NC State vs. Pittsburgh

NC State and Pittsburgh have 12 meetings on file, the first in 1952; Pittsburgh leads the series 6–⁠5–⁠1 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s NC State 5–⁠4.

Scheduled 2027 at NC State; 2029 at NC State; 2030 at Pittsburgh. As the programs’ Wikipedia articles list them (CC BY-SA).

NC State wins
5
Pittsburgh wins
6
Ties
1
Earliest on file
1952
Longest streak
3 NC State
Current streak
1 Pittsburgh
Last 10 meetings
NC State 5–⁠4
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1950s0–⁠2
1970s1–⁠0
1980s1–⁠2–⁠1
2000s1–⁠1
2010s1–⁠0
2020s1–⁠1
Average margin
17.3 points; 2 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At NC State
2–⁠0–⁠1 NC State’s record at home
At Pittsburgh
5–⁠2 Pittsburgh’s record at home
Neutral sites
1–⁠1 NC State first
Shutouts
1

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. NC State’s biggest win2017: NC State 35, Pittsburgh 17by 18 points
  2. Pittsburgh’s biggest win1952: Pittsburgh 48, NC State 6by 42 points
  3. Upset2020: NC State 30, Pittsburgh 29NC State had a 25% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsNC StateSeriesPittsburgh
1986–⁠1988Dick Sheridan1–⁠1–⁠1Mike Gottfried
2017–⁠2025Dave Doeren2–⁠1Pat Narduzzi

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from NC State’s side (Sheridan 1–⁠1–⁠1 against Gottfried). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of NC State and Pittsburgh, 1952 on1300150017001960197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Mason Heintschel Pittsburgh28 of 48, 423 yards, 3 TD2025 Passing
Kenny Pickett Pittsburgh22 of 39, 411 yards, 1 TD2020 Passing
Russell Wilson NC State21 of 35, 322 yards, 4 TD2009 Passing

Named most valuable

Ted Brown NC State1978

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on). Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).

Every game

Oct 25, 2025Pittsburgh 53, NC State 34at Pittsburgh
Oct 3, 2020NC State 30, 24Pittsburgh 29at Pittsburgh
Oct 14, 201720NC State 35, Pittsburgh 17at Pittsburgh
Sep 26, 2009NC State 38, Pittsburgh 31at NC State
Dec 20, 2001Pittsburgh 34, NC State 19Neutral siteTangerine Bowl
Nov 19, 1988NC State 14, Pittsburgh 3at NC State
Sep 12, 198718Pittsburgh 34, NC State 0at Pittsburgh
Sep 13, 1986NC State 14, Pittsburgh 14at NC State
Oct 12, 1985Pittsburgh 24, NC State 10at Pittsburgh
Dec 23, 1978NC State 30, 16Pittsburgh 17Neutral siteTangerine Bowl
Nov 14, 1953Pittsburgh 40, NC State 6at Pittsburgh
Nov 15, 195214Pittsburgh 48, NC State 6at Pittsburgh

Every game is listed as played on the field.