What The Numbers Say About NC State vs. Pitt History
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RALEIGH — For just the 12th time ever, NC State is set to take on Pitt in a key conference matchup Saturday. The Wolfpack enters the tilt with a 4-3 record overall and a 1-2 ACC record, while Pitt moved to 5-2 with its third-straight win and sits in the mix at 3-1 in conference play.
The two head coaches, Dave Doeren for the Wolfpack and Pat Narduzzi for the Panthers, have some commonalities from a historical standpoint and a statistical one as well.
Saturday's game will be just third matchup between the programs as members of the ACC, as Pitt didn't join the conference until the Big East breakup in 2013.
Similar Coaches at the Helm
Doeren, a 13-year veteran at NC State, and Narduzzi, in his 11th year with Pitt, are two of the longest-tenured coaches in the conference, trailing only Dabo Swinney at Clemson. Narduzzi and Doeren came from similar backgrounds, helping foster a friendship between the two conference adversaries.
Both had experience coaching in the MAC, with Doeren leading Northern Illinois as the head coach, while Narduzzi served as a defensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio) and a linebacker coach at Northern Illinois as well. The two have only faced off twice as head coaches, with Doeren holding a perfect 2-0 record over his friend.
The pair shared Big 10 roots as well. Narduzzi coached under Mark Dantonio as the defensive coordinator for Michigan State from 2007 to 2014, while Doeren led Wisconsin's defense under Bret Bielema from 2006 to 2010. Now ACC coaches, the duo's combined record is 168-126 since taking over at NC State and Pittsburgh.
Recent Matchups
The last matchup between the two programs came in 2020 in front of an empty stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Panthers entered the game ranked No. 24 with a perfect 3-0 record, while the Wolfpack was looking for its second win of the season.
NC State quarterback Devin Leary outdueled future NFL signal caller Kenny Pickett and helped the Wolfpack secure a 30-29 upset win over the Panthers. Leary finished with 336 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Pickett threw for 411 yards and one score. The Panther quarterback did run for a pair of touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to take down the Pack.
The matchup before came in 2017. NC State, ranked No. 20 in the nation, handled itself well against a lowly Pitt squad trying to find its footing in the ACC. Nyheim Hines ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, while linebacker Germaine Pratt was everywhere defensively.
The Matchup Summary
As ACC rivals, Doeren has been fairly dominant over Narduzzi in limited opportunities. NC State will once again be on the road against the Panthers, but that hasn't troubled the Wolfpack in the first two games. Doeren and Co. also have a chance to significantly shake up the top of the ACC standings by giving the Panthers their second loss in conference play.
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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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