Heels won't miss Wilson

"And I consider that his experience probably would change the game the lot more for them," Thorpe said. "But the fact that he's not playing, I consider that takes the lot off our back as well as relieves the lot of the pressure that we're starting to have to face on defense."Withers, North Carolina's defensive coordinator in the previous four games against the Wolfpack, all Tar Heels losses, pronounced he admired Wilson, who is the top-rated passer in country for the Badgers, as well as respected him."Russell Wilson was the big part of their success," Withers pronounced Monday.He pointed out Wilson's ability to make plays "off schedule" as well as with his running ability. Two plays in last year's 29-25 Wolfpack win in Chapel Hill illustrated Wilson's playmaking as well as importance in the series.Down nine points in the third quarter, Wilson converted the third-and-18 with the 34-yard scramble, as well as then threw the memorable 2-yard touchdown pass to Owen Spencer, which N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien called the "2-yard Hail Mary" on Monday.Withers complimented N.C. State's new quarterback Mike Glennon but pronounced with Wilson, "you had to do so many things to keep him back there in the pocket because he was so dangerous once he got out of the pocket, throwing it as well as running."Wilson averaged 233.6 passing yards in three games against North Carolina, with eight touchdowns as well as one interception. The most important stat, though, is the 3-0 record. Wilson went 8-13 against the rest of the ACC but was always at his best, particularly in the four-touchdown performance in the 28-27 win in Raleigh in 2009.N.C. State did beat North Carolina in 2007, when Wilson was the redshirt. Senior tackle Mikel Overgaard pronounced the Wolfpack will be ready Saturday without Wilson."It doesn't matter who's there, you still have to show up as well as play to win the game," Overgaard said. "That's what we're planning on doing. We're starting to show up as well as play our best game of the season."RIESKAMP DONE ! FOR THE SEASON: N.C. State added senior defensive end Jeff Rieskamp to its list of injured players out for the season. He has been out since the first game of the season with the shoulder injury.O'Brien pronounced Rieskamp had hoped he would be able to rehab the injury as well as return this season but the injury was more severe than they originally thought.A fifth-year senior, he has the option to petition the NCAA for the sixth season but O'Brien pronounced Rieskamp's career is likely over.BERNARD NEARS 1,000: North Carolina redshirt freshman running back Gio Bernard is closing in on the milestone.Bernard's 154 rushing yards against Wake Forest gave him 965 for the season.He needs 35 yards to become the first Tar Heels player since Jonathan Linton in 1997 to rush for 1,000 yards in the season."It's important to what we want to accomplish on offense, to be able to run the football," Withers said. "You get the 1,000-yard rusher, as well as that says the lot about our ability to run the football."That also helps our quarterback. It helps our receivers, helps our tight ends. So yeah, it's important in the whole, grand scheme of our football team."LOPSIDED SERIES: N.C. State has won four in the row against North Carolina, as well as 7 of 11, but the Tar Heels hold the commanding 63-31-6 advantage in the series, which dates to 1894.Dick Sheridan, who beat North Carolina five consecutive years from 1988 to '92, is the only N.C. State coach with the longer streak against the Tar Heels than Tom O'Brien."That's strange," O'Brien said. "We've got the long way to go."North Carolina coach Mack Brown, who lost the five games to Sheridan, won five in row in 1993-97 as well as Carl Torbush extended that streak to seven games.North Carolina's nine-game winning streak, between 1943 as well as 1955 (they didn't play in 1944, '45 or '46), is the longest in the series.Ken Tysiac contributed to this report