Louisville will put a four-game winning streak on the line Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., when the Cardinals face North Carolina.
The Cardinals (6-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) feature one of the country's most potent offenses. They average 7.8 yards per play, best among Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Louisville also ranks sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 40.8 points a game.
Coach Jeff Brohm's team also has 13 touchdowns of at least 50 yards this season, with at least one in each game. Receiver Tre Richardson kept that streak alive with his 52-yard touchdown run in the Cardinals' 44-17 victory at Georgia Tech last Saturday.
Not surprisingly, North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said it may not be realistic to expect to hold the Cardinals to a minimal output, but the Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3) will still try to find ways to challenge them.
"A lot of that's a function of how many possessions they get, and you know how well you play when you have a chance to stop them on third down," Belichick said. "I think that's the best way to win is to play good on third down."
That could prove difficult for the Tar Heels. North Carolina ranks second-worst among ACC teams, allowing opponents to convert 44.1% of their third downs.
The Tar Heels snapped a two-game losing streak with a 38-21 road win over UConn on Saturday. Billy Edwards Jr. threw for three touchdowns while completing 29 of 38 passes for 255 yards.
Louisville's biggest weakness this season has been in the secondary. The Cardinals have allowed the ninth-most passing yards among FBS schools, averaging 265.9 yards per game.
Bobby Petrino, who coached Louisville twice, serves as North Carolina's offensive coordinator. Brohm was an assistant during Petrino's first stint at Louisville and again at Western Kentucky in 2013 before succeeding him as the Hilltoppers' head coach the following season.
"I learned a lot under him," Brohm said. "A great football coach (who) wants to win ... He's continued to evolve over the years and done a great job. He builds the offense around the quarterback. He's had some athletic quarterbacks that run, but he's had some really good drop-back quarterbacks before that, and now he's got another one."
--Field Level Media