Maybe three really is a magic number.

How else do you explain the fact Philip Rivers threw for 3,353 yards, T.A. McLendon rushed for 1,101 and Jerricho Cotchery had 1,192 receiving yards, sending the NC State trio into the ACC record books? The three became the first group in conference history to post a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver for the same team.

How else do you explain a receiver who may not be the fastest, but works the hardest? Or the QB with the funky delivery whose is just smart enough to be closing in on just about every ACC passing record? Or what do you say about the freshman RB running right from a high school smaller than Chuck Amato's chest onto the all-ACC team?

What's the line in that classic Schoolhouse Rocks song: "The heart and the brain and the body give you three as a magic number." Sound like anyone you know? Cotchery, Rivers and McLendon may not be the best players in the country at their positions, but they sure make pretty good music together.

"I don't think we would trade those three for anyone in the country," said NC State assistant head coach Doc Holliday. "I'm not saying they're better than anyone else, but they brought a lot to the table for us last year."

The heart

	NC State's Jerricho Cotchery caught 67 passes for 1,192 yards and 7 TDs last year.

Jerricho Cotchery's name isn't going to pop up in most discussions about the best receivers in the country. Heck, it might not even come up about the best receivers in the ACC. But that's something Cotchery has grown accustomed to over the years.

"It's been like that my entire life so I'm kind of used to it now," Cotchery said. "I've been underrated just about everywhere so I have to work real hard to get to the point where I can be put in class with other people."

And he's reaching a pretty elite class. Last season was the second-best season in NC State history fifth-best in conference history. He's closing in on Wolfpack greats Koren Robinson and Torry Holt in the record books and of his 114 career receptions, 71 have been for first downs.

"You throw it in his vicinity and he'll catch it," McLendon said. "I don't see him drop too many passes in either practice or in games."

Still, for all his success at receiver, Cotchery clings to his blue collar roots. No one practices harder or works longer. Heck, Cotchery is a star receiver yet he plays on every special teams. He does the grunt work for the Wolfpack and does it better than just about anyone.

"I've never coached a kid who works as hard as Jerricho," said Holliday, who is in his 25th year of coaching, including the last four at NC State. "He practices like he plays. I don't think people realize what he does for us, not only catching every pass, but he's one of our best special teams guys as well. He does it all for us."

The brain
Philip Rivers' throwing motion isn't going to appear on any instructional videos anytime soon. Sometimes it's sidearm. Sometimes it's a flick of the wrist. Most of the time, it's kind of ugly.

But, what Rivers lacks in style points he makes up for in success. He's 26-12 as a starter. He ranks second in NC State history and sixth in ACC history with 8,933 career passing yards. He has 739 career completions, good enough for third in the ACC history books and first in NC State's. He owns the NC State record with 61 TD passes and is second in school history in attempts (1,227) and total offense (8,982).

"It all starts with Philip," Holliday said. "The most important thing a quarterback can have are the intangibles -- leadership, toughness, being a winner. He's been finding a way to get it done since the minute he stepped on campus."

He's been finding the way through film. He digests film in a Peyton Manning-like fashion. He's not afraid to grab Holliday or QB coach Curt Cignetti or head coach Chuck Amato to go over plays at any given time of the day.

"I don't know how he does it, but he knows every play in the playbook and where everyone is supposed to be. He's amazing. I've even seen him correct the coaches," McLendon said. "But the bottom line is he's a great leader and without Philip, our offense won't work."

The body

	NC State's T.A. McLendon rushed for 1,101 yards with 18 TDs last season.

T.A. McLendon made it look easy. True freshmen running backs just don't go from a tiny class I-A high school in Albemarle, N.C. and become the ACC rookie of the year. They don't set school single-season TD records with 18 and become just the 10th freshman to be named first-team all-ACC. And they definitely don't do it with a fractured right wrist.

"T.A.'s a different kind of guy," Cotchery said. "After he got back healthy and started lifting, he was benching with the best in the weight room in a hurry. I haven't seen anything like that. He's something special."

Which is scary to opposing teams this year. Last year was all on raw ability. He didn't have winter workouts prior to the season. He was still in high school. Now, he's been through it all, he's healthy and Holliday says McLendon will be even more physical this season.

"They have a lot of weapons and they are all excellent, I promise you that," said Duke defensive coordinator Ted Roof. "They're not going to let you gang up and stop one thing because they have so many other good players. It's like the boy and the dam. You put a thumb in one hole and another leak starts. Stop that one and there's another one. Stop that one, and then there's a third one. They're tough."

That's the power of three.

Joe Wojciechowski is the college football editor at ESPN.com. He can be reached at joseph.j.wojciechowski@espn3.com.