Instant Analysis: Louisville 30, NC State 18

Louisville held onto a tough win at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, staving off a more-than-game NC State on a chilly afternoon.

A lot of things went right for the Cardinals, who are now bowl eligible with four games to play.

Let's run through five quick takeaways from the game:

Play of the game: How about DeVante Parker's first play all season? He ran a simple post or slant (I don't remember) and caught an easy throw and turned it into 37 yards. His after-catch ability is what makes him so tough to defend. His talent was on full display on Saturday.

Turning point: Louisville executed its late-half offense with a scoring drive to go up 17-6. Will Gardner made a sharp throw on an underneath hitch route to Kai De La Cruz. The offense has done well all season in the red zone, but the sustained drive has to be a promising part of this week's performance if you're Louisville.

MVP: Well, let's split it. Michael Dyer ran for 100-plus yards, becoming the fourth Louisville tailback to do that this season. He was powerful, decisive and elusive, all the things he usually is when he's fully healthy. Dominique Brown, who has one 100-yard game this season, didn't even get a carry. Brandon Radcliff and his two 100-yard performances got one carry for four yards.

But Parker's nine catches and 132 receiving yards was pretty darn impressive, too. He wasn't all the way there -- he would've normally jumped for one pass to the front right of the end zone -- but he looked pretty close. What a huge boost that is for the offense. Can't even say how big it is.

Surprise: I'll go back to Dyer. Dude ran for 173 yards and a touchdown in his first truly significant participation this year. He had 14 carries against Wake Forest, but wasn't much of a factor. Consider me surprised.

Takeaway: Yes, there were still some hiccups, but this was the kind of offensive performance Louisville needed. Will Gardner (21 of 36, 203 yards, two touchdowns, three sacks, no turnovers) had a solid day. The offensive line, with Aaron Epps inserted into the starting lineup, did very well with its pass protection. And the Cards only committed four penalties for 33 yards. All of those things are significant boosts for a team that desperately needed a confidence charge on offense.

NC State is a scrappy club that will be a menace to some of its final opponents. Jacoby Brissett is a sharp quarterback and a playmaker.

Louisville (6-2) can now use the bye week to get healthy and hope to maintain its rhythm into the much-anticipated Oct. 30 game against FSU.