NC State football scouting report: Week 9 at Pittsburgh

By Noah Fleischman

NC State coach Dave Doeren is undefeated against two ACC programs since he arrived in Raleigh in 2013: Pittsburgh and Virginia. The Wolfpack already beat the Cavaliers in Week 2, improving the 13th-year coach’s mark to 4-0 against that squad, and now the program will put his 2-0 mark against the Panthers on the line on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., ACCN) at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. 

Before the two sides square off for the third time under Doeren, let’s take a look at what this year’s Pitt squad brings to the table in this week’s scouting report.

5 Pitt players to watch

1. QB Mason Heintschel

Pitt made a quarterback change three weeks ago when it inserted Heintschel, an 18-year-old true freshman, into the starting lineup. He has been a gunslinger ever since, with 820 yards — headlined by a pair of 300-yard games through the air — and 6 touchdowns against just 3 interceptions. He has, however, been sacked 14 times for a loss of 84 yards in his time under center for the Panthers. 

Heintschel has made a living on passes within nine yards of the line of scrimmage, throwing for 362 yards and 2 TDs on 35-of-43 passing. He hasn’t been successful on deep balls of 20 air yards or more with just 3 completions for 61 yards and 2 scores on 11 attempts. Heintschel isn’t great under pressure, either, with just 173 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and a 50-percent completion rate when teams get to him in the backfield.

2. RB Desmond Reid

Reid, a former Western Carolina transfer, is among the most-dangrous playmakers in the ACC. He’s battled an ankle injury, but has still been able to rack up 451 yards of total offense with three scores in five games. Reid can make tacklers miss with 10 forced missed tackles as a ball carrier this season, while he’s ripped off seven 10-plus yard rushes thus far. Reid was most effective as a receiver in Pitt’s 34-31 win at Florida State two weeks ago as he caught seven passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns out of the backfield. If he’s healthy after playing just 20 total snaps last week, Reid will test the Wolfpack’s linebackers as both a rusher and pass catching threat this weekend.

3. LB Rasheem Biles

The Panthers’ leading tackler with 53 total stops so far this season, Biles missed Pitt’s win at Syracuse last week due to injury. Biles, when healthy, may be the Panthers’ best player on the field. He posted 8.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks with a pick six through his first six games of the 2025 campaign. The linebacker is an integral part of the Pitt defense and the team’s ability to stop the run. The Panthers’ defense is a much more intimidating unit with Biles’ presence on the field each Saturday. 

4. WR Raphael Williams Jr.

Williams, another former Western Carolina standout, leads Pitt with 426 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 27 receptions. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound wideout has averaged 15.8 yards per catch with a long of 67 yards this fall. Williams has been electric, especially after the catch, with 139 after the ball is in his hands, according to Pro Football Focus, as he has posted four games with a long of 20 yards or more in each one. He has yet to post a drop and will challenge the Wolfpack in the slot against a beat-up nickel room with redshirt junior Jackson Vick likely lining up against him.

5. LB Braylan Lovelace

Although linebackers Kyle Louis and Biles got the preseason headlines going into the campaign, Lovelace has been excellent in the middle of the Panthers’ defense. He is second on the team with 46 total tackles, while adding a pass defended and an interception. Lovelace also leads Pitt with 26 total “stops,” defined as a tackle that leads to a failure for the offense, according to PFF. While Lovelace is a solid player, he has become known to not finish tackles with 11 such misses, including two in four of the team’s first seven games.

3 keys to the game

1. Establish the run

It’s going to be a battle of strengths when NC State is on offense. The Wolfpack boasts the ACC’s leading rusher in redshirt sophomore Hollywood Smothers, who has 739 yards with 5 touchdowns on 112 attempts this fall, while the Panthers have the league’s top rushing defense with just 82.4 yards given up per game. Pitt’s unit has allowed just 2.24 yards per attempt, the second-best mark in all of college football. If NC State can get Smothers going early, that will allow the Wolfpack to get the Panthers on their heels and eventually open up deep shots for sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey to take against a loaded box.

2. Get after the QB

As noted above, Heintschel has struggled against pressure this fall. The true freshman signal-caller was tossed into the fire as the team’s starter, and while he’s found success overall, being pressured is a weak point in Heintschel’s game. His average yards per pass attempt is the lowest with 6.2 per throw, while PFF has given him a 47.0 overall offensive grade on such marks. If the Wolfpack’s pass rush, led by Sabastian Harsh and Cian Slone with their combined 35 total pressures, can get home against Heintschel, NC State’s defense has a chance to wreck the game on the road. 

3. Build early momentum

NC State has lost its last three games against FBS opponents — it does have a 56-10 win over Campbell mixed in there — and finding a way to build an early lead could do wonders for the Wolfpack. The team is looking to snap the skid, and if it can play with a lead for once, it could be a difference maker in earning its second ACC road win. Remember back to the first such victory — the 34-24 result at Wake Forest — NC State was behind by 10 twice in the first 30 minutes before rolling in the second half with a near-perfect performance in the final two quarters. The Pack has yet to play a complete game from start to finish. If the team can jump out to an early lead against the Panthers, NC State could have a chance to play its first well-rounded game of the campaign.

1 NC State player who can alter the outcome

RB Hollywood Smothers

It’s been noted above, but the Wolfpack offense’s success may hinge on Smothers’ legs. Bailey had a down performance at Notre Dame two weeks ago, which sank the Wolfpack’s upset hopes as the offense failed to reach the red zone for the first time since a 34-0 loss at Florida State on Oct. 29, 2011. Smothers not only can change a game on his own, but he can also make life easier for Bailey in the pass game. Keep an eye on the tailback and his ability to beat Pitt’s high-level run defense.