College football: No. 24 N.C. State topples No. 17 Louisville

Nyheim Hines ran for two touchdowns and Ryan Finley threw for another to help No. 24 North Carolina State beat No. 17 Louisville 39-25 on Thursday night.

Hines ran for 102 yards and had a 48-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter that helped set up a touchdown drive for the Wolfpack (5-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Finley threw for 367 yards and a 48-yard score to Kelvin Harmon, part of N.C. State’s 520 total yards on a night it never trailed against the Cardinals (4-2, 1-2).

Then there was the Wolfpack’s defensive front, which kept the pressure on reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

Jackson ran for his second touchdown to pull the Cardinals to 32-25 with 4:10 left, then got the ball back with a chance to tie it. But linebacker Germaine Pratt picked up a deflected pass and returned it 25 yards for a clinching score with 2:52 left.

Irish to name starting QB on game day

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Thursday that he will wait until kickoff of Saturday’s game at North Carolina to name his starting quarterback.

Junior Brandon Wimbush, who has led the 21st-ranked Irish to a 4-1 start, is still recovering from the right foot strain that has been bothering him since Notre Dame’s 52-17 victory over Miami (Ohio) last Saturday.

Limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, Wimbush has been sharing reps on the No. 1 offensive unit with sophomore Ian Book as the Irish prepare to play the Tar Heels (1-4).

Gators to honor Petty

No. 21 Florida will pay tribute to local legend Tom Petty during its game against Louisiana State on Saturday. The Gators announced Thursday they will play Petty hit “I Won’t Back Down” at the end of the third quarter at Florida Field.

Petty died Monday at UCLA Medical Center a day after he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu. He was 66.

Born and raised in Gainesville, Petty once worked as a groundskeeper at the University of Florida as he tried to make it in the music industry. Usually backed by the Heartbreakers, Petty broke through in the 1970s and went on to sell more than 80 million records.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin says: “Let’s celebrate together what he meant to the world of music and what he meant to this community.”