As Greenville Rose alumnus Andre Brown reached the ball over the goal line in overtime Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium, N.C. State players desperate for good news after a difficult start to the season sprinted off the sideline.

Brown's game-ending score sent the 15th-ranked Pirates to a 30-24 defeat.

East Carolina (3-1) could fall out of the top 25 with the Orange Bowl bid its fans craved likely out of reach.

N.C. State (2-2) gained confidence after losing its two previous games to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents by a combined score of 61-9.

Before the final play, quarterback Russell Wilson challenged Brown, the senior running back who has been the soul of an injury-riddled offense.

"This is all you, 'Dre," Wilson said he told Brown. "Come on. Get it in, baby."

Brown didn't want first-year starter Josh Czajkowski to have to attempt the first winning field goal of his career. N.C. State had overcome too many obstacles for that.

Linebacker Nate Irving, the Wolfpack's best player, injured his lower right leg and missed most of the second half. N.C. State's defense still held East Carolina to just one field goal on two fourth-quarter drives inside the 5-yard line.

On fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 10 1/2 minutes left, coach Skip Holtz went for a touchdown that could have crushed N.C. State's spirit. Wolfpack safety J.C. Neal buried Jon Williams for a 3-yard loss.

"The decision to go for the touchdown there was all mine," Holtz said. "We had a missed assignment and one of their guys got in the backfield. ... They had to make some big plays to stop us and they did."

Down 24-17 with 4:15 remaining, Pack QB Wilson took possession for the biggest fourth-quarter drive of his life. His 5-yard pass to George Bryan in the end zone with 1:12 remaining in regulation was ruled incomplete by the officiating crew.

When Wilson wrote "Trust" on the tape on his left wrist before the game, it signified that he wanted to trust in God and his teammates.

He can trust the replay officials, too. They awarded N.C. State a touchdown.

"I knew he caught it. I saw it all the way," said Wilson, who passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns. "At the same time, I was telling the guys, 'No matter what, we're going to score on the next play.' "

That confidence carried over into overtime.

N.C. State defensive end Shea McKeen whipped a block and chased down quarterback Patrick Pinkney from behind.

McKeen chopped the ball free with a blow from his right hand, allowing the Wolfpack's Willie Young to recover.

All N.C. State needed was a field goal to win.

But Brown hurdled a tackler on a 16-yard run to get the ball to the 10. Then Wilson urged him to finish the game.

"I knew when he said that, there was no denying that we were going to win this game," Brown said. "If they were going to put the ball in my hands, I'm a senior. I'm going to lead this team."

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