special teams player needs to step it up? Golden Tate. Tate watches highlights of the Rocket every week to study how one of the greatest players in college football history played the game. The Rocket not only had great speed, but he had a knack for finding the seam and making a move on a guy and then exploding for daylight. Golden has the chance to become a fierce weapon like Ismail, but he needs a few more touches. Those extra touches can come on a punt return or a kickoff return. I would love to finally see a return for 6 (who was the last Irish player to return a kickoff for 6, Julius Jones?) but even if that isn't the case, a good return to set the offense up with a short field is equally important. If Tate somehow manages a score on a return Saturday, he will really begin to cement his own legend and follow in one of his heroes footsteps.

Who's gonna win? As long as the Irish defense can dictate the play selection from Pitt, i think they can slow them down and turn them into a one dimensional team. That of course would also be the case if the Irish offense puts a lot of points up early. I think that they can do both. I'm looking for a big victory that puts the Irish in a bowl game. 44-20 Irish. Clausen returns to form and makes Wannstache look like a fluffer instead of a star.