NC State enters the third game of its 2020 football season on Saturday, Oct. 3 against No. 24 Pittsburgh in Heinz Field in Pittsburgh (Pa.) at 12:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

The Panthers (3-0, 2-0 ACC) will look to remain undefeated after beating the previously No. 24 ranked Lousiville Cardinals 23-20 Saturday. The Wolfpack (1-1, 1-1 ACC) is coming off of a 45-24 loss at Virginia Tech and will try to get back on track Saturday.

Here is the full scouting report on Pittsburgh:

Senior quarterback Kenny Pickett — Pickett is in year three as the starter for the Panthers and has evolved into one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the ACC.

Through three games in 2020, his 712 passing yards ranks fourth in the ACC. His 66 percent completion rate also ranks tied for fourth in the league among signal callers with at least 30 dropbacks.

He's also an effective runner that can extend plays facing pressure in the backfield. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has rushed for 43 yards on 16 carries and has scored two touchdowns on the ground.

Redshirt junior strong safety Paris Ford — Along with Pittsburgh defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, who opted out of the 2020 season, Ford was considered one of the sure bets on the Panthers' roster to be playing on Sundays next year entering this fall.

Ford became an every-game starter last season, which led to a breakout campaign that ended with first-team All-ACC honors and third-team All-America honors according to Phil Steele.

The 6-foot, 190-pounder tallied 97 total tackles in 2019, including 2.5 for loss, 14 passes defended, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Through three games this season, Ford has accounted for 17 tackles and two interceptions.

Fifth-year senior center Jimmy Morrissey — Morrissey will face his toughest matchup to date this fall when he goes head-to-head with NC State nose tackle Alim McNeill this Saturday.

A former walk-on, Morrissey has been the Pittsburgh starting center in each of the past three seasons. He earned first-team All-ACC honors last fall and was a third-team All-ACC selection as a redshirt sophomore in 2018.

He's a two-year captain that didn't allow a single sack in 2019 and was graded as the Panthers' top offensive lineman according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Fifth-year senior defensive end Patrick Jones II — Jones emerged as one of the ACC's top defensive ends last season as an every-game starter after being a regularly contributing reserve for the Panthers in 2018.

In 2019, Jones registered 43 tackles, including 12 for loss and 8.5 sacks, plus 18 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. He tied for the team-high in tackles for loss and was the outright leader in forced fumbles and hurries.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder was named second-team All-ACC and earned an All-America honorable mention from PFF and Phil Steele.

Through three games, Jones has registered 14 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Freshman slot receiver Jordan Addison — Addison has emerged as the Panthers' top receiver through a quarter of the regular season. The 6-foot, 170-pounder leads the team in every receiving statistic including yards (169), receptions (21), targets (27) and touchdowns (2).

Considered a three-star recruit in the 2020 class, Addison was ranked No. 86 among receivers nationally and No. 21 overall in the state of Maryland according to Rivals.

1. Elite run defense

Saturday will present an intruguing matchup of strength on strength when the Wolfpack's explosive rushing offense faces Pittsburgh's stout run defense.

The Panthers have allowed an average of 56 rushing yards per game, which is tied for second at the FBS level and leads the country among teams that have played at least three games. Pitt's run defense is also the second-highest graded at the Division I level according to PFF.

NC State's running backs have averaged 215 yards through two contests. Something will have to give Saturday.

2. A suffocating pass rush

Pittsburgh leads the country through three contests with 17 total sacks and its 5.67 sacks per game average ranks fifth. The Panthers' pass rush is the tenth-highest graded in Division 1 and the second-best in the ACC behind only Virginia Tech, according to PFF.

That has translated to a strong pass defense overall. Pittsburgh has only allowed 121 yards per game, which ranks third in the country.

3. Third-down conversions

The Panthers' offense has converted 21 of 44 third-down situations this fall and has moved the chains on 2 of 5 fourth-down attempts. Pittsburgh's 47.7 third-down conversion percentage ranks 27th in the country and fourth in the ACC.

While NC State struggled to get the Wake Forest offense off of the field on third downs in game one after giving up 7 of 15 attempts, the Wolfpack got back on track against Virginia Tech by holding the Hokies to 2 of 9 conversions.

1. Stop the run

NC State ranks 64th in the country and last in the ACC in rushing yards per game after giving up an average of 231.5 through two contests. Considering Pittsburgh has run the ball on 53.8 percent of its offensive snaps this season, the Panthers will put the Pack's rush defense to the test once again on Saturday.

The Wolfpack has struggled on defense in its first two contests allowing an average of 40.0 offensive points per game.

2. Take an early lead

NC State took an early 14-0 lead against Wake Forest in the first quarter in game one and won 45-42. In game two, it fell to a 17-0 deficit after eight minutes and lost to Virginia Tech 45-24.

While it's not that simple, a team that depends on the run game offensively needs to play with a lead to win games. If the Pack falls behind early, it will be forced to pass, which throws off the game plan.

Pittsburgh won't do any favors in the second half either. In three games, the Panthers have only allowed three points in the second half and zero in the fourth quarter.

3. Win the turnover battle

The Wolfpack ranked near the bottom of the FBS in turnover margin last season which ultimately played a big factor in the disappointing 4-8 record.

The law of averages suggests that the margin can only improve this season. Through two contests, NC State has come up with one takeaway while committing three turnovers, all of which have been interceptions.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is tied for third in takeaways (eight) and second in interceptions (six) among FBS teams. The Panthers have also turned the ball over four times, including two lost fumbles and two interceptions, but the Wolfpack will need to find a way to win the turnover margin if it wants to pull the upset Saturday.

8 Pittsburgh second-half comeback wins over the past two seasons. The Panthers won four in 2018 and 2019 in games in which they trailed in the second half with an average final score margin of 7.25.

3 Points allowed in the second half this season, which came on a field goal by Louisville in the last game. The Panthers have outscored teams 23-3 after halftime.

50% Pittsburgh has made 3 of 6 field goal attempts this season for a 50 percent completion average. If there's one noticeable weakness on this Panthers team, it's on special teams.

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