Notre Dame undone by big plays

PITTSBURGH – In need of a big win, Charlie Weis and Notre Dame couldn’t turn around a troublesome trend. Pitt keeps winning and winning like it hasn’t done in 27 years, and the Panthers are one more win away from a really big bowl.

Jonathan Baldwin made two great catches that allowed No. 8 Pittsburgh to open up an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame rallied behind two Golden Tate touchdowns, but Pitt won, 27-22, on Saturday.

The cries for Weis’ ouster among Irish supporters surely will grow louder after Notre Dame’s second consecutive loss.

Notre Dame (6-4) trailed, 27-9, with 12:44 remaining after Dion Lewis’ 50-yard touchdown run, then had a chance to take the lead on its final possession before Jimmy Clausen fumbled with just more than two minutes left.

The Irish followed up a 23-21 loss to Navy with their eighth consecutive loss to a top-10 team – the longest streak in school history.

Pitt relied on big plays by Baldwin and running backs Lewis and Ray Graham to improve to 9-1 for the first time since 1982, Dan Marino’s senior season, and is headed for a Dec. 5 home date against No. 5 Cincinnati that will decide the Big East Conference champion and BCS bowl representative.