For the past week when coach Chuck Amato spoke about redshirt sophomore Daniel Evans, one word seemed to find its way into the conservation — poise. Amato said he saw it in the young quarterback against Southern Mississippi and said it was a major factor in giving Evans the starting job.

And of course, following Saturday night’s game it popped up again.

“Daniel Evans really showed a little poise tonight,” Amato said. “He showed the poise for somebody at that position in a game that means so much. [Graduate assistant] Jay Davis told me in the middle of the week ‘He’s got ice in his blood,’ and maybe he does, but it’s red.”

But after engineering a game-winning 72-yard drive with just 46 seconds left, which culminated with a 34-yard touchdown pass, Amato and Davis were not the only ones praising Evans’ composure. His teammates were taking notice, too.

“I knew he had great pocket presence,” sophomore running back Andre Brown said. “And that’s what he came out there and demonstrated tonight. He picked them apart on that last drive.”

Brown, who rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, added Evans made plays out of nothing, citing a pass which converted a late first down as evidence.

“On the one play I was open in the flats,” Brown said. “And he flicks [the ball] past me up to [tight end] Anthony [Hill] and I was like, ‘What’s going on. I”m right here.’ But he’s out there poised — playing like he’s in the backyard.”

On the play, Evans rolled to his left and just before he reached the sidelines with Boston College players on his heels, he flipped the ball — option style — to Hill. The play converted a third down, something the Wolfpack only managed to do three times in the game.

“We hadn’t been that great on third down this year,” Evans said. “And that was third down and I had to make a play. I don’t think we were all that great today. So that was one of the bright spots on third down for us.”

But obviously, the biggest play Evans made was the touchdown heave to senior wide receiver John Dunlap which completed the comeback. Evans again stepped out of harm’s way to throw the pass and said he just wanted to make sure it got to the end zone.

“There might have been some interior pressure,” Evans said. “And our tackles did a great job of pushing their guys up around me so I could step up in the pocket. And I just put it up there and John Dunlap went up and caught it at its highest point — like they’re taught to do every day at practice.”

“I was just trying to get it in the end zone. We scored with eight seconds left, so I knew we didn’t have a whole lot left. And [Dunlap] had made a play just before that.”

Dunlap said he had confidence Evans could get the ball there and was just worried about making the catch once it did.

“I know the quarterback has a rocket for an arm,” Dunlap said. “So I just knew that I had to make a play.”

It was Evans’ only touchdown pass of the game and just the second one of his career. His first one came in the fourth quarter of last week’s game.

Following the Southern Miss game, though, Evans downplayed his excitement about throwing his first touchdown pass, saying he had always imagined himself doing that in a game.

But as for the second one, he had a different response.

“No, I didn’t imagine this at all,” Evans said. “I didn’t give up on us by any means. But I just didn’t have any idea we’d be able to win like that. I was more stunned than anything else.”

Evans, who said being named the starter was a “dream come true,” called the fairy-tale ending to his debut as a starter, “amazing.”

“I don’t think it could be a better a situation,” he said. “Since I was six years old I’ve come to almost every single home game here. And dreamed about playing here on that field as the starting quarterback at N.C. State and then to not only start, but start a game on national television in the ACC on a Saturday night and then to win the game the way we did — it’s just amazing.”

State doesn’t play again for nearly two weeks when Florida State comes to Raleigh on Oct. 5, a Thursday-night game, which is also on national television. Evans said the week off will be good for him after his hectic first week as the starting quarterback and will help him get ready for another tough ACC opponent.

“I got my first start out of the way and hopefully the jitters are gone with that,” Evans said. “And now I’ve got some time to reflect and I won’t have as much pressure this week as far as preparing for a game this coming Saturday. So hopefully I’ll come in with a new mindset and have a good game on Thursday.”