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Two of the most productive passing offenses in the country clash at the historic Sun Bowl as Washington faces off against Louisville on New Year’s Eve. The Huskies turned over much of the roster after a trip to the CFP National Championship a year ago but managed to reach bowl eligibility after beating USC and UCLA in the final weeks of the season.
Louisville ranked among the top teams in the ACC but suffered at the expense of close-game luck, finishing with an 8-4 record. All four losses — Notre Dame, SMU, Miami and Stanford — were by one score. The Cardinals gave Notre Dame their closest game of the season outside of the loss to Northern Illinois.
These two programs have never played one another, and they have rarely played in the Sun Bowl, either. Washington has played in the Sun Bowl four times but not since 2002. The program’s only win came in 1979. Since Louisville only joined the ACC a little over a decade ago, you have to go all the way back to 1957 to catch the Cardinals’ only appearance in El Paso — a 34-20 win over Drake.
Washington vs. Louisville: Need to know
Key opt outs: After the 8-4 season for Louisville, several key players have declared for the NFL Draft and opted out of the bowl game — most notably, quarterback Tyler Shough and wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks are both leaving to prepare for the draft. Both ranked top 20 nationally in passing yards and receiving yards per game, respectively. Star defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte will do the same after posting 26.5 sacks and 41 tackles for loss in four seasons. Washington linebacker Khmori House is the only major loss for the Huskies after transferring to North Carolina.
Running back battle: While these two teams are known for passing, the running backs may be the…
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Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-12-30 18:45:00
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