NC State Postgame Notes Vs. Pitt

PACK STARTS FOURTH SECONDARY COMBO
NC State has now played four games and started fourd different line up of players in the defensive secondary. The only player to start every game in the backfield is senor corner-back Koyal George, who has started at both cornerback positions. Clem Johnson has started at both safety spots but missed last week and the start today after suffering an injury.

Injuries have been a major factor behind the changes. Corner DeAndre Morgan missed the first two games with an ankle inuuy, Clem Johnson missed last week with thigh injury and rookie corner Rashard Smith is out with an ankle injury.

CZAJKOWSKI MISSES FIRST IN 10 TRIES
When junior placekicker Josh Czajkowski missed a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter, it marked his first miss in his last 10 tries, dating back to the UNC contest of 2008. That streak was tied as the sixth longest in school history.

PACK POSTS NINE FIRST-HALF PENALTIES
NC State's penalty total in the first half, 9-61, was higher than any entire game this season and the highest total for hte Pack since being penalized 11 times for 69 yards in four quarters last year versus USF. In Tom O'Brien's 29 games as head coach at NC State, the Wolfpack has had more penalties in an entire game just three times than what it had in the first half today. NC state finished the game with 12 penalties, the most since the season opener against Virginia Tech in 2005 (12-105).

FIELD POSITION
NC State definitely had the disadvantage in terms of field position in the first half today. PItt's five offensive drives averaged a start at the 38.8 yard line, while the Wolfpack's four drives began on an average of it's own 18.5 yard line.

WILSON EXTENDS STREAK
Russell Wilson extended his record-setting streak of consecutive pass attempts with out and interception today , and has now thrown 364 straight passes without a pick. Wilson hasn't been picked off since the Clemson game on September 13, 2008, a span of 13 games.

WILSON SETS THREE-GAME MARK
In the last three games, Russell WIlson has thrown 12 touchdown passes, a mark which is the highest three-game tally in school history. That total broke Philip Rivers' record of 11 versus Duke, Virginia and FSU in 2003.

WILSON ON OFFENSE
Wilson passed for over 300 yards for the 2nd straight game and the second time overall in his career. Today, Wilson passed for 322 yards, and he had a career-high 345 yards passing in last weeks win over Gardner-Webb. He also set new career-high with 91 rush yards on the day.

COMING BACK LATE
NC State trailed 31-17 late in the third quarter before scoring 21 unanswered points to win the game. That comeback is the largest that late in the third quarter since NC State came back from a 31-14 hole against Ohio in 1998 (W, 34-31)

OFFENSE ROLLING
NC State finished with 530 yards of total offense, the most for a Wolfpack team in the last 59 games (577 versus UNC in 2004)

(information provided by NC State Media Relations)