The N.C. State players gave the game ball to athletics director Debbie Yow, who was the AD at Maryland for 16 years before taking the N.C. State job in June 2010.

"They beat Maryland for the AD, they won't beat B.C. for me," coach Tom O'Brien joked. "Shows you where their head is."

O'Brien was the head coach at Boston College for 10 years before taking the State job after the 2006 season. State lost to B.C. two weeks ago, 14-10.

Senior tight end George Bryan finished with a career-best eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. Bryan also had the best motivational speech of the day. He huddled the Wolfpack players up at the 50-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter.

"We need to win this game," Bryan told the team. "I don't want this to be the last quarter of my career."

State quarterback Mike Glennon finished with 306 passing yards, his third 300-yard game of the season but first in a win. State lost at Wake Forest (315 yards) and at Cincinnati (334) in his previous two 300-yard games.

Maryland became the first major conference team to sandwich a winning season between two 10-loss seasons, according to the Washington Times.