Pat Narduzzi is not a coach known to brush off an opponent — ranked or unranked, FBS or FCS.

Whomever Pitt is facing in a given week, Narduzzi sees that his players prepare appropriately and suppress any thoughts of marching to an easy win.

While it’s routine for Narduzzi to compliment upcoming teams the Panthers will play, N.C. State (4-3, 1-2 ACC) received particular praise, as he called the Wolfpack “the most talented team” Pitt (5-2, 3-1) will have faced to date.

Meeting with reporters for the final time Thursday ahead of Saturday’s kickoff at Acrisure Stadium, Narduzzi expanded on what he’s seen from his upcoming foe.

“I think it starts up front,” Narduzzi said. “Any time you’re really good up front — their O-line is good, their tight ends are good and their D-line is good. To me, if you’re strong up front, you control the line of scrimmage. They’re going to put pressure on the quarterback, they’re going to get (tackles for loss) in the run game if we aren’t good, and same thing the other way.

“If we can’t get penetration, if we can’t stop the run because of the power and leverage they’re playing with — they’re a tough football team. There’s no question about it. The run game will be tough for us to stop, and we’ll have to buckle them up.”

For Narduzzi and coordinator Randy Bates, stopping the run is always the top consideration.

So far, the Panthers have managed to do so effectively, as they enter their eighth game of the year ranked fourth nationally and atop the ACC in run defense, allowing just 82.4 yards per game.

In five of Pitt’s seven games, the Panthers have all but completely eliminated their opponent’s ability to run the football.

Last week against Syracuse, Pitt allowed only 76 yards on 30 carries. Boston College gained 27 yards on 24 attempts.

Louisville, despite pulling off a win over the Panthers, didn’t fare much better, managing 54 yards on the ground on 34 attempts, and Duquesne and Central Michigan combined to run for 77 yards in Weeks 1 and 2.

Granted, West Virginia (174 yards) and Florida State (170) fared better, but by and large, Narduzzi and Bates have been pleased with how the Panthers have neutralized the run game.

“That’s what we do,” Bates said, “If you look at our No. 1 goal, it’s to stop the run. It’s not been this year, it’s been the last eight years. I don’t know how many times that we’ve been in the top 10 in rushing defense. If we’re not, we’re pretty (ticked) off about it. That’s what we do, and we’re going to do everything we can to stop the run. We’re going to overload the run.”

On Saturday, the defensive challenge for Pitt will be containing the ACC’s leading rusher, N.C. State’s Hollywood Smothers.

Through seven games, Smothers has run for 739 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Pitt’s defense is allowing opposing rushers only 2.24 yards per carry and has given up a combined six rushing scores.

Smothers, a sophomore Oklahoma transfer in his second season with the Wolfpack, has stuck out to Narduzzi with his motor and sturdiness.

“He’s got great speed,” Narduzzi said. “It starts there. He’s got the Desmond Reid speed. He’s got ball skills out of the backfield. But he’s a spin runner. He’s never down — you better wait for that whistle and leverage the football. We’ve shown our guys — he’s muddled up in a pile of nothing, and all of the sudden he spins out and comes around the other end.”

The exact personnel Narduzzi and Bates will have available to stop Smothers remains to be seen.

Injuries continue to ravage Pitt, particularly at linebacker and defensive end, with Kyle Louis, Rasheem Biles, Nick Lapi and Blaine Spires listed as questionable to play Saturday.

Lapi’s inclusion on Thursday’s ACC Player Availability Report was particularly troubling, as he was one of the linebackers (along with Cameron Lindsey) who stepped up versus Syracuse in the absences of Biles and Louis.

Digging deep down the depth chart will be nothing new for Narduzzi at this juncture of the season, but if Lapi, Louis and Biles can’t play, he will be left with walk-on Abe Ibrahim and freshman Emmanuel Taylor to buttress Braylan Lovelace and Lindsey.

“We’ve been banged up all season on defense for some reason, and our guys have stepped up,” Narduzzi said. “We’ve found a guy to put (in).”

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