5 things to watch: U of L-BC

Louisville takes on Boston College in an intriguing ACC matchup on Saturday night. The game's on ESPN2 and kicks off at 7:15 p.m.

Here are five things to pay attention to during the game:

Run, run, run. Boston College is seventh in the nation in rushing attempts (49.6 per game) and sixth in total rushing yards. The passing offense? It ranks 120th (out of 128) in total passing yards and 121st in attempts per game. In other words, everybody knows what's coming, but the key is stopping it. BC is big and physical and will happily use extra linemen, two-tight end sets and other jumbo-style packages to try to steam-roll opposing defenses.

Rebound game. Is this Louisville's most important game of the season? That seems like a stretch, but it's close. The Cardinals put everything they had into the season opener vs. Miami, the road trip at Clemson and last Thursday's loss to FSU. They'll have a lot more energy for the Notre Dame and Kentucky games that close out November. But BC is a serious challenge in a cold environment on the road nine days after Louisville put so much effort into trying to upset FSU. How the Cards bounce back Saturday night will be rather telling about this team.

Parker's mojo. DeVante Parker gave fans every reason to believe that his presence in Louisville's lineup would have Cards fans talking about a much different season through October. In two games since he returned from foot surgery, Parker's been everywhere, racking up 346 receiving yards and looking every bit of a first-round NFL draft selection next spring. BC isn't bad at pass defense -- the Eagles rank 59th in the nation in average passing yards allowed per game -- but it's not overpowering. Parker could have another big game in Chestnut Hill.

​No Mauldin. Playing with the defense's heart and soul will be tough, but Louisville has to do it. Star linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, who's made the transition from defensive end in a 4-3 to edge rusher in a 3-4 defense look easy, will miss the game because of a nagging hamstring injury. He leads the team in sacks and considered the team's most outspoken and trusted leader. The good news? Louisville can put juco transfer Trevon Young and redshirt sophomore Nick Dawson to the test and get them some reps before they're tasked with replacing Mauldin full-time next season.

Defense.

Here's the deal: Louisville and BC have two of the top four rush defenses in the country. That's entertaining enough. Pit them against former BCS championship MVP Michael Dyer on Louisville and one of the nation's top rushing attacks in BC, and y'all are going to enjoy this slugfest. That's exactly what you should expect, too. A total slog.