Another in-state win for Wolfpack

Staff photo by Ethan Hyman

• First Look

RALEIGH — N.C. State can't win the ACC title, but the Wolfpack can still win the mythical state title.

The Wolfpack beat Wake Forest 21-17 on Saturday to improve to 3-0 against in-state opponents. More importantly, with consecutive ACC wins, the Pack can still attain a tangible prize for the 2008 season. At 4-6, State needs two wins in its final two games to qualify for a bowl game.

Another performance like Saturday's from the defense and Russell Wilson, and State at least has a chance against UNC and Miami in the next two weeks.

The defense stopped Wake and veteran quarterback Riley Skinner on the Deacs' final drive of the game. Skinner converted once on fourth down on the final drive, scrambling for 10 yards on fourth-and-8 from Wake's 45-yard line, but could not come up with two big fourth-down plays.

Wolfpack defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash chased Skinner and forced the junior to fumble on fourth-and-6 from N.C. State's 25-yard line.

Wilson made State's defensive effort stand up with three touchdowns, two in the air and one on the ground.

Wilson finished 16 of 33 for 152 yards in the air and 69 yards on 14 rushes. He found senior tight end Anthony Hill on an eight-yard touchdown pass with 10:17 left in the game.

Wilson's second touchdown pass atoned for one of his rare mistakes. Wilson lost a fumble on a sack by Wake linebacker Aaron Curry at State's 13-yard line.

N.C. State's maligned defense, which ranks last in the ACC against the run, came up with its second short-yardage stop of the second half. A blitzing Nate Irving stopped Brandon Pendergrass in the backfield on third-and-2 from the 5-yard line.

Wake settled for a 24-yard Shane Popham field goal and a 17-14 lead — the Deacs' only lead of the game.

Wilson has made so few mistakes in his first season as a starter. He has only thrown one interception in eight games and none in the past six games, a span of 175 pass attempts.

State needed another great effort from Wilson to keep up with Wake's D.J. Boldin. The receiver threw a perfect 64-yard option pass to a streaking Marshall Williams for a touchdown in the first quarter to tie the game at 7.

Wilson's legs, he ran for 39 yards on a 82-yard scoring drive, put State up 14-7 with 1:39 left in the first half. The lead from Wilson's four-yard TD run didn't last long.

Skinner rallied the Deacs down the field in the hurry-up offense and hit Boldin from four yards out for a touchdown with 5 seconds left.

Skinner couldn't rally Wake again at the end of the game, ending Wake's three-game winning streak in the series and setting up N.C. State for a fighting finish to what once looked like a lost season.