Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
When Notre Dame plays at Pitt this Saturday night, the game will feature two of the nation's top quarterbacks. Yes, two.
It's not really a surprise that Irish junior Jimmy Clausen has taken the next step and blossomed into a precision passer. He was, after all, the nation's top recruit out of high school.
The shocking development here is that Pitt's Bill Stull isn't far behind. Stull, a fifth-year senior, had a shaky end to his junior year that culminated in an awful Sun Bowl performance. Most Panthers fans wanted him benched, and he had to fight for his job during spring and fall camp.
Quarterback seemed like the one true weakness on an otherwise loaded Pitt roster going into the year, but Stull has made it a strength. Clausen ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency, while Stull is fifth. Stull also leads the Big East in passing yards.
Here's a statistical comparison between the two:
Clausen: 209-for-308, 67.9 percent, 2,770 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. Passer rating: 162.88
Stull: 148-for-219, 67.6 percent, 1,879 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. Passer rating: 161.61
Stull doesn't have nearly as many completions or yards as Clausen, but he also doesn't have to throw as much because Pitt has a 1,000-yard rusher in Dion Lewis. That opens up the play-action game, which Stull has excelled at this year.
Notre Dame's playmakers get a lot of attention, and rightly so since receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd and (the now-injured) tight end Kyle Rudolph are all future pros with worlds of talent. But the Panthers have their own share of top-shelf playmakers, including tight end Dorin Dickerson, who has 10 touchdown catches, and Jonathan Baldwin, who's averaging 19.9 yards per reception.
In other words, look for a lot of offense Saturday night.
One other note about Stull that you might find hard to believe: he's having a better senior season than Dan Marino did in 1982, the last time Pitt cracked the Top 10 in November.
Stull in on pace to throw for more than 2,500 yards with 22 touchdowns. Marino passed for 2,432 yards with 17 touchdowns and 23 interceptions as a senior. Different eras, sure, but how many people would have thought a comparison between Stull and Marino was even possible before this season?
When Notre Dame plays at Pitt this Saturday night, the game will feature two of the nation's top quarterbacks. Yes, two.
It's not really a surprise that Irish junior Jimmy Clausen has taken the next step and blossomed into a precision passer. He was, after all, the nation's top recruit out of high school.
The shocking development here is that Pitt's Bill Stull isn't far behind. Stull, a fifth-year senior, had a shaky end to his junior year that culminated in an awful Sun Bowl performance. Most Panthers fans wanted him benched, and he had to fight for his job during spring and fall camp.
Quarterback seemed like the one true weakness on an otherwise loaded Pitt roster going into the year, but Stull has made it a strength. Clausen ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency, while Stull is fifth. Stull also leads the Big East in passing yards.
Here's a statistical comparison between the two:
Clausen: 209-for-308, 67.9 percent, 2,770 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. Passer rating: 162.88
Stull: 148-for-219, 67.6 percent, 1,879 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. Passer rating: 161.61
Stull doesn't have nearly as many completions or yards as Clausen, but he also doesn't have to throw as much because Pitt has a 1,000-yard rusher in Dion Lewis. That opens up the play-action game, which Stull has excelled at this year.
Notre Dame's playmakers get a lot of attention, and rightly so since receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd and (the now-injured) tight end Kyle Rudolph are all future pros with worlds of talent. But the Panthers have their own share of top-shelf playmakers, including tight end Dorin Dickerson, who has 10 touchdown catches, and Jonathan Baldwin, who's averaging 19.9 yards per reception.
In other words, look for a lot of offense Saturday night.
One other note about Stull that you might find hard to believe: he's having a better senior season than Dan Marino did in 1982, the last time Pitt cracked the Top 10 in November.
Stull in on pace to throw for more than 2,500 yards with 22 touchdowns. Marino passed for 2,432 yards with 17 touchdowns and 23 interceptions as a senior. Different eras, sure, but how many people would have thought a comparison between Stull and Marino was even possible before this season?
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Brian Bennett
Bennett joined ESPN.com in August 2008 after nine years at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., where he covered college sports and the University of Louisville beat. He lives in Louisville.
BIG EAST SCOREBOARD
Saturday, 11/21
Final Louisville 22 South Florida 34 Final/2OT Connecticut 33 Notre Dame 30 Final 25 Rutgers 13 Syracuse 31
