North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson remembers the last time he threw an interception, even if some of his teammates aren’t sure: Sept. 13, 2008, at Clemson. Wilson heaved a pass into the hands of the wrong team in the fourth quarter that stymied any chance of his team coming back from a 20-9 deficit.

‘After the Clemson game, I told myself I can never throw another interception again,’ Wilson said. ‘I knew it was a long shot, but I wasn’t really worried about that.’

To this day, Wilson has stayed true to his words. Since that fateful day at Clemson, Wilson has yet to make another mistake. And after another interception-free game Saturday against Pittsburgh, a game in which he also threw four touchdown passes, Wilson has now gone 364 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, an NCAA Division I record.

A redshirt sophomore and two-year starter, Wilson has thrown only one interception in his two years at NC State.

That’s 16 fewer than one of his teenage idols, former Wolfpack quarterback and current San Diego Chargers star Philip Rivers, had through his first two seasons. That’s nine fewer than Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez, both top-five NFL draft picks in 2009, each had just last year. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, one of last year’s Heisman finalists had eight interceptions last year, and already has thrown five this year.

Wilson downplays the record, claiming he was never aware of the streak until members of the media pointed it out, and saying the only value of the record is how it helps his team.

‘The only significance is giving my team a chance,’ Wilson said. ‘It’s only significant, it’s only important, because it helps you win the game.’

Wilson deflects credit of the streak to his teammates on the line and those catching the ball. He’s not the least bit impressed of his record.

Tell that to the last player that picked him off.

Clemson senior cornerback Crezdon Butler was the last player to intercept Wilson last September. Wilson had marched his team down the field to Clemson’s 44-yard line when Butler, dropping back in his cover-2 defense, saw Wilson’s eyes look deep, read the pass, and intercepted it at Clemson’s four-yard line.

‘When I got the interception, it was an end-of-the-game interception,’ Butler said. ‘So I don’t really even know if it should count.’

Wilson’s streak is the result of a combination of savvy and smart decision-making from the quarterback himself, and an offensive coaching staff that stresses not committing turnovers as the focal point of its gameplan. Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien was Virginia’s offensive coordinator in 1991 when quarterback Matt Blundin set an Atlantic Coast Conference record by throwing 231 consecutive passes without an interception.

Wolfpack sophomore wide receiver T.J. Graham is awed by Wilson’s ability to handle any pressure-packed situation. As his team was trailing 31-17 late in the third quarter last Saturday against Pittsburgh, Graham watched Wilson take over from there, marching his team down the field for three straight touchdown drives.

‘Russell doesn’t panic,’ Graham said after the game. ‘Russell is very good under pressure in general, whether it’s from coach O’Brien, pressure from the opponents or pressure playing PlayStation.’

Another quarterback who can appreciate Wilson’s accomplishment is former Kentucky star Andre Woodson, the previous holder of Wilson’s new record.

Woodson, now on the Washington Redskins practice squad, threw 325 successive pass attempts without an interception spanning two seasons from 2006-07. He knows firsthand how difficult it is for a quarterback to not have any lapses in judgment for that length of time.

‘Obviously, the quarterback has to do a great job every week,’ Woodson said. ‘He has to watch where he’s putting the ball, his decision-making and can’t force the ball into any traffic.’

Woodson has also seen his share of close calls, as has Wilson. On Nov. 22, 2008 against North Carolina, Wilson threw a pass that hit the hands of linebacker Mark Paschal and popped up fortuitously into the waiting arms of Wolfpack wide receiver Jarvis Williams.

And Wilson was flustered in the season opener against South Carolina, when he threw a few passes that were too close for comfort.

‘A lot of times you’re fortunate not getting intercepted,’ Woodson said. ‘It just comes down to being smart, being careful with the ball and having a feel for what defense they’re in.’

Wilson didn’t want to even try to predict how long his streak will last. But at least one defensive back is looking forward to facing the quarterback with the video game-like streak. If Wilson’s streak is still intact on Nov. 14 when the Wolfpack host Clemson, Butler will be ready.

‘It’ll be a big challenge for me and the rest of our secondary if he still has that streak going,’ Butler said. ‘But we’ll definitely be looking forward to playing that game.’

Heisman Down

What’s life going to be like without Tim Tebow?

When Tebow announced in January that he would return to Florida for his senior season, Gator fans and coaches were hoping they didn’t have to find out until after the season.

It may come much sooner than anyone expected: in the team’s toughest road game of the season against Louisiana State next weekend.

Tebow was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the third quarter of what end up as a 31-7 Florida blowout.

Florida head coach Urban Meyer said Monday he was ‘hopeful’ Tebow would be ready for the showdown.

If Tebow cannot go, the starting nod would likely go to sophomore John Brantley, who has earned praise from Meyer in the past and has accumulated four touchdowns this season on 22-of-30 passing, mostly in mop-up work against Charleston Southern and Troy.

Game to Watch: No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 17 Miami

What a difference a few weeks made for the perception of both of these teams.

Miami was riding high after two straight wins over ranked opponents, only to get handed a 31-7 shellacking at the hands of ACC foe Virginia Tech. Oklahoma marks the last in a line of four straight ranked opponents to open the Hurricanes’ season.

After losing last year’s Heisman winner (quarterback Sam Bradford) in a 14-13 loss to BYU, the Sooners have won their last two games by a combined score of 109-0. On the Big 12 conference call Monday, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he would make a decision later in the week on whether Bradford would play this weekend.

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on September 29, 2009 at 12:00 pm