RALEIGH, N.C. - Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns and ran for another, and N.C. State snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off Maryland 38-31 yesterday in a matchup of the ACC Atlantic Division’s worst teams. Wilson was 25-for-38 for 343 yards and the Wolfpack (1-4, 4-5) made just enough plays to secure their second win against a Bowl Subdivision opponent. The teams combined for 752 total yards.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Thad Lewis threw for career-highs of 459 yards and five touchdowns in a dazzling one-man show to help Duke beat North Carolina State 49-28 yesterday. Lewis also ran for a score for the Blue Devils (1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, 3-3), who snapped an 11-game losing streak to their instate rival and earned their first win in a league road game in almost six years. Donovan Varner added 154 yards receiving while Conner Vernon had 10 catches. Vernon was one of five different players to catch a TD pass from Lewis.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Russell Wilson had four touchdown passes for the second straight week, threw for a career-high 345 yards and set an NCAA passing record in North Carolina State’s 45-14 rout of Gardner-Webb last night. Toney Baker had two early scoring runs before Wilson threw touchdown passes covering 17 and 12 yards to George Bryan, 24 yards to T.J. Graham and 16 yards to Jarvis Williams for the Wolfpack (2-1).

North Carolina State couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the season. First, there’s the chance to showcase the program and all-conference quarterback Russell Wilson, a former Collegiate star, to a national TV audience. Then there’s the opponent: Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, the same team that shut out the Wolfpack to open last season.

RALEIGH, N.C.—N.C. State has developed a knack for finishing strong under coach Tom O’Brien. It’s getting started that has been the problem. After lackluster losses in both of his season openers in Raleigh, O’Brien, a former University of Virginia assistant, is hoping to begin his third year with a win for a change. Calling next week’s opener against South Carolina “a measuring stick” for his program, the N.C. State coach said yesterday that he’s eager to see how far his Wolfpack have come since starting last season with a blowout loss in Columbia.

New York Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty was so frustrated that his torn hamstring wasn’t improving after more than two weeks that he turned to a relatively new medical approach—platelet rich plasma therapy. The treatment has gained notice in the past year after Pittsburgh receiver Hines Ward used it on his sprained right knee to help him play in the Steelers’ Super Bowl win over Arizona in February.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Russell Wilson knows that almost any talk about North Carolina State’s chances of competing for an Atlantic Coast Conference championship this year starts with him. “I’m an athlete - there will be expectations, good or bad, every year,“ Wilson said yesterday during the team’s preseason media day. “You can’t really worry about it. You’ve just got to focus on what you can do and what you can control and things you can get better at.“

North Carolina State coach Tom O’Brien believes his sophomore starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, prefers baseball over football. Moreover, O’Brien doubts Wilson will stick around for his senior season, instead opting to graduate and play professional baseball. Wilson, a Collegiate School graduate and two-time Times-Dispatch player of the year, is entering his third year at State and his second as the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback. Last season, he threw for 177.7 yards a game and had 17 touchdowns and one interception. He was named ACC rookie of the year and made first-team all-ACC.

If you are interested in tightening your abdominals or improving your sex life, Men’s Health magazine has plenty of advice for you. Every issue, or so it seems, has stories on those topics. That’s all well and good. But there is one thing about Men’s Health that is not so good. In the July/August issue, the magazine ranked America’s most sports obsessed towns.

The Gastonia Grizzlies’ home opener in late May included a twist. Instead of customary pregame introductions—players jogging from the dugout to the baseline and tipping caps in response to applause—Grizzlies were positioned around the top of the grandstand. When announced, each walked through the crowd of 3,400 to the field. “Fans, welcome from N.C. State, the leadoff hitter, No.1, Russell Wilson!“

First freshman to be named first-team all-ACC quarterback
ACC rookie of the year
Threw for 17 touchdowns, only one of his 275 passes was intercepted
Completed 54.5 percent for 1,955 yards
Ran 116 times for 388 yards and four touchdowns
Helped the Wolfpack finish the regular season with four consecutive wins after a 2-6 start

Outcome vs. Opportunity The Supreme Court’s recent ruling on a North Carolina redistricting case might not have a huge practical impact. The “crossover district” at issue is not common. But the case is helpful in highlighting one of the enduring divisions in American politics. The court ruled that the Voting Rights Act does not require creating “safe” seats for minority candidates in districts where minorities make up less than half the voting populace. This, according to another newspaper, overturns a “central goal” of the Voting Rights Act—“protecting minority voting rights.“

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—James Johnson had career highs with 28 points and 18 rebounds to lead No. 13 Wake Forest past North Carolina State 85-78 Thursday night. Ishmael Smith added a season-high 18 points and Chas McFarland had 15 for the Demon Deacons (21-5, 8-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). They shot 52.5 percent and led nearly all the way, but allowed most of an early 15-point lead to slip away.

Tyler Hansbrough scored 27 points to help third-ranked North Carolina beat North Carolina State 89-80 last night in a clash of ACC rivals. Danny Green added 19 points for the Tar Heels, who pulled away in the second half to win their 10th straight game. North Carolina shot 55 percent to improve to 12-1 against its nearby rival since Roy Williams took over at his alma mater before the 2003-04 season.

RALEIGH, N.C.—Brandon Costner scored 23 points to help North Carolina State defeat No. 7 Wake Forest 82-76 tonight. Farnold Degand and Courtney Fells added 14 points apiece for the Wolfpack (13-9, 3-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), who watched a 20-point second half lead shrink to two before they picked up their first win in five games against ranked opponents this season.