Penalties galore

No way around this one, Pitt committed 13 penalties on Saturday and it was a direct factor in the loss to North Carolina State. Those penalties plagued both the offense and the defense. Ten of the penalties were committed in the first half, which allowed the Wolfpack to build an early lead. The defense had trouble staying onsides, and some costly pass interference penalties kept North Carolina State on the field. A holding penalty in the early part of the fourth quarter against Carter Warren took Pitt out of the red zone, and the Panthers had to settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown. It was both sides as well, as NC State also committed 11 penalties. For the fourth game of the season, it was sloppy football and inexcusable for the most part, especially for a Pitt team ranked inside the top 25 playing at home.

Running Game nowhere to be found

Pitt finished with 92 rushing yards on 37 attempts on Saturday. North Carolina State allowed 314 yards on the ground last week in a loss to Virginia Tech, but the Panthers couldn't take advantage and looked lost most of the day against the NC State front. Pickett gutted out 40 yards himself, but the three running backs that played: Vincent Davis, Israel Abanikanda, and Todd Sibley combined for 52 yards on 21 carries. Pitt was stuffed at the goal line early in the second half, and had to trust Pickett to sneak it at the one for two touchdowns as the running backs could not get any push going forward. Those issues with the run definitely are carried by the offensive line as well, as Pitt had little movement up front and running lanes were non-existent most of the day.

Defense falters

The Pitt defense had been outstanding through the first three games, but on Saturday the unit struggled at times. NC State came out and punched Pitt in the mouth with a 17-yard scoring drive to open the game, and finished with a quick-strike scoring drive to win the game in the final minutes. The defense gathered itself and played well in the second and third quarters, but it dug itself an early hole and could not save the day at the end. Pitt only registered two sacks and did not force one turnover in the game.

Key injuries

Pitt played the second half without leading receiver Jordan Addison, as he left the game with a shoulder injury. The freshman caught a 75-yard touchdown on the second play of the game, but was mostly a non-factor after that. Still, he's been very good through the first three games and a lingering injury hurts an already struggling offense. Cam Bright has been a breakout star at linebacker, but he left the game as well in the first half. Defensive tackle Keyshon Camp got injured in the early part of the first quarter and never returned to action. Those injuries go on top of a mounting list that includes Damarri Mathis, Wendell Davis, Jared Wayne, Lucas Krull, Kyi Wright, and more. The Panthers depth is starting to be tested more and more each week.

A sour note

Pitt was unable to capitalize on some early season momentum for the program. Pitt was ranked 24th this week in the AP Poll and was looking to start 4-0 for the first time in 20 years. Pitt had looked strong in the early going of this season with one of the best defenses in the country, but it did not stand up on Saturday. Senior quarterback Kenny Pickett threw for 411 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, but the lack of a running game and some questionable first-half play calling stagnated the offensive output overall. Pitt will look to bounce back next week with its first road game of the season at Boston College.