Two of college football's top defenses will be on display Tuesday in South Florida when the Louisville Cardinals and Toledo Rockets square off in the Boca Raton Bowl.
The Rockets (8-4), who have won four straight, ranked third nationally among Football Bowl Subdivision schools at the start of bowl season in allowing just 247.8 yards per game. The other teams in the top six made the College Football Playoff.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (8-4) give up 300.3 yards per game, 15th best in FBS. Louisville is one of five teams to have defeated two CFP qualifiers.
Coach Jeff Brohm's Cardinals were among the teams battling for a playoff spot when the initial rankings came out in early November. However, a three-game losing streak quickly eroded those chances. The Cardinals did rebound in their regular-season finale, beating rival Kentucky 41-0 on Nov. 30.
Toledo lost at Kentucky 24-16 in its season opener on Aug. 30.
The Rockets, who have won the Boca Raton Bowl in 2015 and 2022, may play redshirt freshman Kalieb Osborne (260 passing yards, 205 rushing yards in six games) at quarterback after senior Tucker Gleason (2,515 yards, 21 TDs) sustained an injury in the last game, a 21-3 win against Central Michigan on Nov. 29.
-Field Level Media
What do you call an Eternal Optimist? An accordion player with a beeper!
Two of college football's top defenses will be on display Tuesday in South Florida when the Louisville Cardinals and Toledo Rockets square off in the Boca Raton Bowl.
The Rockets (8-4), who have won four straight, ranked third nationally among Football Bowl Subdivision schools at the start of bowl season in allowing just 247.8 yards per game. The other teams in the top six made the College Football Playoff.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (8-4) give up 300.3 yards per game, 15th best in FBS. Louisville is one of five teams to have defeated two CFP qualifiers.
Coach Jeff Brohm's Cardinals were among the teams battling for a playoff spot when the initial rankings came out in early November. However, a three-game losing streak quickly eroded those chances. The Cardinals did rebound in their regular-season finale, beating rival Kentucky 41-0 on Nov. 30.
Toledo lost at Kentucky 24-16 in its season opener on Aug. 30.
The Rockets, who have won the Boca Raton Bowl in 2015 and 2022, may play redshirt freshman Kalieb Osborne (260 passing yards, 205 rushing yards in six games) at quarterback after senior Tucker Gleason (2,515 yards, 21 TDs) sustained an injury in the last game, a 21-3 win against Central Michigan on Nov. 29.
The Hilltoppers are making their seventh consecutive bowl appearance and 12th overall at the FBS level.
The Golden Eagles (7-5) had a big turnaround from a 1-11 record last season under first-year head coach Charles Huff, who left to become head coach at Memphis.
They promoted offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Blake Anderson to interim head coach before naming him Huff's full-time successor. Anderson was in the first season of his second stint as a Southern Miss assistant.
Despite the departure of Huff, the Golden Eagles have been virtually untouched by opt-outs, NFL declarations or the transfer portal.
The Golden Eagles' 24th bowl appearance is ending a two-year bowl absence.
If recent history is a guide, the Rebels will need to be at their best to win. Ohio has won its last six bowl games, the second-longest streak of its kind behind only Minnesota's eight in a row.
--Field Level Media
BOL either way & MerryChristmas & HappyHolidays Ladies Gentlemen
What do you call an Eternal Optimist? An accordion player with a beeper!
The Hilltoppers are making their seventh consecutive bowl appearance and 12th overall at the FBS level.
The Golden Eagles (7-5) had a big turnaround from a 1-11 record last season under first-year head coach Charles Huff, who left to become head coach at Memphis.
They promoted offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Blake Anderson to interim head coach before naming him Huff's full-time successor. Anderson was in the first season of his second stint as a Southern Miss assistant.
Despite the departure of Huff, the Golden Eagles have been virtually untouched by opt-outs, NFL declarations or the transfer portal.
The Golden Eagles' 24th bowl appearance is ending a two-year bowl absence.
If recent history is a guide, the Rebels will need to be at their best to win. Ohio has won its last six bowl games, the second-longest streak of its kind behind only Minnesota's eight in a row.
--Field Level Media
BOL either way & MerryChristmas & HappyHolidays Ladies Gentlemen
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