Louisville Cardinals Football: Five must-see games in 2015

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4. Saturday, October 3: Louisville at NC State

Yet another intra-division game that will be very important to come out on top will come against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Louisville will have to play on the road against one of the better teams that boasts a dominant offense. Though NC State finished 3-5 in their division, they ended up finishing 8-5 overall and won the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl against UCF.

Seniors Jacoby Brissett and Shadrach Thornton will be the focal point of Louisville’s defensive game plan. Brissett is a dual-threat quarterback that has a great arm, but also the ability to run out of the pocket and gain some yardage. In 2014, he completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,061 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also rushed 124 times for 529 yards and three touchdowns. Brissett is one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC, helping spread the defense and opens holes for Thornton to take advantage of.

Thornton has played along Brissett for a few years now and their chemistry is strong. Last season, Thornton accumulated 907 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He has improved year after year and was on the brink of breaking 1,000+ yards and 10+ touchdowns in 2014. If he can replicate his performance and earn an even larger role in the offense, Thornton could finish among the best running backs in the ACC.

Louisville won last season’s game against NC State, winning 30-18. The team did hold Thornton to just 54 yards on 13 carries, but will need to replicate their success in 2015 to walk out victorious.

Next: Auburn