Glennon leads N.C. State to Belk Bowl win over Louisville

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – 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 an Atlantic Coast Conference record.

Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, who threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, nearly brought the Cardinals back from a 21-point deficit, but his final heave on fourth-and-23 was picked off by Amerson with 41 seconds left.

With his team trailing 31-10, Louisville coach Charlie Strong started to gamble. Louisville used a fake punt and recovered an onside kick to get back in the game.

Bridgewater threw a pair of 2-yard touchdown passes – one to tight end Nate Nord and another to Josh Bellamy – to close the gap to 31-24 with 3:55 left in the game.

The Cardinals had one 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 Amerson’s clinching interception.

The Wolfpack came into the game leading the nation in interceptions and picked off Bridgewater three times.