By Steve Reed
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE ó Mike Glennon threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and David Amerson returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown as North Carolina State defeated Louisville 31-24 in the Belk Bowl.
T.J. Graham made the most of his final game at N.C. State with seven catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard score on a nifty catch-and-run, as the Wolfpack (8-5) overcame a series of special teams blunders to hold off a late charge from the Cardinals (7-6).
Amerson had two more interceptions to give him 13 for the season, the most in the country, while setting a new ACC record.
Louisvilleís Teddy Bridgewater nearly brought the Cardinals back from a 21-point deficit. He made it 31-24 with 3:55 left in the game.
The Cardinals had once last chance to send the game into overtime after stopping N.C. State on fourth-and-2. However, on a third-and-12 Dontae Johnson sacked Bridgewater for an 11-yard loss setting up Amersonís clinching interception.
The Wolfpack came into the game leading the nation in interceptions and picked off Bridgewater three times.
On Louisvilleís first possession, Bridgewater came under pressure and made a poor decision to try to dump the ball off, but instead threw it in the hands of linebacker Terrell Manning for an interception. Glennon took advantage, methodically driving the Wolfpack 79 yards completing 6 of 7 passes for 49 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown strike to Graham to take a 7-0 lead.
Then came the play of the game as Graham caught a pass over the middle from Glennon and broke two tackles en route to a 68-yard touchdown reception giving the Wolfpack a 21-10 lead at the break.
N.C. State tacked on three more to start the third quarter after a pair of costly Louisville penalties.
The Wolfpack seemingly put the game away 17 seconds later when Amerson intercepted Bridgewater downfield and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown.
With his team trailing down 24, Louisville coach Charlie Strong started to gamble.
Strong called for a fake punt after the Cardinalsí next drive stalled and Preston Brown, the up back on the punt team, took a direct snap from center and raced 32 yards for a first down. That set up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to tight end Nate Nord in the back corner of the end zone.
Bridgewater added another 2-yard touchdown pass to Josh Bellamy but it wasnít enough.
The Associated Press
12/27/11 23:52