This week, we'll be treated to what may be the best Thursday night matchup of the year, as Louisville hits the road to take on Houston. The Cardinals are hot on the trail of a College Football Playoff berth, and while this season hasn't gone the way Coog fans have wanted, they're still 8-2 and highly dangerous.
Louisville vs. Houston 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
The high-flying Cardinals get a chance to avenge their loss to Houston last year.
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
It may be easy to assume Lamar Jackson does everything for Louisville. He nearly does, after all. But Jackson is, of course, not alone on this team. Brandon Radcliff has 768 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the year, and there's a decent chance he'll join Jackson in the 1,000 yard club by the end of the year. The defense is ranked No. 8 in the country in Defensive S&P+, and are allowing only 20.3 points per game, which works pretty well when you average nearly 50.
Houston can still make a play for the AAC title game, but they need some unlikely help from Navy. The Midshipmen hold the tiebreaker over the Coogs by virtue of their head to head win, and Navy’s two remaining conference games are against East Carolina and SMU, which are a combined 4-8 in conference. Both games are on the road, however, and when the ball kicks on Thursday night, Houston is still alive. This game will not affect their conference standings, but it would still be a massive win over a top-10 team.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Radio: Louisville | Houston
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: The game is a pick ‘em.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Card Chronicle for Louisville fans and Underdog Dynasty for Houston fans.
Three big things to know
1. This game last year was a major factor in launching Houston onto the national stage. The Cougars went to Louisville in September and came away with a 34-31 win, but the Lamar Jackson they'll see on Thursday night is a far cry from the one that only threw for 168 yards and two interceptions last year.
2. If Houston is going to keep up with Louisville, they're going to need the game of Greg Ward Jr.'s life. In addition to being the Coogs' quarterback, Ward is also their leading rusher with 429 yards and nine touchdowns so far this year. If he's not firing on all cylinders, Houston can forget about trying to trade points with the Cardinals. And unfortunately for Houston, he's dealing with a shoulder injury at present and won't be at 100%.
3. Speaking of the Louisville offense, they’re the top-rated offense according to S&P+ this year. They’re scoring 49.6 points per game and average 7.83 yards per play, which are first and second in the nation, respectively. When Jackson and the Louisville offense are on the field, they are the greatest show in college football.
See More:
