Wolfpack Kickoff: Game 3 at Pittsburgh

NC State (1-1, 1-1 ACC) vs. No. 24 Pittsburgh (3-0, 2-0 ACC)

Heinz Field (68,400)

Noon, ACC Network (PxP: Wes Durham; Analyst: Roddy Jones, Sideline: Eric Wood)

Streaming: WatchESPN; National radio: Sirius 137, XM 385; Live stats: GoPack.com

Weather at kickoff: Seasonable and partly cloudy, 57 degrees at kickoff, 0% chance of rain

Series history: Pitt leads 5-4-1 (4-1 in Pittsburgh)

Last meeting: State 35, Pitt 17, Oct. 14, 2017 at Carter-Finley Stadium

Last week: State lost to Virginia Tech 45-24. Pitt beat Louisville 23-20

BetOnline line: State plus 14 | Over/Under 47 1/2

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"Their defense is fast, they’re disruptive. They pressure, press coverage. They’re only giving up 10 points per game and 177 yards per game (with) 17 sacks in three games and 34 tackles for loss. They’ve created six interceptions. They’ve got a lot of defensive linemen. ... They’ve got a crew that they rotate that is disruptive." Coach Dave Doeren

"I try my best to refer back to any old notes I do still have about Pitt from when I have played them in the past. I'm trying to refresh my memory about different schemes they’ve ran and different offensive schemes they’ve hit us with with different looks and just kind of understanding how that has changed, if at all, from back then." Defensive end Daniel Joseph, who played against Pitt while at Penn State

"Person is really listed as the starter right now, and I think they're both really good. Knight, he looks big and physical and fast. I think Knight has got more carries than Person does, but they're a two-headed monster there and they're both really good. They run a lot of inside zone, outside zone, some similar runs that we saw last week, even out of some similar formations. The offensive line is really good up front." Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

NC State stats | Pittsburgh stats

NC STATE	PITT
Passing	Devin Leary	12-16-0 165 yards 1 TD	Kenny Pickett	62-94-2 712 yards 5 TD
Rushing	Zonovan Knight	25 carries 191 yards 1 TD	Vincent Davis	42 darries 156 yards 2 TD
Receiving	Devin Carter	7 catches 109 yards 1 TD	Jordan Addison	21 carries 169 yards 2 TD
Cary Angeline	4 catches 62 yards 1 TD	D.J. Turner	9 catches 133 yards 1 TD
Defense	Drake Thomas	19 tackles 1.5 TFL 1 sack	Paris Ford	17 tackles 2.5 TFL 2 INT
Isaiah Moore	17 tackles 2 TFL 1 sack	Cam Bright	17 tackles 3.5 TFL 1.5 sacks

UNIFORM COMBINATION

The Wolfpacm will look sharp with red helmets and pants accenting their white jerseys with red numbers and white shoes.

Uniform combo vs. Pitt:
🔴 lids, ⚪️ jersey, 🔴 pants, ⚪️ cleats@adidasFballUS pic.twitter.com/97lTOjkPDA
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 1, 2020

NOTABLE

At No. 24 in the nation, Pitt is the second ranked opponent the Wolfpack will face on the road in as many weeks. State will be looking for its first road win against a ranked ACC opponent since beating No. 11 Florida State in 2017 ...

Heinz Field is also the home of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, who like the Panthers are also 3-0 in 2020, This is the sixth time State will have played in an NFL stadium during coach Dave Doeren's tenure and the second one against Pitt. The Wolfpack is 2-3 in those games, with all three losses coming in neutral site matchups -- Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium in the 2015 Belk Bowl and vs. South Carolina in 2017, and TIAA Bank Field at the 2018 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Texas A&M. State is 2-0 as a visitor on a pro field, winning at USF’s Raymond James Stadium in 2014, 49-18, and at Pitt, 35-17, in 2017 ...

State is one of 23 schools nationally that has scored on every red zone possession this season. The Wolfpack is a perfect 9 of 9 so far. Eight of its nine touchdowns have all come as red zone scores. That success is a stark contrast to a year ago when State ranked 67th nationally in red zone conversions last season and 92nd nationally in red zone touchdowns ...

Kicker Christopher Dunn has connected on 13 straight field goals, the third-longest streak in school history. He also has the second-longest streak at 19. Dunn's 53-yard field goal against Virginia Tech last week was his career long. For his career, he ranks fourth in school history with 46 field goals and fourth in career percentage at .885. He is a perfect 85 of 85 on extra point tries. ...

Wide receiver C.J. Riley caught two passes for 24 yards and a touchdown on Saturday at Virginia Tech. They were his first catches since making three receptions for 51 yards in a win against Virginia Tech on Dec. 1, 2018 ...

Cornerback Teshaun Smith, who needs surgery to repair a shoulder injury, has become the second Wolfpack player to suffer a season-ending injury. Linebacker Louis Acceus is also sidelined ...

Only one player that made a significant contribution in the most recent game between the Wolfpack and Panthers -- a 35-17 State win on Oct. 14, 2017 -- will also play in Saturday's game. Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was 5 of 13 for 61 yards in relief of starter Ben DiNucci in the first prolonged action of his career ...

Pitt's pass rush has produced 17 sacks through the season's first three games. The Panthers rank fifth nationally with an average of 5.67 sacks per game. Defensive ends Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver lead the way with 3.5 sacks each ...

Since taking over as Pitt's head coach in 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed the Panthers to 26 victories in ACC play, the third-highest win total during that span, trailing only Clemson (39) and Miami (27).

PREDICTION

Brett: State's defense figures to be better than it was at Virginia Tech with the return of linebacker Payton Wilson and safety Tanner Ingle. The offense also figures to be better now that Leary, presumably, will assume the starting quarterback role for which he's been slated since the spring. The question is whether that offense and defense will be improved enough to knock off a ranked opponent on the road, especially against a team that features an elite defensive front. Simple answer. No ... Pitt 31, State 24

Kenton: I see Pitt dominating this game, but the scoreboard not saying it until late. That defensive front will give the Pack fits all day. But if leary can find a way to succeed in the face of protection leaks, this could get interesting ... Pitt 28, State 10.

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