Ranked Wolfpack Have Tough Task Vs No. 17 Cardinals

 It's not often that fans can say "ranked" and "North Carolina State" in the same sentence.

 The 24th-ranked Wolfpack have crept into the AP Top 25 for the first time since the final poll of the 2010 season, which is great. Except that there might not be time to savor it -- or be in the rankings too long -- because they have a Thursday night showdown against No. 17 Louisville at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Ryan Finley's steady play has helped NC State win four straight (News & Observer)

NC State (4-1, 2-0) came into the year as a chic pick to make some noise on the national scene, then promptly went out and lost its opener to an offensively challenged South Carolina squad. Typical Wolfpack.

To its credit, NC State has won four in a row, including a victory over Florida State, and appears to have righted the ship. Atypical Wolfpack.

“I just think it’s a different team,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. “It’s an experienced football team.”

 Stopping Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson will be paramount if any victory celebration is to take place.

 “This will be a tremendous opportunity and challenge for our guys,” Doeren said. “We have to do a good job of containing him. He runs through contact. … He has great weapons around him.”

 Ryan Finley has played smart football, throwing nine touchdowns to zero interceptions for the Wolfpack. His 71.9 completion percentage is ninth best nationally, and he hasn't thrown an interception in 192 passes this year. Going back to last season, Finley hasn't thrown to the wrong team in 275 attempts, his last coming in the second half against Miami last November.

“He’s playing smart,” Doeren said. “He has got lucky, too. He has had a couple (potential interceptions) dropped.”

 When Finley absolutely, positively has to have a completion, he looks to Jaylen Samuels, whose 43 catches is third nationally. Samuels is also a weapon in the ground game, scoring five times on rushing plays, and eight times altogether this season. Samuels is the lead dog, but Kelvin Harmon and Stephen Louis both have over 20 receptions, and the return of Jacobi Meyers last week added even more firepower to the Wolfpack attack.

 Louisville (4-1, 1-1) has only a loss to Clemson as a blemish, and since being held to 21 points against the Tigers has exploded for 97 points in its last two contests. The Cardinals enter the game fourth in the nation in total offense, averaging 573.4 yards per game, and their 7.59 yards per play figure is fifth best.

 That means NC State will need to play better defensively than it did last week, when it allowed 25 points and 444 yards to Syracuse.

 Louisville has won three straight in the series, and three in a row, including last year's 54-13 rout that was over before it ever started. The previous two games were by two scores or fewer.

 “We’ve had some great battles with them,” Cardinal coach Bobby Petrino said. “Last year we got ahead of them early and that helped us.”

Lamar Jackson has improved his passing in 2017 (Courier-Journal)

 As good as Jackson is running the football -- 87.4 yards per game -- he's become more polished as a passer. the senior has thrown for 642 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Louisville's 365.2 yards per game through the air ranks sixth nationally. With NC State being absolutely abysmal against the pass -- 284.8 yards per game, 117th in the country -- there could be a lot of footballs flying through the nighttime air in Raleigh.

 Traveon Samuel has been Jackson's big play weapons, averaging 18.7 yards per grab, and Dez Fitzpatrick has been a touchdown machine, scoring six times on 16 catches.

 Louisville could have its hands full with the Wolfpack pass rush, led by Bradley Chubb, who tops the country in tackles for loss (11) and is fourth in sacks (5.5). He's a one-man wrecking crew with enough versatility to drop into coverage and to play against the run.

 Finley could have his work cut out this week as Louisville will likely regain the services of All-America corner Jaire Alexander. The electric junior has missed much of the first half of the season with a leg injury, but returned to practice this week. Finley will also need to be wary of end John Greenard, who has five sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss.

 Nyheim Hines has been the top running threat for NC State, averaging 82.2 yards per game and scoring three times.

 NC State is just 1-10 against ranked teams under Doeren, and it's last victory in Raleigh in a game featuring two ranked teams came in 1992, against Wake Forest. Petrino is 14-0 against North Carolina schools in his time at Louisville.

 If there is one chink in the Cardinals armor, it's turnovers. Louisville has already lost seven fumbles, and is minus-.40 in turnover margin. NC State is 15th in the nation in turnover margin, so getting the football from the explosive Cardinals would give it a leg up.

 The winner of this contest will keep division leader in sight, and its especially important for the Wolfpack, which has a winnable game with Pittsburgh next week before taking on Clemson the first weekend in November.

 Petrino knows that his team won't be able to just waltz into Raleigh and expect a victory, even with history on its side.

 “It’s competitive,” Petrino said of the Atlantic Division. “It doesn’t really surprise me because N.C. State is really good. We know how important this one is."