RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ No. 23 North Carolina State and Jamie Barnette produced the offensive tune-up that was needed, building a 31-point halftime lead en route to a 38-9 victory over William & Mary on Saturday night.

The Wolfpack (3-0) beat Texas and South Carolina the two previous weekends to crack the top 25, but had mustered only a combined 13 first downs and 268 yards and wanted a good showing heading to No. 1 Florida State next Saturday.

N.C. State got it. The Division I-AA Tribe (0-2) was no match from the start for the Wolfpack, which won its first three games for the first time since 1994.

The Tribe fell to 0-2 for only the second time since 1981, managing only a career-best three field goals from Brett Sterba.

The only thing the Wolfpack didn't do was block a punt for a score. N.C. State blocked four kicks, three for TDs and one for a safety, in its previous two games.

Daron Pope's pass was intercepted by N.C. State cornerback Tony Scott 56 seconds into the game and the rout was about to begin.

Barnette, who threw for only 83 yards in N.C. State's two previous victories, was 12-of-15 for 192 yards in the first half alone and finished with 237 yards before being relieved late in the third quarter.

His 2-yard pass to tight end Andy VanDerVeer on a broken play after Scott's interception opened the scoring, and Barnette's 15-yard keeper up the middle gave N.C. State a 31-0 lead 5:35 before intermission.

Barnette also connected with Koren Robinson on a 53-yard pass play to set up Ray Robinson's 7-yard scoring run, and he accounted for 64 of the Wolfpack's 80 yards on the team's fourth scoring march.

N.C. State scored on its first five possessions and amassed 311 yards in the opening 30 minutes.

Barnette's passing total moved him over 7,400 yards and into sixth place on the Atlantic Coast Conference career list.

The victory may prove costly for the Wolfpack as Robinson sprained his right ankle in the second quarter and did not return. Last year's ACC rookie of the year was bothered by a bad left ankle before the season.