The 2023 Holiday Bowl takes place this Wednesday, December 27th in San Diego California. This game will put the Louisville Cardinals against the USC Trojans for the first time on a football field. The two teams had drastically different expectations heading into this season, as well as very different turnouts. One thing in common between these programs though is that both did not end the season how they would have liked. Louisville lost to its rival Kentucky and then to Florida State in the ACC championship game. USC lost three straight to end its regular season. Now the Cards and Trojans will be looking for a win to officially end their seasons.
Louisville Surprises All
Entering the season Louisville was picked to finish eighth in the ACC preseason coaches poll. By the end of the season, the Cardinals finished second in the ACC and ranked 15th in the country. This Louisville team shocked many, and it started with head coach and former Cardinal quarterback Jeff Brohm. This is Brohm’s first season as the Cards head coach. In his first season, he got his alma mater to a 10-3 finish overall, and 7-1 in the ACC. This put his Louisville squad in the ACC Championship just one year after he led Purdue to the Big Ten championship. Now he will be looking for his sixth bowl victory as a head coach.
In this 10-win season, the Cardinals seemed to just keep winning big games. These include wins such as one against Notre Dame at home and Duke on the road. They were 3-1 against out-of-conference opponents. Three of which were other Power Five conference programs. Against teams who finished with a .500 win percentage or better, they went 7-2. They will be looking to get their eighth win against one in San Diego.
USC Disappoints
USC entered this season ranked sixth in the nation and was seen as a contender for the college football playoffs. This was after USC head coach Lincoln Riley led the Trojans to an 11-3 record in his first year last season. They started on track going 6-0 in the first half of the season. In the second half of the season though, those playoff hopes came crashing down. The Trojans went 1-5 to finish the season putting them at a 7-5 overall finish. USC was knocked out of playoff contention by the time November started.
Much of the Trojans’ late-season woes came as they faced stiffer competition through the season. USC finished 2-1 in out-of-conference games, and 5-4 in the PAC-12. Against top-25 ranked opponents, it was 0-3, and 3-5 against competition who finished .500 or better. What could make this game even more difficult for USC is being without its star quarterback Caleb Williams.
Who to Watch
One of the best parts of bowl season is seeing the unique mix of talent that plays in these bowl games. From older players trying to continue to build a resume to make it to the next level to younger players preparing to step into a larger role. There are a few specific players in this Holiday Bowl matchup who fit into this category we believe will also be key to how the game turns out. One of these players is USC quarterback Miller Moss.
Moss will be the one to step in for the former Heisman winner Williams in the bowl game. He is a redshirt sophomore and has been backing up Williams all season long. Now he is tasked with filling the shoes of the guy who most believe will be the first pick in this year’s NFL draft. Moss has seen some action already this year playing in a few blowout wins early in the season. Right now, he has completed 23 of 32 attempted passes for 309 yards and a touchdown. It will be interesting to see how well he fills in for such a high-level talent against a Louisville team that is ranked 21st in total defense.
On the Louisville side, the Cardinals will still have the same quarterback who has started all their games this season Jack Plummer. The senior quarterback has been a true leader for the Cardinals all season long. He does not have the greatest physical attributes, but he plays with an infectious will to win. Plummer has 235 completed passes out of 370 attempts this season for 3,063 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He is at his best though when his running back Jawhar Jordan gets going. Jordan has rushed the ball 181 times for 1128 yards and 13 touchdowns this year. Whenever he can run the ball effectively the Cardinal offense opens up and Plummer can take his shots.
A Win For Christmas
For both programs, a win to end the season is high on their holiday wish lists. For USC, it would be a good way to start to turn around its momentum heading into next season. It will also prove that it will be able to win without Williams behind center. For Louisville, it will be another boost for the program as Brohm continues attempting to build his alma mater into a national powerhouse. If the Cardinals continue to play as tough as they have all season long, it could be a long day in San Diego for the Trojans. If USC can stop the Cards rushing attack and string together a few big plays though, they could give themselves a chance to end a disappointing season on a high note.
