Couple Thursday's 34-0 loss to South Carolina with the 37-0 loss to Maryland in last season's finale, and the Wolfpack hasn't scored in two straight games.

N.C. State's defense showed promise by getting pressure on the quarterback with just four rushers and intercepting Tommy Beecher four times. The only other good news for N.C. State was that tailback Andre Brown rushed for a respectable 101 yards on 21 carries.

GREAT CALL

Incorporating read-option plays into N.C. State's offense was a good move with shifty Russell Wilson starting at quarterback. But coordinator Dana Bible will have to change quickly with Wilson almost certainly out for the game against William & Mary, and perhaps longer, because of a Grade 3 concussion.

MATCHUP THAT MATTERED

Freshman wide receiver T.J. Graham, a Wakefield High graduate, had a chance to make N.C. State's biggest play when he sneaked behind the South Carolina defense in the second quarter. Former Garner High star Chris Culliver, a sophomore safety, broke up the pass for the Gamecocks.

GAME BALLS

* LB Nate Irving. With three new starters, linebacker was supposed to be a concern for the Wolfpack. A sophomore, Irving (10 tackles unofficially with an interception) showed that N.C. State may have a future All-ACC talent at that position.

* DE Willie Young. He's probably N.C. State's best player, and he proved it against the Gamecocks with 1 1/2 sacks and one pass broken up.

PENALTY MARKERS

* One errant shotgun snap by center Ted Larsen led to a South Carolina field goal. Another doomed a third-and-1 play. Larsen, who moved from defense in the spring, will have to be more precise in his second game at his new position.

* Backup quarterback Daniel Evans' experience with 17 career starts was supposed to make him a valuable reliever when needed. But the sound judgment and good timing that characterized Evans' best games in the past weren't apparent as he completed half as many passes to the Gamecocks (two) as to N.C. State players (four).

LOOKING AHEAD

The big question coach Tom O'Brien is expected to answer today is how long Wilson will be out and who will play quarterback in his absence. Evans and Harrison Beck didn't look good after Wilson left with a concussion, and O'Brien declared freshman Mike Glennon too inexperienced to play when the decision was made to redshirt him in the preseason.

Saturday's opponent, William & Mary, didn't play this past week. The team was picked fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association's Southern Division in the conference's preseason poll but has back all-conference quarterback Jake Phillips (2,801 passing yards in 2007).

THIS WON'T MAKE THE COACH'S SHOW

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier got in a backhanded dig at N.C. State when he said the Gamecocks were the better conditioned team in the opener. O'Brien explained the Gamecocks' 21-0 advantage in the fourth quarter by saying N.C. State has depth issues and couldn't get its starters out of the game for enough rest.

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