West Virginia can’t stop NC State’s QB

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla.

If this was Russell Wilson’s football finale, he sure made the most of it.

Wilson threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, leading North Carolina State past No. 22 West Virginia 23-7 in the Champs Sports Bowl on Tuesday night.

Wilson also had 41 yards rushing, Josh Czajkowski made three field goals and the Wolfpack (9-4) won nine games for only the second time in school history.

Geno Smith had 196 yards passing and an injured Noel Devine ran for 50 yards for the Mountaineers (9-4), whose five second-half turnovers ended any hopes of a cheerful send off for some of Bill Stewart’s staff.

Stewart is being slowly forced out as coach with Dana Holgorsen, Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator, taking over at the same position next year at West Virginia before moving into Stewart’s job in 2012. The game was current offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen’s last game.

Instead, this might have been a coronation for someone else.

Wilson, who earned the bowl’s MVP honor, may very well have played his last football game for the Wolfpack. He spent much of the summer playing second base in the Colorado Rockies’ minor-league system.