The highly anticipated Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game is set to take place this Saturday as the University of Louisville football team faces off against the No. 4 ranked Florida State Seminoles. With a 7-1 ACC record, the Cardinals are determined to secure their first ever conference title in this exciting showdown.
Center Bryan Hudson, who was recently awarded the prestigious ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to compete for a championship. “Competing for a championship is always the goal at the beginning of the season,” said Hudson. “So to have gotten to this point is definitely encouraging for all of us. We’re excited to be practicing still and getting ready for the game.”
However, it won’t be an easy task for the No. 15 ranked Cardinals, as the Seminoles come into the game with an undefeated regular season record for the first time since 2014. Despite this, Hudson remains confident that Louisville will come out on top. “We didn’t make it all this way just to get to the game,” said Hudson. “We want to go win it, and that’s what we’re getting ready to do.”
One of the reasons for Louisville’s success this season has been their strong defense, which is ranked second in the league, allowing just 314.7 yards per game. Linebacker TJ Quinn, the team’s leader in tackles this season, emphasized the significance of winning the championship and the reward it brings. “To be that first team, that’s something that nobody can ever take from you – being the first team to win a championship,” said Quinn. “Just with everything we’ve been through this season, to see the reward that we can possibly get. Going into this week, we just can’t let the pressure get to us. We just have to go out and execute.”
Despite a tough loss to Kentucky in their last game, Louisville’s defense held their ground, limiting the Wildcats to just 289 yards, including a mere 83 rushing yards. The Cardinals currently hold the top spot in the league for rushing defense, allowing an average of only 96.8 yards per game. Stopping Florida State’s potent run game will be crucial for Louisville, as the Seminoles boast a dynamic duo of running backs in Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili, who have combined for 17 rushing touchdowns this season. Benson has been particularly impressive, accumulating 838 rushing yards and three touchdowns in their recent rivalry win.
Louisville not only aims to bring home their first conference championship on Saturday but also seeks to secure their 11th win of the season for only the sixth time in school history, with the last time being in 2013. “We obviously want to win,” said Quinn. “We want to show that we’ve gotten better from last week. And when we go out on the field this Saturday, we want to show that.”
The 19th annual ACC Championship Game is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised live on ABC. Fans can expect a thrilling contest as the Cardinals and Seminoles battle it out for conference supremacy.
