NC State Falls To 4-4 With Ugly Loss to Pitt
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RALEIGH — Pitt dominated NC State all the way through its 53-34 win. Panther head coach Pat Narduzzi snatched his first win over Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack since taking over the Pitt program a decade ago.
NC State's 3-0 start seems like a complete mirage, as the Wolfpack has now lost four of the next five games to sink to 4-4. The Panthers positioned themselves nicely for a potential push to the ACC Championship, while bowl eligibility hopes are slipping away for Doeren and the Pack.
First Quarter
NC State's offense started the game poorly, going three-and-out on two straight drives. On the other hand, Pitt stormed out of the gates behind Heintschel. On their first drive, the Panthers worked their way to the one-yard line with a big play to Cataurus Hicks before freshman running back Ja'Kyrian Turner punched it in for a touchdown.
The Panthers worked their way into field goal range and went up 10-0 before NC State crossed the 50-yard line in the game. However, Bailey and the Wolfpack responded finally after going down.
7/11 open early and often. #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/mpdMGAsqiR
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 25, 2025
Bailey led a methodical drive, completing each of his passes, including a 25-yard old dart to a wide-open Justin Joly for the touchdown. The sophomore finished the quarter with 82 passing yards and a touchdown, even after the slow start.
Pitt had a response of its own, however. Heintschel led his own drive down the field, aided by a costly facemask penalty by nickel Jackson Vick, which moved Pitt to the Wolfpack 25-yard line. Heintschel found Kenny Johnson for a 19-yard gain to set the Panthers up at the two-yard line just before the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
Pitt opened the quarter with a Desmond Reid touchdown to go up 17-7. Unfortunately for Pitt, the Wolfpack had yet another response. Throughout the week leading up to the game, much of the discussion was about Pitt's elite rush defense being able to slow down Smothers.
On just his second rushing attempt of the day, Smothers proved that no rush defense could contain him for an entire game. The sophomore shot through the middle of the Pitt defense and found space along the sideline with one man to beat. Smothers won the footrace and scored a 65-yard touchdown to bring the Wolfpack back within three.
There goes Holiday Smoothie 😉#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/eFCuYxEGIw
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 25, 2025
The trend of each team answering back continued. After trading punts, Heintschel led an impressive drive from his team's own 10-yard line. He capped things off with his first touchdown pass of the day. The freshman found Raphael Williams Jr. for a seven-yard score to put the Panthers up 24-14.
Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper pulled a huge trick out of the proverbial bag late in the second quarter. Bailey found freshman wideout Teddy Hoffmann behind a few blockers. The freshman looked to pass the ball and hit a wide-open Joly for his second touchdown of the afternoon. Joly appeared to injure himself while running to the end zone for his 59-yard score.
A trick and a treat!
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 25, 2025
Justin Joly gives it his all for his second touchdown of the game and is over 100 yards for the first time in his career. #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/j83rRzqyjZ
Heintschel threw for another touchdown to put the Panthers up 10 with just 12 seconds left in the first half. To make matters worse for the Wolfpack, redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Royal III injured himself trying to tackle Johnson to prevent him from scoring his second touchdown of the game, but failed to do so. Royal was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Pitt effectively stole a touchdown and helped itself significantly in the critical 'middle eight' portion of the game. The two teams scored a combined five touchdowns in the quarter.
Third Quarter
The NC State defense held Pitt to a field goal on the first drive of the second half. The ensuing drive was critical for the Wolfpack offense to keep itself in the fight with the defense struggling to get stops consistently. On third-and-4, Bailey launched a ball deep to Keenan Jackson, who failed to haul it in for a catch.
Another Wolfpack three-and-out gave Pitt an opportunity to blow the game open. Heintschel and Williams seized the chance, as the quarterback hit his favorite target for an 84-yard touchdown to put the Panthers up 40-21. It turned out to be the longest passing touchdown in program history for Pitt.
LONGEST PANTHER PASSING TOUCHDOWN IN @AcrisureStadium HISTORY ✍️
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 25, 2025
📺 @accnetwork
Pitt 40, NC State 21 pic.twitter.com/0FbbwB1MPD
Once again, NC State failed to respond. In fact, Bailey provided Pitt with a chance to put the game away in the third quarter. On a third-and-8, the sophomore quarterback scrambled for a first down but had the ball yanked away by Pitt linebacker Cameron Lindsay. The Wolfpack defense held up and forced another field goal for the Panthers, who led 43-21 and didn't look back.
The Panthers won the third quarter 15-0, building the lead up to an insurmountable 25 points for a reeling NC State offense.
Fourth Quarter
Pitt failed to extend the lead with a missed field goal to open the fourth quarter. Despite a nice 30-yard touchdown pass from Bailey to Hoffmann, Pitt continued to dominate during the final frame. The Panthers put Eli Holstein in at quarterback after the lead reached 25.
Final Stats
Pitt
- Mason Heintschel: 28-48, 423 yards, three touchdowns
- Ja'Karian Turner: 13 attempts, 50 yards, two touchdowns, two receptions for 13 yards
- Desmond Reid: 13 attempts, 41 yards, one touchdown, three receptions for 28 yards
- Kenny Johnson: 7 receptions, 112 yards, one touchdown
NC State
- CJ Bailey: 24-40, 225 yards, three touchdowns, six carries for 39 yards, one fumble lost
- Hollywood Smothers: eight carries, 86 yards, one touchdown, three receptions for 25 yards
- Justin Joly: six receptions, 101 yards, two touchdowns
- Teddy Hoffmann: four receptions 55 yards, one touchdown, one completion for 59 yards and a touchdown pass.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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