Mason Heintschel went 28 of 48 passing for 423 yards and three touchdowns to lead Pittsburgh to a 53-34 home win over N.C. State on Saturday in an ACC contest.
Cataurus Hicks caught four passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, and Kenny Johnson had seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown for Pitt (6-2, 4-1), which has won four straight.
CJ Bailey went 24 of 40 passing for 225 yards and three touchdowns for N.C. State (4-4, 1-3), which has lost four of five.
It was Pitt’s first win over N.C. State since the 2001 Tangerine Bowl.
Leading 24-21 in the second quarter, Pitt scored 22 unanswered points to take a 46-21 lead.
First, Pitt took a 31-21 lead with 12 seconds left in the first half on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Johnson.
Following a 41-yard field goal by Trey Butkowski, Pitt then went up 40-21 with 10:46 to go in the third quarter on an 84-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Hicks.
Butkowski hit a 35-yard field goal with 7:02 to go in the third and a 43-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining in the third to put Pitt up 46-21.
Bailey hit Hoffman for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 11:16 remaining to bring N.C. State to within 46-28, but Ja’Kyrian Turner scored on a 6-yard touchdown run with 6:59 left to put Pitt ahead 53-28.
Trailing 17-7 in the second quarter, N.C. State cut Pitt’s lead to 17-14 with 14:46 left until halftime on a 65-yard touchdown run by Hollywood Smothers.
Pitt mounted a long touchdown drive, going 90 yards in seven plays and taking a 24-14 lead with 7:15 left in the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Raphael Williams Jr.
N.C. State cut Pitt’s lead to 24-21 3:20 left in the second quarter on a trick play. On a double pass, wideout Teddy Hoffmann threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Justin Joly.
