Upstart Wolfpack look to take down Cardinals
Last Saturday, North Carolina State nearly pulled off a stunning upset over Clemson. Does Dave Doeren’s squad have a better chance of sealing the deal vs. Louisville?
The Wolfpack and Cardinals meet at noon tomorrow in yet another titanic ACC bout. Online sports book BetDSI opened Bobby Petrino’s gang as a 18-point favorite at home. The over/under is 65.
While DeShaun Watson still amassed his usual lofty numbers, N.C. State came within a field goal of vanquishing the heralded Tigers a week ago. Dave Huxtable’s run defense was particularly effective, limiting Clemson to 117 yards on the ground. Yet quarterback Ryan Finley’s overtime interception ultimately doomed the Wolfpack’s hopes of throwing the rankings into disarray.
As for the Cards, they had a surprisingly arduous battle with Duke. The Blue Devils controlled the football for 37-plus minutes, rendering Heisman Trophy hopeful Lamar Jackson a bystander for the majority of the action. The signal-caller wound up with a pair of touchdowns, but Petrino’s troops only managed a 10-point triumph.
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Don’t expect the fans at Papa John Cardinal’s Stadium to be held in such suspense on this occasion. N.C. State has dropped its past five contests against top 10 adversaries. In addition, Finley’s erratic play should make UL feel comfortable about loading up the box to stop stellar tailback Matt Dayes.
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