Final Score: North Carolina State 28, (23) North Carolina 27

Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Russell Wilson threw for 259 yards with four touchdowns, leading North Carolina State to a 28-27 victory over 23rd-ranked North Carolina in the regular-season finale at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Wilson completed 20-of-27 passes and hit both Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams with a pair of scoring tosses. Spencer finished with four catches for 130 yards and Williams had seven receptions for 50 yards.

The Wolfpack (5-7, 2-6 ACC) won for just the second time in their final eight games after opening the season with a promising 3-1 start.

"It has been one of my toughest years as a head coach with everything that has happened to us," NC State's Tom O'Brien said. "The team could have folded but we continued to play hard and remain tough and physical."

T.J. Yates connected on 13-of-19 passes for 280 yards with a pair of scores for North Carolina (8-4, 4-4), which moved into the rankings this week thanks to a four-game winning streak. The Tar Heels will learn their bowl fate in the coming week.

Greg Little hauled in six passes for 159 yards in defeat, while Jheranie Boyd had just two catches, but they went for 105 yards and two scores.

"It's very disappointing. We didn't play very smart today," Tar Heels head coach Butch Davis said. "Give NC State credit, but we didn't play very well today."

The Wolfpack trailed throughout the game, but a 38-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Spencer in the first minute of the fourth quarter tied the game and the point after gave NC State the lead. The eight-play drive encompassed 90 yards.

North Carolina followed with a drive to the State 33, but a fourth-down pass fell incomplete. The Tar Heels got the ball back after a punt and drove to the Wolfpack 21, but Casey Barth missed a 38-yard field goal with 4:44 remaining.

NC State was able to run off most of the remaining time, before a Yates interception sealed the outcome.

Barth kicked a 31-yard field goal after North Carolina's first possession and the offenses went silent from there until an explosive second quarter that featured a combined 35 points.

Yates threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Boyd on the first play of the second period to extend North Carolina's lead to 10-0, but the Wolfpack answered with a 10-play, 71-yard march for their first score as Wilson hit Williams with a six-yard touchdown pass with 10:12 left in the half.

It took the Tar Heels just 44 seconds to respond. After Yates hit tight end Zack Pianalto with a 20-yard pass, Johnny White broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run and a 17-7 lead.

Back came the Pack with a 77-yard drive for another touchdown. A pass interference penalty against the Tar Heels on 3rd-and-23 prolonged the 11-play series and Wilson finished it with a 14-yard scoring pass to Williams.

After a quick trade of punts, Yates found Boyd with a pass that went 70 yards for a touchdown just 46 seconds before the intermission, giving the Tar Heels a 24-14 advantage.

The big plays continued in the third quarter, but this time for State, as Wilson connected with Spencer on a 56-yard touchdown pass to make it a three-point game again.

Barth answered with a 20-yard field goal midway through the third after the Tar Heels failed to punch it into the end zone with 1st-and-goal from the 10.

Game Notes

North Carolina State has won the last three meetings, but UNC still leads the all-time series 63-30-6...The Tar Heels outgained the Wolfpack, 481-335, but had just 168 yards in the second half...White finished with 83 yards on seven carries for North Carolina.

11/28 21:00:17 ET