PITTSBURGH — Jordan Addison had no one around him, not a soul within 10 yards.
The second play of Pitt’s game against N.C. State was the easiest 75-yard touchdown you’ll ever see. A coverage bust led to a streaking Addison, and Kenny Pickett found the Panthers’ breakout freshman for the opening score. Pitt, a 14-point favorite, couldn’t have dreamed for a better start to its pursuit of a 4-0 record.
But things got ugly. Fast.
Anyone who’s seen Pitt play over the last season-plus recognized two constants Saturday: a woeful offense and a lack of discipline. The No. 24 Panthers took those two hallmarks to another level at Heinz Field in a disheartening _ and for a team with ACC title game aspirations, inexcusable _ 30-29 loss against the Wolfpack.
In one of the worst games in Pat Narduzzi’s tenure, Pitt committed 13 penalties for 125 yards. One or two were ticky-tacky, give the Panthers that. But Pitt, the 10th-most penalized team in college football last year, made mistakes a program built of veterans couldn’t afford.
At times, N.C. State quarterback Devin Leary looked like peak Joe Flacco, heaving it deep and picking up a pass interference here, a pass interference there, picking on Pitt’s non-Jason Pinnock cornerbacks. But Leary (28 of 44 for 336 yards and four touchdowns) was also sharp when he needed to be, especially down the stretch. The Wolfpack converted 7 of 16 third-down plays and capitalized on its red-zone opportunities.
After Pitt managed a go-ahead, quarterback sneak by Pickett with 1:44 to go in regulation, Leary and N.C. State answered. Down 29-24, the Wolfpack rattled off an eight-play, 79-yard touchdown drive, carving up the Panthers’ heralded and vaunted defense, one that hardly got any pressure all afternoon.
Leary found senior wideout Emeka Emezie in the end zone with no one around him for a 13-yard score that all but sealed the Wolfpack’s upset. Leary, Emezie and N.C. State _ a team that was whacked by 20-plus points last weekend by a Virginia Tech team missing 23 players due to COVID-19 absences _ pulled ahead of the two-touchdown favorites.
Pickett’s final heave as the clock hit zero on wasn’t close to the end zone. But in all actuality, if Pitt had a bankable red-zone offense, it wouldn’t have come down to a Hail Mary that had no shot. It wouldn’t have come down to Randy Bates’ defense bailing Mark Whipple’s unit yet another time.
The Panthers ranked 118th nationally in red-zone touchdown rate in Whipple’s first year as offensive coordinator, and they appeared out of ideas yet again within 20 yards.
An offense that settles for field goals more often than not was toothless when given the opportunity to prove itself. On six drives into N.C. State territory, the Panthers managed two touchdowns, three field goals and one turnover on downs.
Early in the third quarter, down 17-13, Pitt couldn’t score with four opportunities from N.C. State’s 1-yard line.
A shotgun run to 5-foot-8, 175-pound tailback Vincent Davis was stuffed on first down. A carry by quasi-fullback Daniel Carter went nowhere. Pickett had zero throwing options on a third-down, play-action rollout. And on fourth, Pitt’s offensive line was overwhelmed yet again as Davis was dragged down for a 2-yard loss.
If fans were in the stands, they would’ve booed. And they would’ve groaned, too, on Taysir Mack’s dropped two-point conversion, one that would’ve given Pitt a seven-point cushion before N.C. State’s final, fatal drive.
Pickett, who threw for a career-high 411 yards, found the end zone twice on sneaks.
But Pitt’s first failed trip to the 1-yard line ultimately doomed Narduzzi’s team. That, and its laundry list of errors.
Now, Pitt is forced to pull itself up off the floor and play Boston College on the road next weekend. Before Saturday, some thought that game could propel Pitt to 5-0 ahead of its road game at ranked Miami. Maybe, just maybe, that game in South Florida would get national coverage, and perhaps Pitt would finally gain national respect.
But Saturday robbed them of that chance. Pitt, which hasn’t been 4-0 since 2000, will have to wait another year.
