Louisville Report

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Washington Huskies

The Cardinals conclude their 2024 season against the Huskies in the Sun Bowl.

Matthew McGavic

Nov 30, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tahveon Nicholson (23) runs the ball after intercepting a pass in the end zone during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field.
Nov 30, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tahveon Nicholson (23) runs the ball after intercepting a pass in the end zone during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
In this story:

Louisville Cardinals (8-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. Washington Huskies (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten)

- Kickoff: Tuesday, December 31 at 2:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Tex.
- Weather Conditions: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 71F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
- How To Watch: CBS
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -2.5
- All-Time Series: First Meeting

Game Notes

Louisville

  • The University of Louisville will makes its second appearance in the Sun Bowl when the Cardinals take on Washington on Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. at Sun Bowl Stadium. Louisville played its first bowl game at the Sun Bowl in 1958 when the Cards defeated Drake 34-20.
  • Isaac Brown broke UofL’s single-season freshman rushing record and became the first true freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. Brown concluded the regular season with 1,074 yards, breaking Lamar Jackson’s freshman rushing record of 960 yards set in 2015.
  • The UofL defense has been up-and-down over the course of the season, but have looked to establish its footing over the last two wins. In victories over Pittsburgh and Kentucky, the Cardinals are allowing 11.5 points per game after holding the Panthers to nine points and Kentucky to 14. In a 37-9 win over Pitt, the Cardinals held the Panthers to 265 yards of offense, which included 75 yards on the ground. Louisville limited Kentucky to 328 yards of total offense, which included 173 yards through the air.
  • Two consecutive 100-yard games for wide receiver Chris Bell, caught two passes for 101 yards and a 68-yard touchdown from Tyler Shough.
  • Wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks recorded the 11th 1,000-yard receiving season by a Louisville
    player. He leads the team with 61 catches for 1,013 yards.
  • Brock Travelstead made two field goals to improve to 18 of 25 on field goal attempts, which is tied for the sixth most field goals made in a season.
  • Six interceptions this season after Louisville doubled its season total with three interceptions in the 37-9 win over Pitt on Nov. 23.
  • The Cardinals will be without 22 players who have either opted out or entered the transfer portal in the Sun Bowl versus Washington. Wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks, Ashton Gillotte, cornerback Quincy Riley and quarterback Tyler Shough all opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
  • The University of Louisville football program had 12 Cardinals recognized with 13 All-ACC honors.

Washington

  • Washington’s coaching staff for the 2024 season is entirely new, in terms of the 10 full-time assistants. However, the staff isn’t new to head coach Jedd Fisch, who brought his entire offensive staff, plus two defensive coaches to Seattle with him.
  • One main storyline for the 2024 UW football team has been about the amount of change that has occurred since the end of the 2023 season. In fact, UW has just two returning, regular starters back from ‘23 (LB Alphonzo Tuputala and CB Elijah Jackson), and the Huskies lost 41 letterwinners off of last year’s team, while adding 59 new players to the roster since the end of last season.
  • Washington will be making its 43rd bowl game appearance in El Paso. The Huskies enter the game with an 21-20-1 overall record in bowl games, dating back to the 1924 Rose Bowl, where the UW tied Navy, 14-14. This game vs. Louisville marks the fifth trip to the Sun Bowl, but the first since 2002.
  • While Washington has never faced Louisville in football, the Huskies have taken on a number of the current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Most obviously, the Huskies have a long history against ACC newcomers California and Stanford, as Washington spent more than a century in the same conference as those two schools. But the Huskies have faced a number of longer-tenured ACC teams. In all, of the 17 current football-playing members of the ACC, the Huskies have faced seven (including Stanford and Cal). In all, Washington is 112-92-8 all-time vs. current ACC programs. Of those 212 all-time games, 197 are vs. the Cal and Stanford

Depth Charts

Here is the depth chart for Louisville ahead of their matchup vs. Washington: Louisville Releases Sun Bowl Depth Chart

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Huskies, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Washington

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing white helmets, jerseys and pants; while Washington has yet to announce their uniform combination.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Tahveon Nicholson: Jordan Prather - Imagn Images)

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Published
Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic

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