Louisville vs NC State: 3 things we learned
What were the main takeaways from Saturday’s game between Louisville and North Carolina State?
One of Saturday’s ACC games saw the Louisville Cardinals host the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Both teams came in looking to improve their standing in the conference, but ended up putting on a lopsided performance.
From the get-go, quarterback Lamar Jackson took over this game. He dominated the first half and put his team up 44-0 at the half, leading to a final score of 54-13 when the final whistle sounded.
This game may have been one-sided, but what were some of the main takeaways?
Lamar Jackson for Heisman
It’s no secret that Jackson is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He came into Saturday’s game with 30 total touchdowns and over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Add four more scores versus NC State, and he’s now at 34. This is a torrid pace for the sophomore quarterback who could top 50 by season’s end.
Outside of Jackson, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams may be in the race. However, they don’t stand anywhere close to this ongoing performance. With only a handful of games remaining, Jackson should be able to solidify his standing as the potential Heisman Trophy winner in December. It may take a miracle for Watson or Williams to win at this point.
Didn’t North Carolina State almost beat Clemson?
Remember how last Saturday North Carolina State nearly beat Clemson? They took the No. 3 Tigers to overtime and almost spoiled their season. However, they allowed a touchdown quickly into the extra time and lost the game soon after. It seemed like a step in the right direction for the Wolfpack and potentially made them a threat to Louisville.
Well, after 60 minutes of football, a JV team may have looked more competitive.
Louisville shredded any confidence that NC State had in the opening minutes. Their highly-touted defense got burned by Lamar Jackson throughout the first half and made the game out of reach quickly. They had only allowed more than 22 points once this season, which was 33 in their loss to East Carolina. That was exceeded by almost 20.
It’s a demoralizing loss for NC State, who will get a chance for redemption against Boston College. After that, three of their last four games are at home versus Florida State and Miami, and on the road against North Carolina. So, they have a long road ahead.
AP Poll movement
Louisville will move up at least one spot in the AP Poll since No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 1 Alabama are playing each other. However, it remains a bit of a climb for the Cardinals to get into the College Football Playoff picture.
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The top of the polls is loaded with undefeated teams. In between Alabama and Texas A&M is Michigan, Ohio State, and Washington. Factor in that one of ‘Bama and A&M will be unbeaten after Saturday, they still have to hope for dominoes to fall. Washington plays Utah next week, so that could be a loss. Ohio State and Michigan have yet to play each other as well. When that happens in the final week, it could make or break Louisville getting into the CFP.