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RALEIGH - N.C. State's upset victory over then-No. 15 East Carolina on Saturday proved costly.

Quarterback Russell Wilson, coming off the best game of his young career, is out for Saturday night's game against South Florida and will be sidelined indefinitely with an unspecified injury, coach Tom O'Brien said today. Wilson will be replaced in the starting lineup by redshirt junior Harrison Beck, who replaced ineffective starter Daniel Evans on Sept. 6 in a win over William & Mary.

Linebacker Nate Irving, N.C. State's best player in the first three games of the season, also will be out this week and for an unspecified period thereafter.

O'Brien confirmed the existence of the injuries, but would not discuss their nature. A new ACC policy formulated in light of federal privacy laws, has changed what coaches can disclose about injuries.

Wilson suffered a concussion Aug. 28 in the season-opening loss at South Carolina and missed the Pack's win over William & Mary. O'Brien declined to say whether Wilson's current injury is related to the concussion.

Irving, who intercepted three passes in State's first three games, will become the 14th projected or actual starter to miss at least one game this season for the Pack. That list includes former Ragsdale tailback Toney Baker, ruled out for the 2008 season because of complications from a year-old knee injury.

O'Brien said his challenge this week is to keep the Pack moving in a positive direction after the win over ECU and he doesn't want the injuries to become a distraction.

"My job is to make sure that doesn't happen," O'Brien said. "Maybe they'll start to believe me when I tell them it's going to stop somewhere. It sure hasn't yet."

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com