It wasn’t always pretty, especially on special teams, but a couple of big plays, consistency from a quarterback and desire gave N.C. State a 31-24 victory over Louisville in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte.

A 65-yard interception return by all-everything DB David Amerson combined with a 68-yard run after a catch by Wolfpack senior T.J. Graham were the big plays N.C. State needed to defeat Louisville.

But it was consistent quarterback play from Mike Glennon, after an early interception, that steadied the boat after a few bonehead special teams plays rocked it. Glennon threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

Certainly the “home” crowd helped inspire the Wolfpack, who just a couple of games ago were fighting for Tom O’Brien’s head coaching job. The Pack got healthier as the season went on and played their best ball late in the season and would have been fired up regardless, but playing in Charlotte helped.

A lot of people are trying to compare the Tar Heels with the Wolfpack but the situations were and are drastically different. Carolina was playing a long way from home the day after Christmas. Even a really good Tar Heel team would not have drawn many Carolina fans to Shreveport, Louisiana. Plus, the Tar Heels had a late season dive while the Wolfpack came on late. Add to that the coaching situation at Carolina, with a lame duck coach who didn’t want to be there vs. a surging coach who feels more confident and excited about his future at his university.

The excitement that the Wolfpack players showed at the end of the game was as demonstrative as any we’ve seen in the bowl season. They wanted to be playing right where they were and, in the end, everything turned out like they wanted. The Wolfpack ended the season 8-5 while Louisville matched Carolina’s record of 7-6 despite also losing to the Tar Heels earlier in the season.