Associated Press
RALEIGH ó Russell Wilson went so long ó nearly 400 passes, in fact ó without throwing an interception that it seemed like he might never throw one again.
Yet he threw two last week to snap his NCAA-record streak, sending him into North Carolina State’s game against instate rival Duke today with the goal of starting another long mistake-free run.
“I feel like that’s what I’m supposed to do,” Wilson said. “I’m expected not to turn the ball over. I’m expected to be successful every time I step on the field and that’s what I expect of myself.
“In terms of the interception record, it’s definitely a good thing. It’s an NCAA record. That’s pretty cool. But at the same time, I want to try to beat that again.”
Wilson set the Bowl Subdivision mark with 379 straight passes without an interception before Wake Forest’s Josh Bush picked him off on a poorly thrown deep ball during the second quarter of the 30-24 loss to the Demon Deacons. Then Kenny Okoro picked him off in the end zone with 2:02 left.
Wilson’s ability to protect the football has certainly helped the Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1 ACC) in his second season as a starting quarterback. He threw 17 touchdowns with one interception en route to becoming the first freshman quarterback named first-team all-ACC last year, and had thrown 12 touchdowns in the three games leading up to the Wake Forest loss.
It was a reminder that Wilson is still a young quarterback, one that coach Tom O’Brien wants to see learn to step up in the pocket more.