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. Share
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
| ’0 | ’1 | ’2 | ’3 | ’4 | ’5 | ’6 | ’7 | ’8 | ’9 | W–L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0–2 | ||||||||||
| 1970s | 1–0 | ||||||||||
| 1980s | 1–2–1 | ||||||||||
| 2000s | 1–1 | ||||||||||
| 2010s | 1–0 | ||||||||||
| 2020s | 1–1 |
- 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
- NC State’s biggest win2017: NC State 35, Pittsburgh 17by 18 points
- Pittsburgh’s biggest win1952: Pittsburgh 48, NC State 6by 42 points
- Upset2020: NC State 30, Pittsburgh 29NC State had a 25% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
Coach against coach
| Years | NC State | Series | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–1988 | Dick Sheridan | 1–1–1 | Mike Gottfried |
| 2017–2025 | Dave Doeren | 2–1 | Pat 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
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 Pittsburgh | 28 of 48, 423 yards, 3 TD | 2025 Passing | |
| Kenny Pickett Pittsburgh | 22 of 39, 411 yards, 1 TD | 2020 Passing | |
| Russell Wilson NC State | 21 of 35, 322 yards, 4 TD | 2009 Passing |
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, 2025 | Pittsburgh 53, NC State 34 | at Pittsburgh | ||
| Oct 3, 2020 | NC State 30, 24Pittsburgh 29 | at Pittsburgh | ||
| Oct 14, 2017 | 20NC State 35, Pittsburgh 17 | at Pittsburgh | ||
| Sep 26, 2009 | NC State 38, Pittsburgh 31 | at NC State | ||
| Dec 20, 2001 | Pittsburgh 34, NC State 19 | Neutral site | Tangerine Bowl | |
| Nov 19, 1988 | NC State 14, Pittsburgh 3 | at NC State | ||
| Sep 12, 1987 | 18Pittsburgh 34, NC State 0 | at Pittsburgh | ||
| Sep 13, 1986 | NC State 14, Pittsburgh 14 | at NC State | ||
| Oct 12, 1985 | Pittsburgh 24, NC State 10 | at Pittsburgh | ||
| Dec 23, 1978 | NC State 30, 16Pittsburgh 17 | Neutral site | Tangerine Bowl | |
| Nov 14, 1953 | Pittsburgh 40, NC State 6 | at Pittsburgh | ||
| Nov 15, 1952 | 14Pittsburgh 48, NC State 6 | at Pittsburgh |
Every game is listed as played on the field.