Louisville suffered a tough loss in the Holiday Bowl against Southern California, with a final score of 28-42. This loss brings Louisville’s overall bowl game record to 12-13-1. Despite the loss, Louisville finished their first 14-game season with a respectable 10-4 record, marking their seventh 10-win season.
This was Louisville’s first appearance in the Holiday Bowl and their first matchup against Southern California. Unfortunately, they were unable to secure the victory. The team’s neutral site game record now stands at 17-17-1.
Despite the loss, there were some notable achievements for Louisville in this game. They extended their streak of holding opponents scoreless on their first possession to 18 games. Additionally, Louisville scored on their first possession of the game, which they have achieved in 10 out of 14 games this season.
The team also set new records in this game. They achieved four rushing touchdowns, a record for a Louisville bowl game. They also boasted an impressive 84% completion percentage, another team bowl record.
Several players stood out in this game as well. Quarterback Jack Plummer had a completion percentage of 84.0%, the highest in Louisville bowl history. Plummer finished the season with 3,204 passing yards, placing him eighth on Louisville’s single-season list. He also recorded 256 pass completions, ranking him seventh on Louisville’s single-season list.
Running back Isaac Guerendo had a standout performance, rushing for a career-high 161 yards on 23 carries. Guerendo also scored three touchdowns on runs of two, one, and two yards. He was the team’s leading receiver as well, with five receptions for 42 yards. Guerendo’s all-purpose yardage totaled 241, setting a Louisville bowl record. His three rushing touchdowns matched the Louisville bowl record set by Leroy Collins in the 1998 Music City Bowl. Guerendo’s rushing performance was the best by a Louisville running back in a bowl game, falling short only to the 226 yards recorded by quarterback Lamar Jackson in the 2015 Music City Bowl.
Cornerback Quincy Riley made an impact on the defensive side of the ball, intercepting a pass and returning it for 61 yards. This interception return is the second longest in Louisville bowl history, behind Joe Welch’s 65-yard return in the 1970 Pasadena Bowl against Long Beach State. Riley also recorded four solo tackles, one tackle for loss, and had three pass breakups.
It is worth noting that offensive linemen Lance Robinson and John Paul Flores made significant contributions in this game. Robinson played his first game for Louisville after transferring from Houston, and Flores made his first start for the team.
Defensive back Devin Neal led the Louisville defense with seven tackles, including six solo tackles. Overall, the team showed resilience and fought hard, but ultimately fell short against Southern California.
