UNC football can secure bowl eligibility with a win against Louisville at Kenan Stadium. 

Coming off a road win at UConn, the Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3 ACC) return to Chapel Hill for a primetime ACC matchup against Louisville (6-3, 5-2) on Saturday, Nov. 14. 

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2. 

“After a little bit of an up-and-down start, they've really come together the last month,” UNC coach Bill Belichick said during his weekly press conference. “It'll be a big challenge for us."

Belichick and the Tar Heels are 1-7 at home against Power Four opponents, with the lone win coming against Stanford last season. UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was 3-0 against the Tar Heels during his time at Louisville, which has a 5-3 record in the series. UNC hasn’t beaten the Cards since 2011.

Here are some things to know, players to watch and a score prediction for UNC vs. Louisville. 

UNC defense has to limit explosive plays vs QB Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville 

Louisville has the sixth-most explosive offense in the nation, averaging 40.8 points per game entering its matchup with UNC. The Tar Heels’ defense has been solid at times, but the points have piled up of late with UNC allowing an average of 30 points across the last three games. The Cardinals lead the nation in explosive play rate at 18.8%, according to StatRankings, as the offense with the longest plays of scrimmage from 20-, 50-, 60- and 90-plus yards. Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz leads that charge at No. 14 in total offense with nearly 300 yards per game, along with 25 TDs. Kienholz has 11 rushing TDs, which matches UNC’s total through nine games. The Tar Heels have to keep everything in front of them or it'll be a long night in Chapel Hill.

Billy Edwards, Jelani Thurman can stay hot vs Louisville defense 

UNC quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is in the midst of his best four-game stretch in college, completing more than 73% of his passes for 867 yards and nine TDs. Tight end Jelani Thurman has been the top target for Edwards, matching a single-season record with eight TDs this season. Thurman has caught 12 passes for 134 yards and four TDs in the last two games and Edwards could be spamming plays to his top weapon against Louisville, which is 130th in passing yards allowed this season. The Cards don't have a good matchup for the 6-foot-6, 245-pound pass-catcher.

Tar Heels need to keep turnover train rolling vs Cardinals 

Louisville is tied for 24th nationally with just eight turnovers through nine games. The Cardinals have five fumbles and three interceptions, with three of those fumbles coming in a loss at N.C. State and another coming in a loss to Wake Forest. The Tar Heels need to follow the path of their Tobacco Road rivals by keeping the takeaway train rolling against Louisville. UNC forced three turnovers at UConn, scoring 21 points off those takeaways. It won’t be easy against the Cards, but the Tar Heels have to find a way to create mistakes against a potent unit.