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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- N.C. State got the midseason momentum-builder it was looking for, and Virginia got the bowl hopes-dampening setback it hoped to avoid.

In a game that both teams figured would have a major impact on how their seasons play out, the Wolfpack emerged with a 28-14 victory Saturday over a Virginia team that for the second consecutive year followed a big upset with a demoralizing loss.

"It has been a struggle, but here we are heading into the second half," State coach Tom O'Brien said. "To head in with such a big win here and do it the way we did is great. Obviously we have some things to work on but the pains aren't as great right now and I'm happy to go home and get ready to play Florida State next week."

Last year, the Cavaliers followed a win over a ranked Miami team with four losses to end the season.

Perhaps surprisingly, State (4-3, 1-2 ACC) won with a stout defense that held Virginia to 249 total yards -- the lowest in Mike London's two seasons as the Cavaliers' coach. Starting their fourth defensive line combination in six games because of injuries, the Wolfpack held Virginia to 124 yards rushing a week after the Cavaliers churned out 274 on the ground in the win over then-No. 12 Georgia Tech.

"I think the difference was we stayed in our gaps," O'Brien said. "A lot of their stuff last week came at the perimeter and that was one thing we weren't going to let them do."

Less surprising were the performances of two of the Wolfpack's biggest stars: quarterback Mike Glennon and defensive back David Amerson of Greensboro.

Glennon was 20-of-36 for 231 yards and three touchdowns, and Amerson, a Dudley graduate, recorded his BCS-leading seventh and eighth interceptions. On the last one, Amerson snared a ball that deflected off the hands of Virginia's Tim Smith and returned it 12 yards for the clinching touchdown. His eight picks ties the school record set by Art Rooney, who did it in 1937 and again in 1938.

Glennon now has 19 touchdown passes this season, and he moved into a tie with Jamie Barnette for sixth place on State's single-season list.

Two of Glennon's touchdown passes went to Bryan Underwood, One was a 79-yarder that he caught near the sideline, slipping Dom Joseph's tackle and barely staying in bounds before outracing the rest of the secondary.

The Cavaliers have employed a two-quarterback rotation this season with sophomore Michael Rocco and freshman David Watford, and it was mostly ineffective against the Wolfpack. After Rocco led Virginia on its first touchdown drive, which ended with his 6-yard pass to Clifton Richardson, Watford came in on the Cavaliers' next possession and promptly threw the first of his three interceptions.

Rocco couldn't get much going after that, so Watford got most of the work in second half, with mixed results. He briefly gave the Cavaliers hope by throwing a 60-yard touchdown pass to Tim Smith, but two more interceptions followed, including Amerson's scoring play.

N.C. State 0 14 7 7 -- 28

Virginia 0 7 7 0 -- 14

UVa--Richardson 6 pass from Rocco (Randolph kick)

NCSt--Creecy 5 pass from Glennon (Sade kick)

NCSt--B.Underwood 33 pass from Glennon (Sade kick)

NCSt--B.Underwood 79 pass from Glennon (Sade kick)

UVa--Ti.Smith 60 pass from Watford (Randolph kick)

NCSt--Amerson 12 interception return (Sade kick)

A--46,030

N.C. State Virginia

First downs 14 12

Rushes-yards 38-114 33-124

Passing 231 125

Comp-Att-Int 20-36-2 11-35-3

Return Yards 29 10

Punts-Avg. 9-34.3 8-37.4

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-1

Penalties-Yards 3-30 4-30

Time of Possession 32:13 27:47

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--NC State, Washington 25-82, Creecy 9-28, Glennon 1-11, Team 2-(minus 2), Graham 1-(minus 5). Virginia, P.Jones 15-62, Richardson 5-19, Parks 7-18, Rocco 2-12, Watford 3-12, Jennings 1-1.

PASSING--NC State, Glennon 20-36-2-231. Virginia, Rocco 7-19-0-36, Watford 4-16-3-89.

RECEIVING--NC State, Creecy 7-42, J.Smith 4-41, B.Underwood 3-125, Graham 2-8, Howard 2-3, Payton 1-6, Washington 1-6. Virginia, Burd 3-44, Ti.Smith 2-66, Parks 2-9, Richardson 1-6, Jennings 1-1, Milien 1-0, D.Terrell 1-(minus 1).