N.C. State rolls past Louisville
Nyheim Hines ran for two touchdowns and Ryan Finley threw for another to help No. 24 North Carolina State beat No. 17 Louisville 39-25.
Hines ran for 102 yards and had a 48-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter that helped set up a touchdown drive for the host Wolfpack (5-1, 3-0 ACC).
Finley threw for 367 yards and a 48-yard score to Kelvin Harmon, part of N.C. State’s 520 total yards on a night it did not trail against the Cardinals (4-2, 1-2).
Then there was the Wolfpack’s defense, which kept pressure on reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
“They don’t want to be denied what they feel is theirs right now,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said. “There’s no flinch in these guys, I can tell you that.”
Jackson ran for his second touchdown to cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 32-25 with 4:10 left, then got the ball back with a chance to tie it. However, linebacker Germaine Pratt picked off a deflected pass and returned it 25 yards — blasting through an attempted tackle by Jackson — for a clinching score with 2:52 left.
Darnold’s comeback: After 13 consecutive victories, Sam Darnold had almost forgotten what it felt like to go back to work after a loss.
The USC quarterback is practicing with a renewed vigor this week after his imperfect performance in the No. 14 Trojans’ 30-27 loss at No. 11 Washington State last Friday.
Though the Trojans had a short week of preparation for a game that ended with three offensive linemen sidelined by injuries, none of those significant factors is used as an excuse by Darnold or his teammates.
“Every loss, to me, feels the same,” Darnold said. “It’s a terrible feeling, and one that I don’t want to feel ever again . ... We’re just working twice as hard now to remain undefeated the rest of the season.”
USC (4-1, 2-1 Pac-12) hosts struggling Oregon State (1-4, 0-2) on Saturday.
UAB gesture: Alabama-Birmingham will sport the names of seriously ill children on its jerseys for homecoming Saturday against Louisiana Tech.
The gesture is a collaboration between UAB and Children’s Harbor, which works with seriously ill children.