It was the type of game that old-time NC State fans are used to seeing, the cardiac Pack version that knows how to make it thrilling.

What the game really was, though, was a quality performance against a quality team. Pittsburgh helped NC State along the way with costly penalties, but that was a stout Panthers defense and a potential pro quarterback slinging the football around against the Wolfpack.

Head coach Dave Doeren’s squad, facing a lot of detractors after an uncompetitive game at Virginia Tech one Saturday ago, delivered, in large part thanks to redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary potentially growing up before our eyes during the fourth quarter.

After victories, Doeren is known for letting loose in the locker room a shout of, “How ‘bout that Wolfpack!” Here’s betting that Doeren screamed that out at least a tad bit louder after that emotional win.

“A lot of people just wanted to throw us in the trash can after last week,” Doeren noted. "That's the world we're in right now. These kids just hung together. The coaches hung together."