Pack decks Devils

N.C. State grabs first ACC victory

DURHAM -- A lone ACC victory felt like a blessing to N.C. State's football team after it beat Duke 27-17 on Saturday.

Duke's one ACC victory, accomplished four long ACC losses ago, was feeling more like a festering wound as the Blue Devils watched hundreds of Duke fans among the 31,964 at Wallace Wade Stadium leave midway through the fourth quarter.

N.C. State (3-6 overall) improved to 1-4 in ACC play.

"It's obviously great to get that first win so you guys can't write that we haven't won an ACC game yet this year," N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien said.

Duke (4-5) fell below .500 for the first time this year and still owns just the one ACC win.

"It's tough," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said about that elusive second ACC victory, "not because we're 1-4. I think we're better than 1-4. I don't think it; I know it."

State quarterback Russell Wilson had another solid game with two touchdown passes.

State wideout Jarvis Williams, who caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Wilson at the end of the second quarter, said State knew it could attack Duke on jump-ball type routes.

Of Wilson's 13 completions for 213 yards, 10 went for 12 or more yards, one went for 9, another for 2 and a touchdown to Anthony Hill to put State up 17-3. The other went for a 2-yard loss.

"They were just running and looking at the wide receiver and not attacking the ball," Williams said of Duke's defensive backs. "They let you catch the ball. They just try to make a play after you catch the ball."

Neither team dominated the statistics, though Duke linebacker Michael Tauiliili recorded a career-high 18 tackles. State led 24-10 at halftime, and the Pack's defense made sure the lead held up.

On its first possession after halftime, Duke drove the field. Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis hooked up with receiver Eron Riley for 22 yards and a first-and-goal from the Wolfpack 3-yard line.

Duke had four tries at the end zone but three running plays fell short. Then, on fourth-and-1, State's Leroy Burgess pressured Lewis, who was trying to find tight end Brett Huffman at the back line. Lewis underthrew the ball and Duke walked away empty-handed.

Duke, now 25-for-36 in red-zone chances this season (11th in the ACC), twice went for the end zone on fourth down, failing from the State 1 in the third quarter and the State 10 in the second.

Cutcliffe thought the Devils would need touchdowns to beat the Pack. Afterward, Cutcliffe said he might be tossing and turning in his sleep tonight thinking about those aggressive decisions.

Lewis threw two touchdown passes -- with 46, he needs two more to move into second place all-time on Duke's list -- on 37-for-52 passing with 317 yards, his third career 300-yard passing game.

Tied 3-3 late in the first quarter, State return man T.J. Graham, one of the nation's best, took Duke's kickoff, and handed off to senior J.C Neal on a reverse. Neal ran it back 89 yards for the score.

"We know people are focusing in on T.J. and he's like a rabbit," O'Brien said. "The ball is kicked and they all run to him. ... You have to give [special teams coach] Jerry Petercuskie credit for pulling it out."

Duke drove to the State 19 on the ensuing possession but the drive stalled.

"It just feels great to be able to look up at our record and see a three instead of a two, another win instead of a loss," State linebacker Nate Irving said.