NC State Going For Their Sixth Win Of The Season As They Visit Pittsburgh
Dave Doeren's team is on aroll heading in to their game with Pittsburgh Saturday where they hope to record their sixth win of the season.
NC State and Pittsburgh will not be meeting for the first time in the history of the two
programs, but they will be meeting for the first time
as ACC rivals. The Panthers joined the ACC in 2013 and
are the only team the Wolfpack has not faced since
the latest round of conference expansion took place in
2013 and 2014.
RANKED:
NC State has moved into the top-20 in both
major polls this week. The Wolfpack checks in at No.
20 in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches’
Polls at the midway point of the 2017 regular season.
NC State is ranked in the top-20 nationally for the first
time since 2003, a No. 14 ranking two games into that
season.
The Wolfpack has already racked up a pair of wins over
ranked teams this season, a 27-21 win at 12th-ranked
Florida State and a 39-25 victory over No. 17 Louisville
on Thursday night.
This season marks the first time the Pack has defeated
two ranked ACC foes in the same season since 2006,
the first time it has beaten two ranked foes since 2010,
and the first time it has defeated two ranked teams in
the regular season since 2008.
ON PRO FIELDS:
NC State will face the Panthers
at Heinz Field, which also doubles as the home of
the NFL’s six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh
Steelers. It will mark the fourth time the Wolfpack
has played in an NFL Stadium under head coach Dave
Doeren.
NC State is 1-2 in the those games, with both losses in neutral site matchups at Charlotte’s
Bank of America Stadium (the 2015 Belk Bowl and earlier this season vs. South Carolina. "according to http://www.gopack.com/documents/2017/10/9//Pitt_Notes.pdf?id=16352
As for NC State's last game, They beat then #17 Louisville who dropped out of the rankings this week while NC State now is ranked #20 in the AP Top 25 poll. "according to http://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings
The capital of North Carolina has every right to be excited because NC State who is ranked is playing great and is off to a great start this season under head coach Dave Doeren.
Not to mention NC State's win over #17Louisville Thursday nightat Carter Finley Stadium.
No. 24 NC State scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives spanning the third and fourth quarters and clinched the game on a 25-yard interception return for another score in the closing minutes to win its fifth straight game with a 39-25 defeat of No. 17 Louisville Thursday night at Carter-Finley Stadium. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
With the win, NC State starts ACC action with a 3-0 mark for the first time since the 2002 season. Tonight's win over #17 Louisville, and the previous win over #12 Florida State on Sept. 23, marks the first time the Pack has defeated two ranked ACC foes in the same season since 2006. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
In the first battle of ranked foes at Carter-Finley since 2000, tonight marked the first time since 1992 that NC State defeated a ranked team at Carter-Finley Stadium while it was also ranked at the time of the game (Wake Forest). "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
After Louisville cut the score to 17-13 late in the third quarter, the Wolfpack scored touchdowns on two straight drives, with 1:35 left in the third quarter and then five minutes into the fourth, to go up 32-19 with 10:07 remaining after a two-point conversion. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
Louisville got the game to a single-possession contest with a TD with 4:10 left at 32-25. After holding the Pack to a three-and-out, Louisville got the ball back with 3:07 left but pinned back at their 10-yard line. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
After an incompletion, LB Germaine Pratt picked off a Louisville pass and returned it 25 yards for the game clinching score with just under three minutes left. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
QB Ryan Finley threw for 367 yards, RB Nyheim Hines went over 100 yards for the seconds straight game and added a pair of scores, while Kelvin Harmon (133) and Jaylen Samuels (104) both finished with over 100 yards receiving. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
After a scoreless first quarter, the two teams combined for 27 points in the second quarter. The scoring started three minutes into the quarter when NC State's Ryan Finley found Kelvin Harmon for a 48-yard score. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
Louisville answered with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing possession, a 23-yard Lamar Jackson to Seth Dawkins score to even the game at 7-7. The Pack tacked on a field goal and then Nyheim Hines scampered in for an 11-yard score with 1:47 left before the half. The Cardinals kicked a field goal to end the opening 30 minutes, as NC State held a 17-10 lead. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
NC State has now defeated two ranked foes for the first time since the 2010 season, and the first time defeating two in the regular season since 2008. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 1st half
5 plays, 59 yards in 1:42 – Ryan Finley to Kelvin Harmon 48-yard TD pass "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
After a scoreless first quarter, NC State opened the scoring with the first TD of the game three minutes into the second quarter. NC State went 59 yards in just five plays, with QB Ryan Finley finding WR Kelvin Harmon deep over the middle for a 48-yard score. The 48-yard reception was a season-high for Harmon. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 2nd half
9 plays, 78 yards in 3:36 – Nyheim Hines 7-yard TD run "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
After Louisville cut the Pack's lead to 17-13, NC State's Nyheim Hines' scored his second rushing TD of the day late in the third quarter. Going 78 yards in nine plays, the drive was finished off with a 7-yard Hines TD score. On the drive, Hines had 52 yards rushing and 11 yards receiving of the Pack's 78 on the drive. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
STAT LEADERS
• QB Ryan Finley
20-of-31 for 367 yards, 1 TD
• RB Nyheim Hines
18 rushes for 102 yards, 2 TDs
105 kickoff return yards – 225 total yards
• WR Kelvin Harmon
6 catches for 133 yards, 1 TD
• H-Back Jaylen Samuels
7 catches for 104 yards
• S Jarius Morehead
11 tackles, 7 solo
• DT Eurndraus Bryant
2 sacks
"according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"I'm really proud of our players and our coaching staff. What a win. Great football game. Bunch of players on both teams playing hard. When you can play like that in that environment, it was electric. Our student section was the best I've ever seen it tonight, and we'd love for it to be like that every week. They make our team so much better when they do that for us. Thank you to our fans for that." - NC State head coach Dave Doeren. "according tohttp://gopack.com/news/2017/10/5/football-wolfpack-shines-under-the-lights-in-39-25-win-over-17-louisville.aspx?path=football
As for Pittsburgh's last game, they lost to Syracuse,
Eric Dungey threw two touchdown passes and ran for another and the Orange defense stymied Pittsburgh's offense on third down as Syracuse held on to beat Pitt, 27-24.<br /> <br /> Syracuse's win was its first over the Panthers in five years and kept Syracuse's bowl hopes alive. Pitt had won 11 of the last 12 in the series and was 4-0 against Syracuse since both teams joined the ACC.<br /> <br /> Pitt (2-4, 0-2) didn't record its first third-down conversion until 8:40 to go in the game, finishing 3-of-13.<br /> <br /> Dungey was 33-of-49 for 365 yards for Syracuse (3-3, 1-1) and he ran for 48 more for 413 total yards. His 10-yard rushing score, which gave Syracuse a 17-13 lead with 6:59 left in the third quarter, was the ninth in his SU career, tying him with Donovan McNabb and Bill Hurley.<br /> <br /> Pitt quarterback Max Brownewas 15-of-22 for 161 yards before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter. Backup Ben Dinucci was 6-of-10 for 55 yards for the Panthers.<br /> <br /> Cole Murphy's 38-yard field goal extended Syracuse's lead to 20-13. Alex Kessman's56-yard field goal, a Carrier Dome record, brought Pitt to 20-16, but Dungey hit Steve Ishmael on a 35-yard scoring play to extend Syracuse's lead to 27-16. Pitt made it close on a 19-yard run by Quadree Olsenand two-point conversion with 7:15 to go.<br /> <br /> After last year's 76-61 Pitt win - the highest scoring game in FBS history - the teams slugged it out in a defensive first half which ended in a 10-10 tie. Pitt didn't get its first down - on a Syracuse penalty - until the last play of the first quarter. The Orange defense held the Panthers to three consecutive possessions without a first down in the opening quarter.<br /> <br /> The Orange wasn't much better. After an opening drive that led to a Murphy 26-yard field goal, Syracuse struggled mightily throughout much of the first 30 minutes until a 32-yard scoring play from Dungey to Devin Butler with 34 seconds left in the half to tie the game at 10. Pitt had taken a 10-3 lead on a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Whiteheadand 49-yard field goal by Kessman.<br /> <br /> <strong>TAKEAWAY</strong><br /> PITT: Pitt's road to a bowl game took a huge hit, with North Carolina State up next. Rafeal Araujo Lopes led the Panthers with seven receptions.<br /> <br /> SYRACUSE: Syracuse coach Dino Babers is 36-0 when leading after three quarters. Dungey opened up the passing game, hitting six different receivers, including tight end Ravian Pierce, who had a career-high nine receptions for 99 yards. Dontae Strickland had 81 yards on 25 carries.<br /> <br /> <strong>UP NEXT</strong><br /> PITT: Pitt has a tough home matchup Saturday against the surprising NC State Wolfpack.<br /> <br /> SYRACUSE: The Orange begin a back-breaking three-game stretch, hosting Clemson Friday night. Syracuse has road games against Miami and Florida after the Tigers. "according to http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2017/10/7/football-syracuse-holds-off-pitt-in-the-dome-27-24.aspx?path=football
Kick-off is set for 12:00pm. The game will be televised on the Regional Sports Network. "according to http://www.gopack.com/schedule.aspx?path=football