After two consecutive home losses to top-25 ranked teams, Pitt wrestling looked to finally defend the Fitzgerald Field House and beat No. 8 NC State in their ACC dual opener. The Panthers and the Wolfpack shared the ACC championship last season. But in their first matchup this season, the Panthers were dominated by the Wolfpack 31-6.
Not all was bad for the Panthers, though. Redshirt seniors Reece Heller and Cole Matthews picked up two top-10 wins individually. But the Panthers lost the other eight bouts to the Wolfpack to lose their fifth dual out of their last six.
The Panthers missed their first-year heavyweight Dayton Pitzer. The 285-pound will miss the rest of the season with injury. His replacement redshirt junior Geoff Magin fell handily to NC State’s redshirt junior Owen Trephan 20-4.
The loss marks the Panthers’ sixth loss, and likely kicks them out of the top-25. It also sets the Panthers behind in the ACC, and for them to finish with a share of the ACC championship, they’ll likely have to win out.
It’s a tough stretch for the Panthers but all is not lost. The Panthers have a chance to end their three-game losing streak next Friday on the road against Duke.