Louisville, North Carolina State square off in big ACC showdown

No. 17 Louisville (4-1) at No. 24 North Carolina State (4-1)

Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET/ESPN.

Surface: Grass.

Line furnished by pregame.com: Louisville by 3½. Sagarin difference: Louisville by 0.01.

Synopsis: Once upon a time, N.C. State was being discussed as a possible challenger to the power structure in the rugged ACC Atlantic Division. The buzz quieted quickly when the Wolfpack dropped their season opener to South Carolina, but a road victory against an admittedly depleted Florida State reawakened a few whispers. They’ll grow louder if N.C. State can topple Louisville, which is already behind the eight ball thanks to its encounter with Clemson.

Any discussion of the Cardinals, of course, begins with QB Lamar Jackson. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has accounted for 18 TDs thus far in 2017, 13 by air and five by land. But he’s also been intercepted three times, and his offense has lost a total of seven fumbles. He’ll want to avoid Wolfpack DE Bradley Chubb, who is always a threat to the other team’s ball security. Turnovers have not been an issue for N.C. State for the most part, as QB Ryan Finley has yet to be picked in 192 pass attempts. His primary red-zone helper is Jaylen Samuels, a hybrid back who has run for five TDs and caught three more. LB Jon Greenard is Louisville’s leading backfield disruptor.

Note: Jeff Sagarin's power ratings show the relative strength of teams; 1.94 points were added to the home team’s rating to calculate the difference.