Editor's note: This article ran in Sunday's print edition.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Running back Mustafa Greene's troubled career at N.C. State is over. The sophomore running back has been dismissed from the team, coach Tom O'Brien said Saturday.

Greene and redshirt freshman receiver Tyrell Burriss weren't "champions in the classroom or champions in the community," according to O'Brien.

"So they're not going to get the opportunity to play on this football team," O'Brien said after the Wolfpack's 20-18 win at Maryland.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Of all the trends and omens conspiring against N.C. State on its trip to Maryland on Saturday, it was an unpredictable consequence which nearly cost the Wolfpack.

The road blahs? The inability to avoid a letdown after a big win? Both were in play for the Wolfpack on Saturday, which pulled out a 20-18 win over the Terrapins at Byrd Stadium.

But it was the emergence of backup quarterback Devin Burns, who came off the bench after an injury to starter Perry Hills, which almost led to a Wolfpack loss.

CHARLOTTE — The preseason attention is nice, N.C. State junior C.J. Leslie admits, but it doesn't mean much.

The ACC coaches picked the Wolfpack to win the league earlier this week and the media will vote today in Charlotte. The coaches also picked Leslie, who led the Wolfpack with 14.7 points and added 7.3 rebounds per game, as the preseason player of the year.

"It's all great, getting picked this and that but when the games start, it doesn't help us whatsoever," Leslie said Wednesday.

Some N.C. State football numbers/records/streaks to ponder as the Wolfpack gets ready for a trip to Maryland on Saturday:

• 4-8: N.C. State's record vs. Maryland since 2000, including a 1-5 record in College Park.

The 2007 loss (37-0 in Raleigh) to Maryland kept N.C. State out of a bowl game; the 2010 loss (38-31) at Maryland kept N.C. State out of the ACC title game.

Joe Thuney looks like an offensive lineman out of the 1970s. At 260 pounds, sometimes he wishes the defensive linemen were still the same size they were 40 years ago.

"That would make it easier," Thuney said.

Despite being outweighed, usually by at least 25 pounds, the sleight center has held his own the past two games on N.C. State's rejiggered offensive line.

The ACC basketball coaches really like N.C. State.

In their first preseason vote ever, the ACC coaches picked the Wolfpack to the win the conference this season, voted junior forward C.J. Leslie the preseason player of the year and guard Rodney Purvis the preseason freshman of the year.

N.C. State hasn't won the ACC regular season since 1989 or an ACC title since 1987 and its drought in the preseason media poll is even longer. The ACC media, which will make its annual selections on Wednesday in Charlotte, has not picked the Wolfpack to win the league since 1975.

N.C. State keeps landing basketball recruits and the Wolfpack is not done yet.

Caleb and Cody Martin, twins from Mocksville, committed to N.C. State on Wednesday night. The Martins are ranked in the top 40 in the class of 2014 by ESPN's Dave Telep.

N.C. State previously added guard Anthony Barber and forward Kyle Washington, a pair of top 75 recruits in the class of 2013.

Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples posted the video of the day with his apology to N.C. State fans for insulting the crowd noise at Carter-Finley Stadium before the Wolfpack's 17-16 win over Florida State last Saturday.

Staples had a little fun with the Wolfpack faithful, which is known to be difficult on both rival fan bases and the media.

Rodney Purvis will play basketball this season but his former high school won't.

Upper Room Christian Academy in Raleigh is eliminating its high school and middle school grades, the school's executive director John Amanchukwu said Tuesday.

Updated 1:54 a.m.

RALEIGH — Down 16 points to the No. 3 team in the country and the best team in the ACC, N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon wasn't ready to give up on the Wolfpack on Saturday night.