Louisville, Ky – The University of Louisville is gearing up for their first appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game against No. 4 Florida State. The game will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
This is a historic moment for Louisville as they have never made it to the title game before. Their impressive 38-31 win over Miami on Nov. 18 secured their spot in the championship game and they finished the conference schedule with an overall record of 7-1, which is their best league record since joining the conference in 2014.
Louisville has a tough opponent in Florida State, as the Seminoles hold a 17-6 series advantage. The ‘Noles defeated the Cards 35-31 during last season’s matchup.
Head coach Jeff Brohm is fully aware of the challenge that lies ahead and is focused on playing a complete game to defeat the undefeated Florida State team. He said, “We have a great opportunity tomorrow night to do something special for our fans and our university. We have to play a complete game for four quarters to defeat a team that is undefeated and has an opportunity to get to the playoffs.”
Brohm has had an impressive first season with Louisville, finishing with an overall record of 10-2 and a home record of 6-1. He is the first coach in Louisville history to win 10 or more games in his first season and the first coach to lead the team to a conference title game. Additionally, Brohm is the first coach in NCAA history to take two different teams to conference title games in back-to-back seasons, as he took Purdue to the Big Ten title game last season.
Louisville enters the ACC title game after suffering a tough loss to Kentucky, snapping their 11-game home winning streak. Despite giving up only 289 yards and Kentucky running only 47 total plays, the Cards were unable to secure the win. They held a 24-14 lead late in the third quarter but allowed the Wildcats to score 17-straight points, ultimately losing 38-31.
Quarterback Jack Plummer had a solid performance, completing 24-of-33 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals rushed for 161 yards in the game. Plummer finished the regular season with 2,952 yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 games as a starter.
Louisville will look to bounce back from their recent loss and put on a strong performance in the conference championship game. They have a strong history of scoring on their first possessions, doing so nine times in 12 games this season, including eight touchdowns. Additionally, their defense has been impressive, holding opponents scoreless on their first possession for the past 16 games.
Ashton Gillotte, a standout player for Louisville, recorded his 11th sack of the season and 21st of his career in the loss to Kentucky. He also contributed four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry. Gillotte’s 11 sacks this season tied him for seventh on the school’s all-time season sacks list.
Overall, Louisville is excited for this opportunity to compete in the ACC championship game and they will be looking to make history against a strong Florida State team.
