RALEIGH -- As N.C. State's usually proficient passing game sputtered, Andre Brown got the Wolfpack's rushing attack rolling.
Brown ran for 133 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, leading the Wolfpack to a 38-17 victory over Wofford on Saturday night to snap N.C. State's nine-game losing streak -- its longest since 1959.
Those numbers offset N.C. State's struggling passing game, which totaled just 113 yards after averaging an ACC-best 312 yards through two games.
"It's good to know that we can run the football if other things aren't working well," quarterback Harrison Beck said.
The victory helped bury the memories of last year's 3-9 season, which ended with seven consecutive losses and the firing of coach Chuck Amato.
"This is a big relief," said Brown, praising new Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien. "Everybody had come in with their heads down, saying 'We've got to turn this thing around.' We're way better than that (streak)."
Wofford (1-2) produced 353 offensive yards -- surpassing N.C. State's 330 -- but committed three costly turnovers deep within its own territory.
Two of the giveaways came on risky pitches by Wofford's triple-option offense. Linebacker Thomas Barnes -- on his third collegiate play -- picked up a botched pitch at the 5 and ran into the end zone to put the Wolfpack up 14-3 in the second quarter.
The Terriers missed on another pitch, putting the ball on the ground at the 14, and two plays later Brown scored his third touchdown from 11 yards out. He previously had scoring runs of 2 and 1 yards.
"We had the Boston College game where we passed the ball so much and tonight where we ran the ball so much," Brown said. "If we can just put that all together, we'll be a good offensive unit."
Jamelle Eugene added a 1-yard score after Wofford's Jeremy Marshall muffed a punt and gave the Wolfpack the ball near the goal line.
Wofford also struggled through 15 penalties -- one shy of a team record.
"The margin for error is so small when you play a team like this," said Wofford quarterback Ben Widmyer, who finished 10-for-22 with 128 yards and one touchdown. "Sooner or later it's going to catch up with you and you're not going to get up from that."
N.C. State entered with an ACC-best 312 yards passing per game, while Wofford was allowing 277 yards passing in two wins.
Beck, a Nebraska transfer, was just 16-for-32 for 113 yards against the Terriers in his second start -- a week after he threw for 321 yards at Boston College. But he took better care of the ball, committing no turnovers after giving it away six times last week.
Andy Strickland scored both of Wofford's touchdowns, including a 61-yard catch from Widmyer in the third quarter and a 14-yard catch after a Wolfpack fumble late in the fourth.
"We were never in a rhythm," Wofford coach Mike Ayers said. "I really felt like if we played to our potential, we could beat them.".
Wofford 3 0 7 7 -- 17 N.C. State 7 17 14 0 -- 38
NCSt--A.Brown 2 run (Hauschka kick)
Wof--FG Mugan 20
NCSt--Barnes 5 fumble return (Hauschka kick)
NCSt--A.Brown 1 run (Hauschka kick)
NCSt--FG Hauschka 49
NCSt--A.Brown 11 run (Hauschka kick)
Wof--Strickland 61 pass from Widmyer (Mugan kick)
NCSt--Eugene 1 run (Hauschka kick)
Wof--Strickland 14 pass from Rucker (Mugan kick)
A--56,039.
Wofford N.C. State
First downs 19 19
Rushes-yards 57-211 45-217
Passing 142 113
Comp-Att-Int 11-23-0 16-32-0
Return Yards 3 21
Punts-Avg. 8-42.4 9-35.7
Fumbles-Lost 4-3 1-1
Penalties-Yards 15-108 11-109
Time of Possession 27:03 32:57
Individual Statistics
RUSHING--Wofford, K.Johnson 11-49, Marshall 6-45, Whitehurst 3-29, Widmyer 17-29, A.Young 6-16, Palmer 2-15, Hobbs 4-10, Rucker 3-8, Smith 1-5, Bunton 1-4, Joslin 1-2, Lees 1-0, Boyd 1-(minus 1). N.C. State, A.Brown 21-133, Eugene 12-38, Underwood 9-32, Beck 2-18, Team 1-(minus 4).
PASSING--Wofford, Widmyer 10-22-0-128, Rucker 1-1-0-14. N.C. State, Beck 16-32-0-113.
RECEIVING--Wofford, Strickland 4-90, K.Johnson 2-14, Whitehurst 1-19, Rucker 1-8, Joslin 1-5, Bunton 1-4, F.Allen 1-2. N.C. State, Dunlap 6-31, Eugene 3-11, Blackman 2-29, Stone 2-25, Bowens 1-8, A.Brown 1-6, Spencer 1-3.
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