Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. USC

Here are the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Louisville football's Holiday Bowl matchup vs. USC.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After a few weeks to regroup following the end of the regular season, the Louisville football program will attempt to head into the offseason on a positive note, taking on USC in the Holiday Bowl.

Here are some of the more notable storylines heading into Wednesday's game:

Bowl Opt-Outs Having a Significant Impact on Holiday Bowl

In this age of college football, neither team is going to be at full strength, and it won't be because of injuries. Whether it be due to the transfer portal or NFL Draft, both Louisville and USC have their fair share of opt-outs for the bowl game.

Related: 2023 Holiday Bowl Opt-Out Tracker

For the Cardinals, they have 11 players who will not be participating in the Holiday Bowl. Only three are coming on the offensive side of the ball, but two of the opt-outs are from Louisville's two best players from this season, as both star running back Jawhar Jordan and standout wide receiver Jamari Thrash have declared for the NFL Draft.

Fortunately for UofL and their eight opt-outs on defense, only two of the players moving on had a notable impact. Edge rusher Kameron Wilson was a key reserve on the defensive line, while safety Josh Minkins started several games on the back end.

As for the Trojans, they have been hit a little harder in terms of opt-outs, as 20 players will not be suiting up in the Holiday Bowl. Offense is where USC was most impacted, both in terms of numbers of talent departing. Star quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, starting running back MarShawn Lloyd and two of their top five receivers in Brenden Rice and Mario Williams will not be playing.

USC has had eight defensive player opt-out, including starting linebacker Tackett Curtis and starting cornerback Domani Jackson, who both entered the transfer portal.

Both Teams Looking to Halt End-of-Season Skids

While Louisville and USC both put together winning campaigns during the 2023 season, neither team is heading into the postseason with much momentum on their side.

Under first year head coach Jeff Brohm, the Cardinals have gone 10-3 up to this point for their first ten-win season since 2013, clinching their first ever berth in the ACC Championship Game in the process.

However, Louisville heads into the Holiday Bowl on a two-game skid. They fell 38-31 to Kentucky in their regular season finale for their fifth straight Governor's Cup loss, and most recently dropped a 16-6 decision to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game.

Meanwhile, USC has been tumbling over the last month-plus. Year two of the Lincoln Riley era got off to a very good start and has legitimate College Football Playoff hopes, as the Trojans won their first six games of the season, and were ranked as high as the No. 5 team in the AP Poll. 

But since then, very little has gone their way. The Trojans have dropped five of their last six games, including all four games against AP-ranked competition. Their lone win in the second half of the season was one that saw them barely escape Berkeley with a 50-49 win at Cal.

USC Offense vs. Louisville's Defense Will Be The Focal Point

Even though each team will be undoubtedly impacted due to opt-outs, and neither are heading into the Holiday Bowl with a ton of momentum, it will still be appointment television. Especially when USC has the ball and Louisville's defense takes the field.

As is the case under Lincoln Riley, the Trojans had one of the most prolific offenses in all of college football this season. USC finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in scoring offense (41.8 ppg) and No. 11 in total offense (469.7 ypg), lighting up the scoreboard no matter who they faced. They scored under 30 points just three times, and put up less than 400 yards on only four occasions.

While UofL head coach Jeff Brohm has also long established himself as one of the top offensive minds in football, this season, it's his defense that is paving the way. The Cardinals put together one of the best defenses in the ACC, posting the No. 16 total defense (307.4 ypg) and No. 22 scoring defense (19.7 ppg) up to this point. They've allowed less than 250 yards five times, and less than 17 points six times)

USC's Defense Among Worst in College Football

If USC is so good on offense, why did they only win seven games? Well, it's because their defense was flat out putrid.

The Trojans currently sport the No. 124 scoring defense (34.9 ppg) and No. 123 total defense (438.8 ypg), with the only Power Five teams worse in both categories being Stanford and Vanderbilt. They fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch following their 52-42 loss to Washington on Nov. 5.

There is, without hyperbole, no area of the field where the USC defense excels. They rank 115th against the pass (255.2 ypg), 113th against the run (183.7 ypg), 104th on third down (43.2 percent), 121st in the red zone (92.0 percent), 107th in total first downs allowed (273) and 98th in turnovers gained (14).

This horrendous effort comes in spite of a handful of solid individual performances. Defensive tackle Bear Alexander (44 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks) and cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace (37 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups) each made Second-Team All-Pac-12, while safety Calen Bullock (63 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups) made Third-Team. That being said, the whole is very much not greater than the sum its parts with this unit.

Louisville Players Operating with Urgency in Bowl Prep

With Louisville currently on a two-game losing streak, their players have been operating with an enhanced sense of urgency during their preparation for the Holiday Bowl.

"Obviously, we didn't really end the season the way we wanted to, and that's kind of stuck with everyone through the last couple of weeks, month or so," offensive tackle Eric Miller said. "It's kind of brought a little more sense of urgency to bowl prep, because it is a little different. You get some time off, and then you're kind of a little bit back into camp mode. You got a lot of time off to prepare for one game, so it's kind of built up that sense of urgency - especially in our room - to finish the season out right, to send guys out the right way and to set this program up the right way going into next season."

By the time Louisville will take the field of Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., it will have been almost an entire calendar month since last suiting up. 25 days, to be exact, with kickoff set for Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 8:00 p.m.

During that time, the Cardinals have been operating with the same "one-game season" mentality that they have been all year long. Granted, it's now literally a one-game season at this point, but now it's more so a way to help remind each other to stay focused on the immediate task at hand.

"It's a one-game season, but one thing that I think we are trying to emphasize to the guys is, going into the offseason with the with the losses, it changes how you look on the offseason," defensive end Stephen Herron said. "It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. If you lose a few, but you're able to come out on top against a good team in a bowl game at a good site, you go into the offseason with a little bit- still that chip on your shoulder, but a little bit of a smile on your face, and understand that you guys still have what it takes."

(Photo of Ramon Puryear: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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