:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51332981/usa-today-9563513.0.jpg)
No. 7 Louisville hasn't played a game in almost two weeks, when it narrowly missed knocking off Clemson in Death Valley. Receiver James Quick went out of bounds just short of the first-down marker on a fourth down late in the fourth quarter, and the Cardinals fell just short. That has, for the moment, put Louisville on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff, and it won't be easy to finish in the top four.
But they're still dangerous, and now they're back on the field for a Friday game against Duke. The Blue Devils have had a few decent moments this year and did win at Notre Dame, but beating Notre Dame in 2016 isn't the same as beating Notre Dame in most years. The Blue Devils defense isn't their problem, but it's difficult to believe their offense, which has scored 24.5 points per game, could outscore Lamar Jackson and company.
This game's being played in Louisville. If Duke can win, it'll be a fairly colossal upset.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. The broadcasters are Adam Amin, Mack Brown, and Molly McGrath.
Radio: Duke and Louisville
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Louisville opened as a 27.5-point favorite, and that spread has been growing.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation's team blog chats for this game at Duke Basketball Report and Card Chronicle.
Three big things to know
1. It's been a few weeks, so let's do a quick status check on Louisville's offense. The Cardinals are averaging 58 points, 659 yards of offense, 8.2 yards per snap. Jackson himself has 28 total touchdowns, which remains more than the team total of 105 of the 128 programs competing in FBS. So have fun with that, Duke.
2. If there's a weakness in Louisville, it's turnovers. And that's something worth noting, even though it's not the reason the Cardinals lost a few weeks ago at Clemson. If you combine his stints there, Louisville is 33-4 under Bobby Petrino when it wins the turnover battle, but the Cardinals have given the ball away 13 times in five games. Their team turnover margin is just minus-1, because the defense has done a nice job stealing it back.
3. Duke can defend, but Duke can't score. The Blue Devils are tied for 97th nationally in scoring offense, which is bad, but they're tied for 35th in scoring defense, which is much better. They won't present the easiest opposition Jackson has faced, but when Duke gets the ball, a team that's run for 3.7 yards per carry is going to have to find a way to move the ball against a good, if unspectacular defense. That'll be almost as hard as stopping Jackson.