The 2023 college football season reaches Week 5 this weekend. Here are some notable matchups from across the country.
FRIDAY
Louisville (4-0) at North Carolina State (3-1) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN
Louisville is off to a surprising 4-0 start. It will get its first real test against North Carolina State. Louisville is one of six remaining undefeated teams in the ACC but has struggled at times against bad teams, while North Carolina State’s only loss came against then-No.10 Notre Dame. A Louisville win would strengthen its fans’ hopes for the rest of the season, as the winner will likely enter the ACC title race for the time being.
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No.10 Utah (4-0) at No.19 Oregon State (3-1) at 8 p.m. CT on FS1
Utah has looked dominant as it started the season 4-0 without starting quarterback Cameron Rising, winning games against a now-ranked Florida squad and a formerly-ranked UCLA team. Meanwhile, Oregon State has spent the entire season in the top 25 but is coming off a humbling loss to Washington State. Utah is a deep team with some leeway, but Oregon State could use a win to boost its confidence and stay alive in the PAC-12’s final season.
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SATURDAY
No.22 Florida (3-1) at Kentucky (4-0) at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN
Florida has rebounded from a season-opening loss to Utah to win three in a row, including an upset of archrival Tennessee. Its passing game is a work in progress as the offense leans on running backs Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s passing game has led it to a 4-0 start. History appears to be on Florida’s side as the Gators have dominated the series since the 1980s, but Kentucky has won the last two meetings.
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No.13 LSU (3-1) at No.20 Ole Miss (3-1) at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN
LSU lost by three touchdowns to Florida State to open the season but has responded with three straight wins, including conference wins over Mississippi State and Arkansas, to take over first place in the SEC West. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has been fantastic, throwing for 1,296 yards (the fifth-most in the nation) and 12 touchdowns against just two interceptions. Ole Miss comes off its first loss of the season after its offense struggled against Alabama. Nevertheless, both teams have been good offensively in most games, so this could be a high-scoring affair.
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No.11 Notre Dame (4-1) at No.17 Duke (4-0) at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC
How does Notre Dame rebound from a last-second loss to Ohio State? The Fighting Irish have a surprising challenge as Mike Elko and Riley Leonard have Duke off to its best start in program history. The Blue Devils were 3-9 before hiring Elko prior to last season, and he has led them to a 13-4 record since, including an impressive win over Clemson to start the current campaign. The Notre Dame offense will be difficult to stop as both quarterback Sam Hartman and running back Audric Estime have impressed this season, and this game could come down to whichever defense can get a late stop.
