LOUISVILLE CARDINALS NOTES:
• The University of Louisville earned its first appearance in the Holiday Bowl when it takes on USC on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. in Petco Park in San Diego, Calif. Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft will call the action for Fox. • Louisville is making its third-straight bowl appearance and the first under head coach Jeff Brohm. The Cardinals are 12-12-1 all-time during the bowl season and have won two of their last three bowl games. • Louisville went 10-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play in the regular season, and is looking to secure its first 11-win season since 2013 and the sixth in school history. • It will be the Cards first appearance in the Holiday Bowl, and the first bowl game in the state of California since a 24-24 tie with Long Beach State in the Pasadena Bowl on Dec. 19, 1970. • This is the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between USC and Louisville. • The Cardinals dropped a 16-6 decision to No. 4 Florida State in its first appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Dec. 2. • Louisville limited FSU to just 219 yards of total offense, including 55 yards through the air, but gave up three Ryan Fitzgerald field goals and a two-yard touchdown by Lawrance Toafili, who rushed for 118 yards. • One of the top offensive teams in the country, the Cards were held to a season low 188 yards of total offense in the loss — the first time being held under 200 yards of offense since a 17-10 loss to West Virginia during the 2010 season. • Defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte earned All-American honors by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated after recording 11.0 sacks, the most by a UofL player since Devonte Fields registered 11.0 during the 2015 campaign. A first team All-ACC selection, Gillotte also was credited with a team high 14.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. • Running back Jawhar Jordan recorded the 23rd 1,000-yard rushing season in school history, totaling 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns — the most rushing yards by a running back since 2019.
QUICK HITS: QB JACK PLUMMER
2023 Season
• Ranks 45th nationally and third in the ACC in completion percentage at 63.5 percent Stands 50th in the country with an average of 18.1 completions per game Ranks 43rd nationally in passing efficiency at 145.3 Sits at 37th in the country with 21 passing touchdowns and is third in the ACC • His 3,063 passing yards are second in the ACC and 29th nationally • Averages 8.3 yards per passing attempt, which is third in the ACC • Lines up at 28th in the country in passing yards per completion at 13.0 • Moved up to 12th for touchdown passes in a season in program history • Ranks 10th in school history with 3,063 passing yards in a season and ninth with 235 completions • Stands third in the ACC with 235 completions • His 21 touchdown passes this season is just two away from breaking the top-10 in program history • Rose to fourth in career completion percentage at Louisville with a 63.5 percentage • Threw multiple touchdown passes in five games, with a season-best five against Boston College • Tossed three completions of 70 or more yards, all ending in touchdowns • Recorded three 300-yard passing games with a season-high 388 yards versus Boston College • Ranks eighth in the ACC in points responsible for with 134 • His 15-straight completions versus Boston College were the fourth most in school history • Tied a school record by completing 91.7 (11-of-12) percent of his passes in a win over Virginia Tech • Has thrown for 9,563 yards and 68 touchdowns in his career during stops at Purdue, California and Louisville.
Cards Fall in First ACC Title Game
• The Cardinals came up short in their first ever ACC Championship and moved to 10-3 on the season. • After a scoreless first quarter and a second quarter field goal from the Seminoles, the Cards were unable to put points on the board and went into the locker room down 3-0 at half. • In the first possession of the second half, the Cards were able to tie the game at 3-3 with a 36-yard field goal from Brock Travelstead. However, Florida State responded with a touchdown on a twoplay, 75-yard drive. • Travelstead connected on another field goal in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles responded with two field goals of their own to close out the game. • T.J. Quinn led the Cards with 11 total tackles while Cam’Ron Kelly and Jaylin Alderman each tallied six with a combined 2.5 tackles for loss. Louisville limited Florida State to 219 yards of total offense, the second lowest output by the Seminoles in the all-time series. • On offense, Jack Plummer connected on 14 of 36 passes for 111 yards, targeting Jamari Thrash for seven receptions for 57 yards.
Cards Headed to Holiday Bowl
• A historic 10-win season filled with memorable moments in the Derby City will culminate on Wednesday, Dec. 27, in San Diego, Calif., as the University of Louisville will square off against the University of Southern California in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl in Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. • The Cardinals and Trojans will face off for the first time in school history and it will be the Cards’ 10th ever encounter against a team from the Pac-12 Conference. • The Trojans finished the regular season at 7-5 and 5-4 in the Pac-12 Conference and enter the postseason on a three-game losing streak. • USC is led by quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, who has thrown for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns this season. Wide receiver Tahj Washington leads the Trojans with 52 catches for 963 yards and six touchdowns. Running back MarShawn Lloyd has rushed for 820 yards and nine touchdowns. • Brohm has led the Cardinals to a national resurgence after guiding the Cards to their first appearance in the ACC title game, falling to No. 5 Florida State 16-6. In his first season leading his alma mater, Brohm guided the Cardinals to a 10-3 overall record, the school’s first 10-win season since 2013. • The Cardinals finished No. 15 in the final College Football Playoff selection committee rankings, No. 16 in the AP Top 25 and No. 15 AFCA Coaches poll. • Louisville is making its 26th appearance in a bowl game, compiling a 12-12-1 record. They have won two of the last three bowl games after defeating Cincinnati 24-7 in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl last season. • The Holiday Bowl is Louisville’s 19th different bowl game and the second in the state of California. The Cards tied Long Beach State 24- 24 in the Pasadena Bowl in 1970. • Petco Park will be the fourth Major League Baseball Stadium Louisville has played a bowl game in, following the 2006 Orange Bowl (Florida Marlins), Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in 2010 (Tampa Bay Rays) and Fenway Bowl in 2022 (Boston Red Sox).
Fourth Neutral Site Game
• When the Cardinals and USC compete in the Holiday Bowl, it will be the fourth neutral site game in the 2023 season. • Louisville opened the season versus Georgia Tech in Mercedes Benz Stadium in the Aflac Kickoff game, which UofL won 39-34. • Louisville defeated Indiana 21-14 on Sept. 15 in Lucas Oil Stadium. • Louisville fell 16-6 to Florida State at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte
Fifth NFL Stadium
• When the Cardinals and Florida State played in Bank of America Stadium, the Cardinals competed in their fifth NFL stadium. • The Cardinals opened the season in Mercedes Benz Stadium and then played against Indiana in Lucas Oil Stadium. • Louisville played true road games at Pitt and Miami, both teams that play in NFL stadiums. • Louisville has gone 4-1 in NFL stadiums this season.
Cards Match ACC Record
• The Cardinals closed the 2023 ACC season at 7-1, matching their best ACC record. Louisville also posted a 7-1 mark in 2016 but lost the tiebreaker with Clemson for a chance to play in the ACC title game. • Louisville’s seven ACC wins are tied for the most since joining the league in 2014. • The seven conference wins are tied for the second most in school history. Louisville won a school-best eight league wins as members of Conference USA in 2004.
California Bowl Games
• The Cardinals are making their second appearance in a bowl game played in the state of California when the Cards take on USC in the Holiday Bowl. • Louisville and Long Beach State played to a 24-24 tie in the 1970 Pasadena Bowl.
One-Score Games
• With the 38-31 loss to Kentucky, the Cardinals played their sixth one-score game this season and the third in the last four contests. • Louisville is 5-1 in contests decided by eight points or less. The loss to Kentucky was the only defeat this season in a game decided by one score and the first when the Cards held a lead heading into the fourth quarter. • Louisville was outscored 17-7 in the fourth quarter in the loss to Kentucky
USC TROJANS NOTES:
“DISCOVERED BY THE GERMANS IN 1904, THEY NAMED IT SAN DIEGO…”
• The Trojans are traveling to the home of legendary anchorman (and former USC Sports Information intern), Ron Burgundy. • All jokes aside, (although Will Ferrell has plenty of them) USC is slated to play Louisville in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27 at Petco Park. • This will be the first-ever meeting of the two programs.
BREATHTAKING BRANCH
• USC freshman WR Zachariah Branch has been named a Sporting News First Team All-American as a punt returner, USA Today First Team All-American as a returner and a PFF First Team All-American as a return specialist. • Branch is USC’s first-ever true freshman First Team All-American. USC now has 176 First Team All-Americans. • Branch was also named to the Walter Camp All-American Second Team and the FWAA All-American Second Team as a kick returner. He is the only freshman to earn placement on either of those teams. • Additionally, he was named a Sports Illustrated Second Team All-American as a kick returner, a FOX Sports Second Team All-American as a kick returner, an Action Sports Second Team All-American as an all-purpose player, Sports Info Solutions Second Team All-American as a returner, a CBS Sports Honorable Mention All-American as a wide receiver/punt returner, a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American as a wide receiver, the College Football Network Freshman Specialist of the Year as a punt returner, a College Football Network Freshman All-American, The Athletic First Team Freshman All-American, an All-Pac-12 First Teamer as a return specialist and an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention as an all-purpose/special teams player. • Branch, a freshman superstar, recorded 29 receptions for 311 yards and 2 TDs during the 2023 season. He also rushed for 70 yards on 8 carries with 1 TD. • He is also one of the nation’s most electric returners. Against Stanford on Sept. 9, he returned a punt for a 75-yard TD in the second quarter. He also had a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD vs. San Jose State on Aug. 26. He is the first Trojan since Adoree’ Jackson in 2016 to have a punt return and kickoff return for a TD, as well as at least one receiving TD in the same season. Jackson had 2 punt returns and 2 kickoff returns for TDs and 1 TD reception during the 2016 season. • Since 1971 (when records are available) Branch is one of just 3 USC players to accomplish the feat, joining Jackson and Curtis Conway (1992 – 1 kickoff return TD, 1 punt return TD, 5 rec TDs). • Branch finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in punt returns (20.6), No. 2 in the nation in combined kick returns (751) and punt return TDs (1) and No. 6 in the nation in kickoff return TDs (1).
IT’S MILLER TIME
• QB Miller Moss has assumed the role of QB1 as 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams has elected to sit out of this game. • This will be Moss’ first-ever start as a Trojan. • Moss has seen action in 11 games throughout the last 3 years in his USC career. He is 43-of-59 for 542 yards and 3 TDs with no INTs. His longest pass is a 71-yarder to WR Duce Robinson which resulted in a TD against Nevada this season. He has also rushed for 14 yards on 8 carries and 2 TDs. • This will be Moss’ opportunity to showcase his brand of offense.
LOUISVILLE SCOUTING REPORT
• The Louisville Cardinals are 10-3 overall and 7-1 in ACC play, most recently falling 6-16 to Florida State on Dec. 2 in the ACC Championship game. Louisville’s 7-1 record matched their all-time best ACC record. This will be Louisville’s 26th all-time bowl appearance, and the Cardinals hold a 12-13 postseason record. • The Cardinals are led by QB Jack Plummer. He is 235-of-370 for 3,063 yards with 21 TDs and 12 INTs. • RB Jordan Jawhar is Louisville’s top back collecting 1,128 rushing yards on 181 carries for 13 TDs. • On the aerial attack, Plummer’s favorite target is WR Jamari Thrash who has tallied 63 receptions for 858 yards and 6 TDs. In addition to Thrash, 9 other Cardinals have scored TDs through the air this season. • On the defensive side of the ball, LB TJ Quinn leads the team with 87 tackles. DL Ashton Gillotte is the team’s leading sack-man with 11 sacks for minus 71 yards. • Seven Cardinals have collected INTs this season: DB Devin Neal (4), DB Cam’Ron Kelly (2), DB Quincy Riley (2), LB TJ Quinn (1), DB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (1), DL Ramon Puryear (1) and DB-LB Gilbert Frierson (1). • The Cardinals have the No. 16 ranked defense in the nation and the No. 13 ranked rushing defense. They finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in red zone defense and No. 9 in first downs defense (191). After competing in the ACC Championship game, Louisville now ranks No. 1 in red zone defense (0.690) and No. 6 in 3rd down conversion percentage defense (0.281). Per PFF, Louisville has the No. 19 graded defense in the nation with a 90.9 grade and is No. 14 in pass rush with a 82.6 grade. • PK Brock Travelstead has made 17-of-24 field goals with a long of 53. • Eight Cardinals earned All-ACC recognition: RB Jawhar Jordan, OL Bryan Hudson and DL Ashton Gillotte collected first team honors, WR Jamari Thrash was named to the second team and QB Jack Plummer, AP Jawhar Jordan, OL Michael Gonzalez and S Devin Neal garnered third team recognition. • Louisville has played in California just 2 times throughout program history: first, in the 1970 Pasadena Bowl against Long Beach State on Dec. 19, 1970, when Louisville and Long Beach tied 24-24, and second, at San Jose State on Sept. 1, 1990, when the Cardinals and the Spartans tied 10-10.
RANKINGS
• USC is not ranked in any polls. • Louisville is ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll, No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the CFP Poll after falling to Florida State in the ACC Championship game on Dec. 2.
SERIES
• USC and Louisville have never competed in program history. This will be their first ever match-up.
VERSUS ACC CONFERENCE
• USC has won 66.7% (24-12) of its games against current Atlantic Coast opponents.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
• USC has a 33-18-2 record since 1935 in stadiums in years that they also served as baseball fields. • USC’s most recent football games in such a stadium were the 2003 and 2005 Orange Bowls in Pro Player Stadium in Miami (beating Iowa and Oklahoma, respectively), 2005, 2010 and 2013 wins over Hawaii in Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium (the Trojans also beat Hawaii there in 1978 and 1999 and lost to Auburn in the 1985 Aloha Bowl), a win over Boston College in the 2009 Emerald Bowl in AT&T Park (when both teams were on the same sideline because of the field configuration) and over California in 2011 in AT&T Park (the Bears played there that season while Memorial Stadium in Berkeley was being renovated), although the infield skin was covered with some form of grass for those games. (Note: The 2005 Orange Bowl and 2005 Hawaii wins were later vacated due to NCAA penalty.) • During 1992 and 1993, USC played 4 games in stadiums with a baseball field: Troy opened 1992 in Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego (tying San Diego State), then played in Anaheim Stadium in the 1992 Freedom Bowl (loss to Fresno State), 1993 Disneyland Pigskin Classic (loss to North Carolina) and 1993 Freedom Bowl (win over Utah). • USC played 3 times in domed stadiums that doubled as baseball venues: beating Washington State in Seattle’s Kingdome in 1976, defeating Texas A&M in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston’s Astrodome and beat Houston in the Astrodome in 1996. • From 1958 to 1961, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Troy’s home stadium) also was home to the Los Angeles Dodgers (USC was 13-11-1 there in that span). • USC played 5 games in Portland’s Multnomah Stadium after it was reconfigured to accommodate baseball in 1956, facing Oregon (losses in 1956 and 1958) and Oregon State (wins in 1959 and 1966 and a loss in 1957). • USC also beat Army in New York City’s Yankee Stadium in 1951 and lost to Navy in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium in 1950. • USC posted a pair of 1935 wins in Honolulu Stadium (over Kamehameha High Alumni and Hawaii). • In its early days, USC played a number of games on campus at Bovard Field, where the Trojans also played baseball (USC went 45-6-3 there from 1904 to 1923). • USC also played several games at venues in Los Angeles that were primarily used for baseball: at Athletic Park (going 0-3-1 from 1895 to 1898), the first Washington Park/Chutes Park (0-1-1 in 1900), the second Washington Park (0-2 in 1915 and 0-1 in 1917) and Prager Park (4-2 in 1903).
IN DECEMBER
• USC has a 44-32-7 (.572) all-time record while playing in the month of December (not including 2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 46-32-7, .582).
SEASON ENDERS
• USC is 69-48-11 (.582) in all season finales (not including 1 win and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 70-49-11, .581.). AT NIGHT • USC is 192-80-4 (.703) at night, including 114-36-4 in the Coliseum, 63-35 on the road and 15-9 at neutral sites (does not include 5 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 197-81-4, .706 overall, 117-35-4 in the Coliseum, 17-10 at neutral sites).
USC IN SAN DIEGO
• USC has played just 9 games in San Diego, sporting a 3-5-1 record. The games were against: San Diego YMCA in 1897 (18-0 loss), San Diego High School in 1910 (32-0 win), 21st Infantry (U.S. Army) in 1917 (3-0 win), San Diego Navy in 1943 (10-7 loss while ranked fourth) and 1945 (33-6 loss while ranked sixth), San Diego State in 1992 (a season-opening 31-31 tie in Jack Murphy Stadium in the inaugural Ralphs Holiday Classic), Nebraska in the 2014 Holiday Bowl (a 45-42 win), Wisconsin in the 2015 Holiday Bowl (a 23-21 loss) and Iowa in the 2019 Holiday Bowl (a 24-49 loss). *Also, USC has a 5-0 record against San Diego teams in the Coliseum, beating San Diego Navy in 1944 (28- 21), 1951 (41-7) and 1952 (20-6) and San Diego State in 1998 (35-6) and 1999 (24-21).
BOWL HISTORY
• USC is among the nation’s premier bowl teams, with an overall postseason record of 34-20 (not including 1 win and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record 35-21). This will be USC 57th all-time bowl appearance. The Trojans have the nation’s tenth highest bowl winning percentage (.630) among the 98 schools that have made at least 10 bowl appearances. USC’s 34 bowl victories are third behind Alabama’s 44 and Georgia’s 35 for the most in the nation (not including 1 win for both USC and Alabama vacated due to NCAA penalty; original records: 35 for USC, 45 for Alabama). • USC has appeared in an unprecedented 33 Rose Bowls, where it has a 25-8 mark (.758) (not including 1 appearance and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 34 Rose Bowls, 25-9, .735). In addition, that is also the most wins by a school in a single bowl. USC has won 12 of its last 14 Rose Bowls (not including 1 appearance and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 12 of its last 15). USC is the only team to win 3 consecutive Rose Bowls (2007-08-09). USC twice played in 4 consecutive Rose Bowl games (1967 to 1970 and 2006 to 2009); Ohio State (1973 to 1976) is the only other team to have done so. • USC has also appeared in 13 other bowls–the Christmas Festival, Liberty Bowl, Bluebonnet Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Aloha Bowl, Florida Citrus Bowl, Sun (John Hancock) Bowl (3 times), Freedom Bowl (twice), Cotton Bowl (twice), Las Vegas Bowl (twice), Orange Bowl (twice), Emerald Bowl and Holiday Bowl (3 times). • USC made 5 BCS bowl appearances (2003 Orange, 2004 Rose, 2007 Rose, 2008 Rose, 2009 Rose) (not including 2 appearances–2005 Orange and 2006 Rose–vacated by NCAA penalty; original record: an unprecedented 7 consecutive BCS bowl appearances). USC’s 5 overall BCS bowl trips tied for seventh most, behind Ohio State’s 9, Oklahoma’s 9, Florida State’s 8, Florida’s 7, Virginia Tech’s 6 and Alabama’s 6 (not including 2 appearances vacated by NCAA penalty; original record: 7 appearances, tied for fourth most; also, 1 Ohio State appearance vacated by NCAA penalty). USC’s 5 BCS bowl victories tied with Ohio State for the most of any school (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 6 victories, tied with Ohio State for most; also, 1 Ohio State win vacated by NCAA penalty).
