There could be the football equivalent of a Pier 12 brawl in Raleigh today when N.C. State finishes a four-game homestand against unbeaten Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is a veteran team that relies on strength and experience to overpower opponents, traits that prompted Coach Tom O'Brien of State to tell his players to be ready for a "smash-mouth" game that could be one of their most physically demanding of the season. Kickoff will be at 3:30 (ESPNU Ch. 143; WIFM 100.9; WSJS 600).
Matt Kushner, an N.C. State tight end from Bethlehem, Pa., is confident that his team can match Pittsburgh's brawn in N.C. State's last dress rehearsal before the start of ACC play next week.
"I like it; it's the way I've been playing football my whole life," Kushner said. "That's the way Pitt's always played, I think. The one thing Pitt likes to do is hit you in the face. That's the way football's played up in Pennsylvania.
"It's man against man. You line up against someone, and you try to beat them up."
N.C. State is 2-1 with a two-game winning streak but will be playing its first major-college opponent since its opener Sept. 3. Pittsburgh is 3-0 this season, 13-4 in its last 17 games and has won seven of eight road games, its most successful road stretch in 27 seasons.
N.C. State built its confidence with wins over Gardner-Webb last week and Murray State the week before, and O'Brien has had a chance to work out some problems to prepare his team for an opponent that has shown few weaknesses.
Pittsburgh has built its style around its lines. The offensive line includes four seniors, counting the tight end, and all five interior linemen weigh at least 285 pounds. The defensive line has two seniors and two juniors.
O'Brien enjoys what he calls "old-school" football, and he is aware that the team that controls the line of scrimmage could be the one that wins.
"The thing that's real worrisome for us is they're No. 1 in not giving up sacks, and they're No. 1 at sacking people in their conference," O'Brien said. "They're committed to running the football. We haven't seen an offensive line like this one.
"They've got pro prospects up there. They've got guys who have played three and four years. We're going to have to work hard to run the football, and we're going to have to work hard to throw the football, too."
Pittsburgh is averaging five sacks a game (No. 2 in the nation). Its offensive line has allowed only one sack of quarterback Bill Stull, who has completed 70 percent of his passes for 540 yards and six touchdowns, with only one interception.
Last week, Pitt controlled one of college football's most-prolific running attacks in a 27-14 win over Navy. Navy relies almost exclusively on the run in its triple option but managed just 129 yards on 46 carries. Forced to pass, Navy completed only 6 of 22.
Coach Dave Wannstedt of Pittsburgh said that his defense will have to play even more efficiently today against quarterback Russell Wilson. Wannstedt admires Wilson for the sound decisions he makes under duress, for his quick passes and for his scrambling ability.
Wilson, a sophomore, has thrown 329 passes without an interception, the longest such streak in major-college history.
"We'll find out what type of team we have," Wannstedt said. "We're comfortable just doing what we're doing. We're just trying to win one more game and keep moving. The polls at this point mean nothing. It hasn't been a conversation here and it won't be. We're three games into it."
bcole@wsjournal.com
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