The NC State Wolfpack (1-1 ACC, 1-1 overall) will be going up against the Pittsburgh Panthers (2-0 ACC, 3-0 overall) this Saturday, Oct. 3, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pack defense will have a lot to address while facing off against Pitt’s offense. The Wolfpack gave up 385 yards against Wake Forest, 495 yards against Virginia Tech and 87 points combined between the two games.
In both games, the opponent had almost 30 minutes of possession and still scored at least 42 points. With these past performances in mind, let’s take a look at what NC State should expect from the Pittsburgh offense.
Wolfpack secondary vs. quarterback Kenny Pickett, wide receivers
The Pack struggled last week with the Hokies utilizing two different quarterbacks, both of whom were backups. Despite the fact that neither were starters, they combined for 181 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Pittsburgh and their passing game is a spotlight. In their last game against Louisville, Pickett threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdown passes was a 40-yard pass in the first half to Taysir Mack. Mack finished with three receptions and 62 yards. Pickett seemed to favor Jordan Addison, who had seven receptions and 77 yards and scored the other passing touchdown.
The Wolfpack secondary has been struggling, allowing many yards in the air to both Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. Now, this young secondary will face a very tough opponent that has one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the ACC.
Wolfpack linebackers vs. Pitt running backs
In the game against Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack allowed a whopping 314 rushing yards, with the Hokies averaging around 7.7 yards per rush for the entire team. Virginia Tech relied heavily on their ground game to pick apart the Pack defense.
Redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore recorded nine tackles and a sack for the Pack against Virginia Tech. Sophomore Drake Thomas also had a good game against the Hokies, recording seven tackles.
The focal point of Pitt’s offense seems to be in the air more so than on the ground. In its game against Louisville, Pitt only recorded 156 rushing yards. Kenny Pickett himself is not afraid to rush, legging out 16 rushing attempts across three games.
Pitt mainly utilizes running backs Vincent Davis and Israel Abanikanda. Davis averaged around 3.4 yards per rush in his last outing, sprinting 21 yards at one point, while Abanikanda averaged 4.6 yards for a total of 41 positive yards.
NC State’s defense should be more focused with the passing game, but Pickett’s dual-threat ability can also be a problem. He averaged just over 3 yards per rush in his last game, gathering 28 total yards.
Wolfpack defensive line vs. Pitt offensive line
Don’t expect too much action as far as sacking Pickett. Pitt’s offensive line is impressive and should provide another test for the Wolfpack D-line. In the Panthers’ game against Louisville, a ranked opponent, Pitt’s offensive line only allowed three sacks the entire game. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack only recorded two against Virginia Tech. While the NC State defensive line might not have the best of days against Pitt’s O-line, it should be effective in helping to stop the run.
Pitt lost 40 yards rushing against Louisville, and although Davis and Abanikanda both had long rushes, they could be stopped at the line by the Pack.
Add in the fact that Pickett is also not afraid to rush, and the defensive line has a ton of variables to assess. However, sacking Pickett is not impossible and even one could energize the entire team.
Wolfpack special teams vs. Pitt kicker Alex Kessman
Although technically not defense, it is worth noting that Pitt kicker Alex Kessman nailed three field goals of 41 yards or more in their win against Louisville. In his previous week against Syracuse, he missed two field goals.
Kessman is arguably one of the main reasons Pitt won against a very conditioned Louisville team and Pitt might use him against the Wolfpack, even if the defense stops Pitt’s fairly reliable offense.
Even though Pitt is built on their amazing defense, its offense still has to score to win. The Pack defense is going to have to work hard to really help a troubled offense by stopping Pickett and company first.
