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The first loss in South Alabama's history had to come sometime.
But at least the Jaguars held it off for longer than many might have expected.
South Alabama kept things competitive into the third quarter of its 35-13 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday night before allowing the Wolfpack's Mike Glennon to throw a career-high four touchdown passes.
Demetre Baker had an 8-yard scoring run and Jordan Means kicked two field goals, including a school-record 46-yarder, for the Jaguars (2-1).
South Alabama, which started its program in 2009, won its first 19 games and hung with its first Bowl Subdivision opponent for much of the way.
''We needed to play a perfect game with no mistakes,'' South Alabama coach Joey Jones said.
Ultimately, that didn't happen. Instead, Glennon wound up carving up their pass defense, throwing more touchdown passes than incompletions (three).
He was 17 of 20 for 274 yards with scoring passes of 1 and 5 yards to Taylor Gentry, 18 yards to Curtis Underwood and 67 yards to T.J. Graham. And no N.C. State quarterback completed a higher percentage of passes since Philip Rivers.
It all helped the Wolfpack (2-1) bounce back from their first loss.
''I think every game I'm getting more comfortable - just being in the game atmosphere,'' Glennon said. ''I think that's kind of what I knew coming in, that I was going to have to take some adjustment into playing in a game atmosphere.''
James Washington added a 1-yard touchdown run for N.C. State, which faces a short turnaround with a trip to Cincinnati on Thursday night.
''The goal is to get ourselves rested and ready to go play Cincinnati,'' coach Tom O'Brien said.
''Some teams aren't pretty, and we're certainly not a pretty team,'' O'Brien said. ''But we found a way to get it done.''
C.J. Bennett finished 17 of 32 for 182 yards with two interceptions and Kendall Houston rushed for 117 yards for South Alabama, which is taking the fast track to the Bowl Subdivision. The Jaguars are scheduled to become FBS members in 2013, will play host to N.C. State two years later in Mobile and are scheduled to return to Raleigh in 2012.
''I liked the way they approached the game mentally,'' Jones said. ''They knew that we were playing a really good team and didn't back down.''
The game ultimately was little more than an exhibition tuneup for N.C. State. Teams may count only one victory over Championship Subdivision teams each season toward the six necessary for bowl eligibility, and the Wolfpack already beat Liberty of the FCS in Week 1.
South Alabama made things interesting shortly after N.C. State took a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter. Baker pulled the Jaguars to 21-10 with his touchdown run midway through the quarter, and Glennon fumbled the Wolfpack's next snap at their own 39.
But South Alabama's drive stalled at the 27, and Means' 44-yard field goal was wide left. Glennon led N.C. State downfield, converting a fourth-and-5 two plays before his catch-and-run touchdown pass to Underwood with 1:14 left in the third made it 28-10.
Glennon's long strike to Graham over the middle pushed the lead to 22 with 4:03 left. Graham finished with 128 yards receiving on five catches.
''He's a much different kid this year,'' O'Brien said. ''It's his opportunity. ... Now he has to be a guy, a real guy. He's maybe been a little better than we could have expected at this point.''
Brandan Bishop set up Glennon's second touchdown pass to Gentry when he intercepted a pass - N.C. State's seventh pick of the season - and returned it to the South Alabama 29. Glennon's scoring strike six plays later made it 21-3 with not even 5 minutes gone in the third.
The two hooked up earlier for N.C. State's second touchdown, which made it 14-3 barely 3 minutes into the second quarter.
Washington put N.C. State up roughly 4 minutes into this one when he capped a nine-play, 54-yard drive with his short touchdown run. But the Jaguars wouldn't let the Wolfpack pull away, with Means making it 7-3 late in the first quarter with his record kick.
