Louisville Football: Game preview, prediction, live stream vs. NC State
Louisville football will travel to NC State for a major ACC showdown on Thursday night and here’s everything you need to know.
It’s been an interesting season in ACC football land. Teams that were supposed to contend have fallen off (Florida State) and those who weren’t being looked at much in the preseason (NC State) have risen in the standings.
On Thursday night, all eyes will be on Raleigh as Louisville will travel to NC State to take on the Wolfpack in a mid-week ACC showdown. This will have serious conference title implications as both teams enter the game ranked — who would have seen that coming before the season?
NC State has taken down Florida State so far this season and is riding a four-game winning streak after a loss to South Carolina to start the year.
Louisville, on the other hand, is led by a Heisman-winning quarterback and a strong defense. The Cardinals have lost to Clemson this season, but they still have a shot at the ACC crown. Beating the Wolfpack would be a step in the right direction.
Here’s how you can watch Thursday night’s Louisville vs. NC State game:
Date: Thursday, Oct. 5
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Venue: Carter-Finley Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
Louisville needs to find a way to win that’s not Lamar Jackson. Developing more weapons will be key such as Malik Williams, Reggie Bonnafon or a stingy defense. The defense is capable of holding NC State in check, but it will need to avoid falling apart on the road and playing as well as it has all year.
Since NC State’s run defense is one of the best in the country, the Wolfpack just need to continue that ground dominance. More importantly, they need to make Jackson uncomfortable in the pocket. He has been a better passer this season, so making him feel that pressure will have an effect on his performance. Bradley Chubb, do your thing.
On offense, the Wolfpack need to utilize Jaylen Samuels. He’s one of the most dynamic players in the ACC and he’s going up against one of the top defenses. He could be the key to the Wolfpack success.
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Prediction
Raleigh is going to be rocking on Thursday night, but it’s not an atmosphere unfamiliar to Lamar Jackson. The reigning Heisman winner is going to tune out the crowd, put up 350 yards of total offense and lead the Cardinals to victory. Oh yeah, and he’ll have some help from his running backs. Jaylen Samuels will have an impressive performance for the Wolfpack, though, as he keeps them in the game.
Final Score: Louisville 35, NC State 27