University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
North Carolina
Game Week: Ranked Panthers Host North Carolina for 50th Anniversary Celebration of 1976 National Championship Team
10/5/2026 12:01:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH – The unbeaten and newly ranked Pitt Panthers (5-0, 2-0 ACC) return home to host North Carolina (2-2, 0-1 ACC) Saturday at noon on ESPN.
Pitt joins Duke and Miami as the conference's only remaining undefeated teams.
The Panthers and Tar Heels meet for the 19th time in a series that dates to 1974. Pitt has won three of the past five meetings, including a 34-24 victory in Chapel Hill on Oct. 5, 2024. The Panthers have won two of the past three meetings in Pittsburgh.
Saturday's game will feature a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Pitt's 1976 national championship team. The Panthers return home with a 4-0 record at Acrisure Stadium this season, outscoring opponents, 157-34, in those victories.
#24/25 PITT vs. NORTH CAROLINA
October 10, 2026 • Noon
Acrisure Stadium (51,416/Natural Grass) • Pittsburgh, Pa.
ESPN • 93.7 The Fan • Pitt Panthers Radio Network
PittsburghPanthers.com • @Pitt_FB
GAME STORYLINES
• Pitt has opened a season with five consecutive victories for the second time in three years. A victory Saturday would move Pitt to 6-0 overall and give the Panthers their fourth 3-0 ACC start under Pat Narduzzi, joining the 2015, 2021 and 2024 teams..
• The Panthers return home after overcoming a 14-0 deficit to defeat Virginia Tech, 35-33. Pitt forced four turnovers and scored 21 unanswered points spanning the second through fourth quarters, earning its fifth consecutive road victory.
• Holden Geriner completed 8-of-12 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown at Virginia Tech. His 29-yard scoring pass to Cataurus Hicks provided Pitt's final points. Geriner has completed 19-of-26 passes (73.1%) for 219 yards and two touchdowns without an interception this season.
• Pitt ranks third in the ACC in passing offense (316.0 yards per game) and second in touchdown passes (17). Seventeen Panthers have caught a pass, and 11 have a touchdown reception. Pitt averages 478.0 total yards and 38.4 points, ranking fourth in the conference in both categories.
• Hicks matched his career high with two touchdown receptions at Virginia Tech and leads Pitt with 315 receiving yards and 394 all-purpose yards. Censere Lee leads the Panthers with 18 receptions and four touchdown catches and needs 44 receiving yards to reach 2,000 for his collegiate career.
• True freshman Damon Ferguson Jr. leads Pitt with 270 rushing yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. His 15-yard touchdown run at Virginia Tech gave the Panthers their first lead. Ferguson has scored four touchdowns through his first five collegiate games.
• Ja'Kyrian Turner produced 100 yards from scrimmage at Virginia Tech, rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown while matching his career high with six receptions. Turner has totaled 208 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns in two appearances this season.
• Pitt ranks second in the ACC in rushing defense (55.6 yards per game) and third in scoring defense (13.4 points). The Panthers have held four of their first five opponents below 100 rushing yards and have not allowed a third-quarter point, outscoring opponents, 42-0, in that period.
• The Panthers own a plus-five turnover margin, ranking second in the ACC at plus-1.0 per game. Five different Panthers have intercepted a pass, and Pitt has recorded two interceptions in each of its first two conference games.
• Narduzzi owns an 85-61 overall record and a 54-38 mark in regular-season ACC games. The Panthers have won eight of their past nine conference contests and are 19-0 under Narduzzi when scoring at least 40 points in ACC play.
• Kicker Antonio Chadha remains perfect this season, converting all five field-goal attempts and all 23 extra-point attempts. His Pitt-record-tying 58-yard field goal against Miami (Ohio) remains the longest by an ACC player this season. Gabe Russo averaged 46.8 yards on six punts at Virginia Tech, including four kicks of at least 50 yards and a season-long 57-yarder.
WHERE TO WATCH
National Television • ESPN
Tom Hart (play-by-play)
Roddy Jones (analyst)
Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter)
TUNE IN TO THE PANTHERS RADIO NETWORK
93.7 The Fan & Pitt Radio Network (937thefan.radio.com)
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)
Pat Bostick (analyst)
Dorin Dickerson (sideline reporter)
OTHER BROADCAST INFORMATION
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
SiriusXM 174 or 234 and on the SiriusXM App
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM
TICKET INFORMATION
Mini-plans and single-game tickets for the 2026 Pitt football season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting PittsburghPanthers.com.
