The Pitt defense had been the primary reason the Panthers started 3-0 in the 2020 season. The potent Pitt defense had been putting up gaudy numbers and shutting opponents down all season long, but on Saturday it was a different story in a 30-29 loss to North Carolina State.

The Panthers proved to be undisciplined on Saturday, as 11 of the 13 penalties called against Pitt were credited to the defense. Pitt jumped offsides five different times in the first half. The Panthers were whistled for three pass interference penalties as well.

Down the stretch a rouging the passer on SirVocea Dennis extended a Wolfpack drive that led to a score in the fourth quarter. On the final drive, Brandon Hill was called for a defensive holding that put NC State at the 13-yard line with :29 seconds remaining.

“They drove us off, they did a nice job, and we didn't have enough discipline, that’s where it starts,” Narduzzi said of the penalty plagued afternoon.

Patrick Jones, a team captain and leader of the defense, finished with two tackles and half of a sack on Saturday. He was not pleased at how his team gave away yardage throughout the game.

“We gave it, we gave them the game as far as penalties,” Jones lamented. “We can’t have penalties we should not have had and we should have done better at practice with it and that’s something we just got to go on to next week and just work on. We can’t have that no more.”

It was not just the penalties that doomed Pitt, either.

Pitt entered Saturday’s game with 17 sacks, which ranked first nationally. The Panthers only finished with two sacks total and rarely got pressure on NC State quarterback Devin Leary, who finished with 336 yards and four touchdowns.

“Me personally, I just didn’t get home fast enough,” Jones said of the lack of pressure. "That’s all that happened. They were able to get the ball off and they got the ball off and made plays.”

Added Narduzzi, “He got the ball out pretty quick. We couldn't get as much pressure as we'd like. We'll look at the tape and find out exactly what happened, but we just didn't play good enough.”

Pitt was strong on getting off the field in last week’s win over Louisville. The Cardinals were just 1-of-11 on third down conversions, but NC State converted 7-of-16 third downs in Saturday's game and kept the chains moving better than any team Pitt has played to date.

Pitt’s offense struggled once again at finishing off drives, but quarterback Kenny Pickett gave Pitt a lead with a one-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left. The defense had been strong on closing out games this season, but NC State went 79 yards on eight plays in the final minutes of the game.

It was a somber tone in the post game press conference for the players and Narduzzi alike.

“Everybody in our football team has a part in a loss, including me, every coach and every player, and that's just kind of how it goes,” he said. “Kids are hurt. Kids are hurt bad in the locker room, but we'll rebound and stick together and come back next week against Boston College.”

Jones also wants to look ahead to next week’s contest as well.

“It was a very humbling loss,” Jones said. "It wasn’t a feeling we wanted to feel and it’s a feeling we plan on feeling again. So next week we’re going to bring our A-game and we’re not going to have none of the mistakes we had today, I’m going to make sure of it.”