Eight-time All-Pro defender Aaron Donald has used the return to his alma mater as an opportunity to take a friendly jab at a rival team while setting up one of the biggest matchups of the college football weekend.
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Hours before Pittsburgh hosted Notre Dame, Donald faced an important question. "What do you remember about playing Notre Dame?" He took a moment and then delivered a simple answer.
"Beating them," Donald said with a laugh. "Beating them my senior year and being joyful about that, right. It was a primetime game, late night. I remember a lot of double and triple teams that day but finding a way to make enough plays for us to win and walk away with a victory."
.@Jess_Sims: "What do you remember about playing Notre Dame?"@AaronDonald97: "Beating 'em." 😤 pic.twitter.com/c8O4zXbIov
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 15, 2025
This pivotal game took place during the 2013 season, Donald's final season in the blue and gold jersey. Pitt entered the game as the underdogs, but they did not give up against No. 23 Notre Dame.
Quarterback Tom Savage threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns while running back James Conner rushed for two scores. Meanwhile, the defense forced three turnovers.
This win in 2013 marked the only time that Donald beat Notre Dame in four attempts. Pitt lost by six points in 2010, three points in 2012, and three points in triple overtime in 2012.
Donald departed Pitt after the 2013 season. He entered the NFL Draft, where the Rams selected him with the 13th overall pick. This kicked off a Hall of Fame career in which he earned 10 trips to the Pro Bowl, eight All-Pro nods, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and one Super Bowl ring.
Twelve years after upsetting Notre Dame, Donald returned to the campus where he made plays as part of a special weekend. The university retired his jersey, and he served as a celebrity guest for ESPN's "College GameDay" as the show returned to Pittsburgh for the first time in 20 years.
