more playing time. The first college to seriously recruit Rivers as a quarterback was North Carolina State. Joe Pate convinced Rivers and his parents to consider graduating from high school in December 1999. College career After high school, Rivers attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played for coach Chuck Amato's Wolfpack football team. Rivers enrolled in January and suited up for his first practice as a college quarterback in the spring of 2000. 2000 season As a freshman in 2000, Rivers led NC State to an 8–4 record, including a win against Minnesota in the MicronPC Bowl. Four of the Wolfpack's victories were comebacks. In his debut, a 38–31 double-overtime win over Arkansas State, he passed for 397 yards and three touchdowns. He directed a 74-yard game-tying drive as time expired. A week later, he threw for 401 yards in a 41–38 win against Indiana. The performance was highlighted by a timely 47-yard pass to future first round pick Koren Robinson with under a minute to go. Against Duke, NC State trailed 31–28 late in the fourth quarter when Rivers scored a rushing touchdown on a seven-yard run. Rivers threw for a season-high 413 yards to go along with three touchdowns and one interception For the season, Rivers passed for 3,054 yards and 25 touchdowns. He broke a half-dozen school passing marks, was ACC Rookie of the Week a record eight times, and earned honors as the conference Freshman of the Year. For the first time since Roman Gabriel ran the Wolfpack offense in the early 1960s, NC State had an All-American caliber quarterback. 2001 season As a sophomore in 2001, Rivers connected for 2,586 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 65.2 percent completion mark led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Wolfpack finished the 2001 campaign at 7–4 and made a return trip to the Tangerine Bowl. The quarterback had a good game against Pitt in a 34–19 loss, passing for 189 yards and a touchdown. 2002 season In 2002, Rivers led the Wolfpack to victories in their first nine games, which led to a number #10 ranking in the AP Poll. It was the best start in the school's history. The season took a disappointing turn however when they lost three consecutive ACC contests, but NC State defeated Florida State by a score of 17–7 in their season finale, and received an invitation to