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No. 11 Louisville meets Virginia in a Thrusday night conference clash. The Cardinals have been one of college football’s surprise success stories in 2023. They are off to a 8-1 start in Year 1 of the Jeff Brohm era and could inch one step closer toward a birth in the ACC Championship Game with a win over the Cavaliers.
Louisville is fresh off a 34-3 home blowout win over Virginia Tech. Cardinals running back Isaac Guerendo stole the show in a win over the Hokies by rushing for 146 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 touches. Louisville’s lone loss this season came at the hands of Pitt on Oct. 14.
Since recording consecutive wins over William & Mary and North Carolina last month, Virginia has dropped back-to-back contests. The Cavaliers most recent 45-17 loss to Georgia Tech dropped them to 2-7 on the year. With bowl eligibility off the table, Virginia must embrace the role of spoiler down the stretch. That starts with an opportunity to derail the Cardinals’ ACC title hopes.
This will mark the 12th meeting between the programs. The two schools have met every year in ACC play since the 2014 season.
Louisville vs. Virginia: Need to know
Louisville controls its own destiny to ACC title game: Brohm had a chance to come home to Louisville this offseason after Scott Satterfield departed for the vacant job at Cincinnati. It’s safe to say he’s making the most out of his first season at his alma mater. The Cardinals can clinch a berth in the ACC title game for the first time in program history with wins over Virginia and Miami. Louisville closes out the regular season with a matchup against in-state rival Kentucky. If the Cardinals run the table and knock off Florida State in the conference championship game, they’ll be in great position for a College Football Playoff berth.
Virginia’s quarterback situation: Virginia quarterback Tony Muskett is considered day-to-day after suffering a high ankle sprain against Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers had to bring on freshman signal caller Anthony Colandrea for the rest of the game and in the process, burned his redshirt year. Muskett and Colandrea have split time at the position this season and it’s unclear who the starter will be on Thursday. The Cavaliers may have more of an incentive to play Colandrea going forward now that redshirting is off the table.
Dominance at home: Louisville has been lights out at Cardinal Stadium dating back to last season. The Cadinals can tie the second-longest home winning streak in program history with a win against the Cavaliers. The longest home win streak in Louisville history occurred between 2003-07, when the team won 20 consecutive home games. In five home games this season, Louisville has won by an average of 30.2 points.
How to watch Louisville vs. Virginia live
Date: Thursday, Nov. 9 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Cardinal Stadium — Louisville, Kentucky
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Louisville vs. Virginia prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
The Cardinals appear destined for a showdown with Florida State in the ACC title game if they take care of business the rest of the way. Louisville has simply been dominant at home. Add in Virginia’s uncertainty at the quarterback position and it seems like a perfect recipe for a blowout win for the home team. Louisville has beat every ACC home opponent by 20 or more points and that trend should continue this week. Pick: Louisville -20
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