Herausforderungen » pretty big deal right there, I would think.HIGHLIGHT

HOUSTON -- Last season, Houston outlasted Louisville 34-31 thanks in part to miscues by Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson in his first career start.Things have changed.Jackson is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and has No. 3 Louisville (9-1) in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff as the Cardinals visit Houston on Thursday night .Jackson threw for 168 yards and a touchdown against the Cougars last season. But also tossed two interceptions, and a late touchdown pass by Greg Ward helped Houston to the victory.Were a much different team than we were last year, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. Right then we were trying to even find out who we are and what we were doing and everything was new to Lamar when he was out there ... just understanding the difference between high school football and college football. So I dont think last years game will play into this game at all.This season, Jackson has thrown for 2,898 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has added 1,334 yards rushing and leads the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns.His performance has helped the Cardinals rise to No. 5 in the CFP rankings with two games remaining. But Petrino insists that they arent overly concerned with the rankings and are instead focused on the Cougars.They just have to understand that they need to go out and play well, and play the type of football we are capable of playing, Petrino said. Really, thats what we need to do our last two games, and then whatever happens, happens. We cant control any of that.The Cougars (8-2) will counter with Ward, their dual-threat quarterback. He has 2,608 yards passing with 16 touchdowns and 429 yards rushing and nine more scores. Coach Tom Herman said hell play on Thursday despite leaving Saturdays game against Tulane after aggravating a shoulder injury hes been dealing with for several weeks and being bothered by an ankle injury.He is pretty banged up, as he has been most of the year, Herman said. He still gets treatment three times a day on his ankle that really slowed him down in the SMU game and in that stretch in October ... (but) hes going to play.Some things to know about the Louisville-Houston game:STREAKINGThe Cougars have the second-longest home winning streak in the nation at 14 games. They havent lost at home since a 31-24 defeat by Tulane on Nov. 8, 2014. They have won five straight games over Top 25 teams and opened their 2016 campaign with a 33-23 win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma.THE `OTHER BACKSomewhat overshadowed by Jacksons running success is senior RB Brandon Radcliff, whose 141-yard, three-TD effort helped ignite Louisvilles comeback over Wake Forest last week. His first 100-yard performance in six games gave him 768 for the season and an outside chance at giving the Cardinals their first pair of 1,000-yard rushers.BACKING UP WARDWard will have a new backup on Thursday after Kyle Postma broke his arm last week. Postma had surgery to insert a plate and screws in his arm on Monday, leaving DEriq King to back up Ward for the rest of the season. The freshman was a high school quarterback, but has appeared in 10 games with four starts at receiver this season. He has 228 yards receiving and a touchdown.NOTHING DOINGLouisvilles defense has stiffened since losing to Clemson, yielding of average of just 14.2 points and under 246.4 yards in five games. The Cardinals held Wake Forest to 214 yards -- just 37 in the second half -- and rank sixth nationally in total defense at 285.2 yards per contest.BACK AND FEELING GOODHouston LB Tyus Bowser had a career-high 11 tackles, included a career-best three sacks last week against Tulane in his return from injury. Bowser had missed the previous five games after a scuffle with teammate Matthew Adams left Bowser with a facial fracture.---AP Sports Writer Gary B. Graves contributed to this report. Tyler Webb . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. John Gant . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-alex-reyes-jersey-large-1431q.html . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Ryan Helsley . Radwanska, making her debut in the Seoul tournament, hit eight aces in a match that lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium. "It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. Brett Cecil . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- It was North Carolinas strangest blowout win in a long time.Mitch Trubisky passed for 184 yards and three touchdowns to help the Tar Heels beat The Citadel 41-7 on Saturday.T.J. Logan had a touchdown catch and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score for North Carolina (8-3), which forced a season-high four turnovers.We were worried about that football team, North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. We knew they were a really good football team, that they would control the clock and that our guys were going to have to steal a few possessions. Defensively, we did that.North Carolina won even though its high-octane offense was quiet for much of the day. The Tar Heels converted just 1 of 8 third downs and were outgained by the Bulldogs 371-356.Perhaps most surprisingly, the Tar Heels intercepted a pass.Dominquie Green ended North Carolinas interception drought when he picked off a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. The Tar Heels had been the only FBS team not to intercept a pass this season.Ryan Switzer added a 72-yard touchdown as North Carolina won for the 11th time in its last 12 home games.The Citadel (10-1) rushed for 344 yards, possessed the ball for more than 42 minutes and ran 33 more plays than North Carolina.Grant Drakeford had a 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs, whose school-record 10-game winning streak came to an end.We were nowhere near playing where we wanted today, Citadel coach Brent Thompson said. We needed a day like today to remind us that if you dont play well and you turn the ball over and you make a lot of mistakes, youre not going to win very many football games.THE TAKEAWAYThe Citadel: The Bulldogs stumbled in their stiffest test of the season to date. Lacking an effective passingg attack, they were unable to rally after falling behind early.ddddddddddddThe Citadel must try to avoid similar circumstances in the postseason as opponents load up to try to stop its vaunted running game.North Carolina: Coming off a deflating loss and playing an undefeated opponent with an unconventional offense, the Tar Heels won a dangerous game without much difficulty. Their advantages in speed and overall talent were too much for The Citadel to overcome.We werent as sharp on offense, but we picked it up in other areas, Trubisky said.HE SAID ITFedora had grown tired of talking about his teams lack of interceptions, but he cracked a joke about the end of the streak.I was told that were the only team in the country that has returned all of their interceptions for touchdowns, he said. Thats a pretty big deal right there, I would think.HIGHLIGHT REELLogans 23-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter was impressive. He ran through the middle of the defense uncovered, and it appeared that Trubisky threw the ball too far in front of him. But Logan dived and speared the ball with his right hand before rolling over with control of it in the end zone. His kick return for a score to begin the second half was his school-record fourth kickoff return for a touchdown.UP NEXTThe Citadel: The Bulldogs will play in the FCS playoffs after earning the automatic berth from the Southern Conference.North Carolina: Still alive for the ACCs Coastal Division title, the Tar Heels host rival N.C. State on Friday. North Carolina needs to win and needs Virginia Tech to lose at home to Virginia in order to play in the conference championship game for the second year in a row. ' ' '