Louisville uses defense to stay unbeaten, top N.C. State 13-10 with late field goal

Louisville didn’t have to be perfect but the Cardinals turned out to be good enough Friday night.

Brock Travelstead drilled a 53-yard field goal with 5:32 remaining and Louisville remained undefeated by holding North Carolina State scoreless in the second half for a 13-10 victory.

“Our guys played hard and made enough plays,” first-year coach Jeff Brohm said. “We made some plays in the second half.”

The Cardinals (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who overcame a 10-point deficit, continued their strong start as Jack Plummer threw for 286 yards on 21-for-35 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions.

N.C. State (3-2, 1-1) was limited to 201 yards of total offense. Brennan Armstrong was 13 for 25 for 112 yards and two interceptions while gaining a game-high 61 rushing yards.

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It looked like the Wolfpack would have a chance with less than three minutes remaining, but N.C. State was flagged for running into Travelstead, who’s also the punter, and Louisville kept the ball. Still, NC State got the ball at its own 34 with 1:44 left before Quincy Riley intercepted Armstrong on the next play.

“Defense overall (had) a very good plan and we executed it very well,’” Brohm said.

Travelstead missed on a 52-yard attempt in the first half. He was unfazed with another long-range chance.

“I wanted to be there for my team,” Travelstead said. “That ‘I’m the guy to do it.’ Just having that extreme confidence in myself and knowing that I’m going to make it is the biggest thing for me. If you go out there with any doubt, it’s not going to go in.”

Louisville’s defense was relentless, giving the Wolfpack few openings.

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“This one hurts,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. “I can’t really give answers until I watch the film but it’s pretty obvious what we need to get better at.”

Brohm didn’t want to stress the unbeaten record too much in late September.

“We know the schedule ahead is going to continue to get more difficult,” he said. “But we have to learn from each game.”

Louisville didn’t score until Plummer’s 39-yard pass to Chris Bell with 6:38 left in the third quarter. The Cardinals pulled even on Travelstead’s 33-yard field goal later in the quarter following NC State’s second turnover of the half.

“Defense, we could have done some things better to help win that game as well,” said Wolfpack linebacker Payton Wilson, who made 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.

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The Wolfpack led 10-0 at halftime despite compiling only 86 yards of total offense — with 65 of those on one drive.

N.C. State moved 65 yards in 13 plays for Delbert Mimms III’s 4-yard touchdown run. The Wolfpack converted on fourth down twice on the drive, including a run from punt formation by linebacker Payton Wilson.

Brayden Narveson ended the first half with a 48-yard field goal. That came after Shyheim Battle’s interception of Plummer and return to the Louisville 32.

There were six punts in the first quarter. Then Travelstead missed on a field-goal attempt early in the second quarter.

THE TAKEAWAY

Louisville: The Cardinals didn’t crank out much offense as they had done in previous games, but winning their second ACC road game of the season is worth savoring.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack still hasn’t gotten untracked offensively and a solid defensive outing couldn’t save them. All of Louisville’s scoring drives covered less than 50 yards.

FOOT NOTES

N.C. State had won seven consecutive ACC home openers since losing to Louisville in 2015. … Louisville defensive back Cam’Ron Kelly intercepted Armstrong in the end zone in the third quarter. Kelly, a former player for Wolfpack rival North Carolina, forced a fumble later in the quarter.

COWHER HONORED

N.C. State alum Bill Cowher, the only former Wolfpack player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was inducted into the program’s Ring of Honor on Friday night. He said the university was an ideal fit for his blue-collar western Pennsylvania roots.

“Talk about going back down memory lane and I can’t think of a negative (memory),” Cowher said. “When I left here, I was more confident than when I came.”

Cowher was a standout NC State linebacker from 1975-78 under coaches Lou Holtz and Bo Rein before an NFL playing career. He later was a Super Bowl-winning head coach during a 15-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

UP NEXT

Louisville: Home next Saturday against No. 11 Notre Dame.

N.C. State: Marshall visits next Saturday.

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