Louisville football vs. North Carolina storylines, players to watch

Jeff Brohm was given the game ball to celebrate his 100th career win after Louisville football cruised to a 44-17 victory over Georgia Tech. The Cardinals will look to help Brohm reached No. 101 in Week 11 when they travel to North Carolina. It'll be Louisville's first trip to Kenan Stadium since 2017, when it won 47-35.Louisville is 3-2 on the road against UNC and will look to add to that lead this year. The Cardinals have already earned bowl eligibility and can extend their winning streak to five games. It would be their longest since 2023, when UofL opened the season with a 6-0 mark.North Carolina's second season under Bill Belichick hasn't gone much better than the first one: the Tar Heels own only one home win on the year and have lost two of their last three ACC games. They avoided a three-game losing skid in Week 10 with a 38-21 nonconference win at UConn.Here are three storylines to watch in the Cards' road game Saturday, Nov. 7, against the Heels:Familiar Louisville, North Carolina facesFormer Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, now North Carolina's offensive coordinator, will face his former team for the first time since his 2018 firing. Petrino had two stints at Louisville. During the first one (2003-06), he enlisted current Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm as his quarterbacks coach and his brother, Paul, as his offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. During that time, Brohm's younger brother, Brian, was the team's starting quarterback.Jeff Brohm was also part of Petrino's staff at Western Kentucky in 2013 before Petrino returned to Louisville a year later. Brohm stayed behind and got his first head coaching job with the Hilltoppers. More than a decade later, Jeff Brohm is the Cardinals' head coach, Brian Brohm is their offensive coordinator and Paul Petrino is their tight ends coach. Paul's son, Mason, is also on staff as a graduate assistant.The familiarity between the two coaching staffs will create an interesting dynamic with Bobby Petrino going against family members, a former employee and former player.Tre Richardson's versatility continues to be an asset for Louisville footballWhen Tre Richardson was in high school, he played running back. It wasn't until he got to college that he was moved over to the wide receiver position. Both skill sets have made him a vital part of Louisville's high-powered offense. Brohm has used Richardson in the same way that former Cardinal Caullin Lacy was used: they're both effective in the passing game but also used in the run game to increase their chances of touching the ball. Their speed also helps make them a viable option at multiple positions.Richardson's speed was best highlighted by his 52-yard rushing touchdown against Georgia Tech. According to Louisville statistician Kelly Dickey, it was the longest TD run by a Louisville wide receiver since Harry Douglas' 65-yard score against Boise State in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31, 2004. In addition to being the team's leading receiver with 685 yards and three TDs on 44 catches, Richardson has totaled 11 carries for 169 yards and two scores. The Vanderbilt transfer's natural athleticism will continue to be an asset against North Carolina, which is 12th in the ACC in total defense with 377 yards allowed per game.Race to ACC championship game heats upThe next two weeks of ACC play will be vital in providing a clearer picture for who will be making the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the conference title game in December. With three league games left, sixth-ranked Miami is holding fast at the top of the ACC standings with a perfect conference record while No. 11 Wake Forest only has one ACC loss. Louisville, No. 23 SMU, Duke and Clemson are all in a tie for third place with two ACC losses. The Week 11 slate will change this order when the 'Canes take on the Blue Devils and the Demon Deacons play the Mustangs.Louisville doesn't fully control its own destiny and will need to keep its winning ways going to stay in the mix near the top of the standings. The Cards wrap up ACC play with a road game against North Carolina on Saturday before hosting Pitt on Nov. 21.Louisville football players to watchStanquan Clark, linebacker: Clark has continued to be steady for the Cardinals' defense, leading the team with 64 tackles and having a co-team high five pass breakups. He helped UofL shut down Georgia Tech's offense with a team-leading eight tackles.Jackson Voth, return specialist: A muffed punt against Georgia Tech was later forgiven when Voth's 68-yard punt return set up Louisville's fourth touchdown of the night. He finished with 81 yards on three returns, giving him 167 yards on 10 punt returns heading into the final three games of the season.Tyler Thompson, defensive lineman: Thompson will be facing his former team as a key piece of his new team. In his first season with the Cardinals, the UNC transfer has the second-most sacks (5½) and tackles for loss (6½) while totaling 25 tackles on the year. He made five tackles and had a pass breakup against the Yellow Jackets.North Carolina football players to watchBilly Edwards, quarterback: The Wisconsin transfer replaced Gio Lopez as UNC's starting quarterback and has had a solid campaign, averaging 236.3 passing yards per game while throwing 18 touchdowns to six interceptions.Jelani Thurman, tight end: The Ohio State transfer leads the Tar Heels in receiving touchdowns (8) while totaling 525 yards on 45 receptions. He caught two TDs and had seven catches for 64 yards in a Week 10 win over UConn. Peyton Seelmann, linebacker: In his first season with UNC, the Richmond transfer is second on the team in total tackles (82) and sacks (4½) in addition to recording five tackles for loss. He notched two of his sacks against UConn in Week 10 action..oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}Courier Journal Sports (@courierjournal_sports) • Instagram photos and videosLouisville vs. North Carolina football predictionLouisville 38, North Carolina 24. The Cardinals are rolling at the right time and won't have a problem beating the Tar Heels on the road, picking up their fifth straight win.How to watch Louisville vs. North Carolina footballWho: Louisville vs. North CarolinaWhen: 7 p.m. SaturdayWhere: Kenan Stadium; Chapel Hill, North CarolinaTV: ESPN2Radio: Louisville Radio Network (93.9 FM and 970 AM)Streaming: Qualified subscribers can watch the game at espn.com/watch..oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football vs. North Carolina storylines, players to watchOur editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. 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