Blunt Thoughts on NC State's Fourth Loss of the 2025 Season

NC State came out of the bye with one goal: Go 5-0 the rest of the season. Those dreams died quickly in Saturday's 53-34 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers, as the Wolfpack was thoroughly dominated by Pitt's offense.

The Panthers and head coach Pat Narduzzi were able to generate a game plan that frustrated both the Wolfpack offense and defense from start to finish.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett offers his blunt assessment of the Wolfpack's fourth loss of the season, as well as the daunting path it now faces to reaching a bowl game.

Watch the Episode here

Dave Doeren's Postgame Thoughts

From his opening statement following the loss

"I've got a football team that needs to play better. I thought the first half, in particular, defensively, we did not play contested football. I thought it was way too easy for the quarterback. We played really soft coverage and gave up a lot of things."

"Defensively, in the second half, different story and had a lot of bad field position in the second half, but stopped him over and over and over, like five straight drives without a touchdown. So, I was proud of the adjustments, but we can't play like that."

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"Offensively, we've got to score, you know, we gotta score a lot more points than we are. When we're in rhythm, I'm seeing a lot of good things, but with that defense, top 10 rushing defense, I knew we'd have to throw the football and we did have an explosive run, obviously, in the first half and hung in there with them score-wise for a while."

"You get behind two or three possessions and it kind of changes things as far as your play calling."

On why the things the team worked on during the bye week didn't show up in the game

"It's a good question. If I had the answer, we would've played a lot better. It's not what I expected to see, and it's not the team that I expected to see on the field. And I'm not blaming them."

"I'm the one that got them ready. So it starts with me, and I told them that in a locker and we got to coach better. They have to play better."

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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