First look: Coming off a bye week, NC State faces a tough test against Pitt
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- N.C. State returns from a bye aiming for a win to steady its ACC position.
- Pitt boasts top-five national rankings in rushing defense and tackles for loss.
- Panthers absorb season-ending losses to key defenders; Reid’s status uncertain.
N.C. State returns to play this weekend after a much-needed bye, seeking a win to keep the Wolfpack in bowl contention.
Pittsburgh stands in the way. The Panthers have been one of the best teams in the ACC this season, picking up an early 5-2 record and 3-1 start in conference play. They’ve won three games in a row, including two on the road.
The Wolfpack, meanwhile, is 4-3 and 1-2 in the ACC after losing to Duke and Virginia Tech. The team also lost to Notre Dame, 36-7, in Week 7 before its idle week and has lost three of its past four games.
Pitt boasts a defense holding teams to 20.3 points on average. It also leads the ACC in rushing defense (82.4 yards per game) and tackles for loss (8.4 per game), both metrics ranking in the national top 5. The Panthers’ defense will face an N.C. State offensive line that has been inconsistent, giving up eight of 12 sacks this season in two games — Notre Dame and Virginia Tech — while only giving quarterback CJ Bailey an average 2.86 seconds to throw.
Running back Hollywood Smothers ran for a season-low 46 yards against the Fighting Irish. He still leads the ACC in rushing yards (739) and ranks in the national top 10, but N.C. State’s offensive success relies on versatility. It needs to run the football effectively against the Panthers to have a shot at winning Saturday.
The Wolfpack used its bye week to rest, recover from injuries and make adjustments.
“We haven’t put a full game together where we can complement each other,” linebacker Caden Fordham said after the Notre Dame loss. “We got a lot of ball left, so we gotta buy in. We got the bye week coming up. We gotta get healthy and come back and finish out the year.”
Pittsburgh plagued with injuries
Pitt edge rusher Zach Crothers, Bailey’s former high school teammate, was announced as out for the season. He played 95 snaps for the Panthers and was one of the team’s best overall defenders. Crothers earned a season defensive grade of 77, according to Pro Football Focus. He graded out as the sixth-best tackler (75) for Pitt and the second-best pass rusher (79.5). Crothers recorded eight total pressures on opposing quarterbacks, including two sacks, and 15 tackles. Crothers did not miss any tackles in his four games played, PFF statistics show.
Cornerback Nigel Maynard is also out for the season. He saw limited action, but it was a hit to an already banged up Panthers defense.
Linebacker Rasheem Biles missed the Panthers’ game against Syracuse. Like Crothers, Biles is one of the program’s top defenders earning an overall defensive grade of 79 in 388 snaps played. Prior to the matchup against the Orange, he led the team in its run defense (90.2), tackling (85.5) and pass rush (80.2) and is listed on PFF as one of the best linebackers in the nation. Additionally, Biles has contributed 53 tackles, two sacks, one interception return for 75 yards and two pass deflections.
Biles was listed as available in the initial availability report and questionable in the second. He was officially ruled out prior to the game. His status for the coming week is unknown, but it would be significant if the Panthers were without him for a second week.
Player to watch: Desmond Reid
Pittsburgh’s offense features an explosive running back, but he could be included in the Panthers’ injury report.
Desmond Reid missed almost a month with an injury but returned to play against then-No. 25 Florida State in Week 7, recording a career-high 155 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He added 45 rushing yards in the win.
Reid earned ACC Receiver of the Week after the win over the Seminoles.
Saturday, Reid played limited snaps against Syracuse and recorded just 38 yards rushing in the Panthers’ win. Reid did not have any receptions. Head coach Pat Narduzzi limited Reid’s appearance due to injuries, telling reporters the senior was not completely healthy.
A year ago, Reid finished 44 yards shy of 1,000 for the Panthers’ rushing attack and found the end zone five times. He added 579 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Reid has racked up 2,874 career rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on 468 carries. As a receiver, he has contributed 1,300 yards — 12 yards per catch — and seven scores.
The senior, who started his career at Western Carolina, left the Panthers’ 31-24 overtime loss to West Virginia on Sept. 13 with an undisclosed lower body injury. He didn’t play in a loss to Louisville, nor in a win over Boston College, before facing Florida State.
If Reid is healthy and plays against the Wolfpack, the N.C. State defense will have to hone in on the running back and limit his opportunities to make big plays.
Vegas Betting line
The Wolfpack opened as a 7-point underdog, according to PFF. The over/under was set at 53.5 for the matchup. ESPN analytics give Pitt a 67.4% chance of winning.
NC State vs Pitt game info
Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (4-3) vs. Pitt Panthers (5-1)
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: Oct. 25
Time: 3:30 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV
Series history: The teams are tied 5-5-1, with N.C. State winning the past three contests. They have not met since 2020, when the Wolfpack defeated the Panthers, 30-29, on the road. Three years prior, N.C. State also won on the road, 35-17. Pitt has not defeated N.C. State since Dec. 20, 2001, when it pulled off a 34-19 victory in the Tangerine Bowl for its sixth consecutive win.
