LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Atlantic Coast Conference needs help from the University of Louisville football team in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl on Tuesday afternoon.

Syracuse won its bowl game against Washington State.

Otherwise? Don’t ask.

The ACC is 1-9 with losses to teams from the Mid-American (Toledo), American Athletic (East Carolina) and Mountain West (UNLV) conferences. Clemson and SMU were eliminated from the College Football Playoff in their opening games.

The ACC has three final attempts to earn respect, starting with Tuesday’s game between Louisville and Washington at 2 p.m. EST.

Sure, bowl games are weird these days. Opt-outs have resulted in top players being dropped from the squad. It’s difficult to gauge the motivation level of players who are expected to spend their vacation time in sunny places like Birmingham, Boston and Annapolis.

But the scoreboard is always connected.

The time: Tuesday, 2 p.m., Sun Bowl Stadium (61,000), El Paso, Texas.

How to watch/listen: TV – CBS, Ch. 32, WLKY (Brad Nessler, Play by Play; Gary Danielson, Analyst; Jenny Dell, Supporting Actor); RADIO – Louisville Sports Properties, 93.9 FM, 105.7 FM, 970 AM (Paul Rogers, play by play; Jody Demling, analyst; not sideline reporter).

The line: Point distribution Louisville favored by 2.5 points; The overall Over/Under score is 49.5.

The last time: The Cardinals and Huskies have never met, at least not in football.

The series: See above. The Cards played in the 1958 Sun Bowl and defeated Drake 34-20. This will be the Huskies’ fifth Sun Bowl appearance.

The records: The Cards finished 8-4, with crucial wins in their last two games over Pittsburgh and Kentucky. Washington went 6-6 and scored its most impressive wins over Michigan, USC and UCLA.

Players to watch for Louisville: Quarterback Harrison Bailey will make his first start as a replacement for Tyler Shough, who opted out of the game before beginning preparation for the NFL Draft. Bailey played in four games in 2024, completing all eight pass attempts for 63 yards without a touchdown. USC transfer Miller Moss is expected to be U of L’s quarterback next season, but Bailey has always shown impressive passing ability.

Player to watch for Washington: Coach Jedd Fisch’s quarterback decision will be interesting. The Associated Press reported that freshman Demond Williams is expected to start, but Washington’s two-deep chart accompanying the Huskies’ game notes lists veteran Will Rogers as the starter. Rogers threw for over 2,400 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven picks, while Williams went 17 for 20 for 201 yards while starting the Huskies’ final regular-season game against Oregon.

Subplots:

• In addition to Shough, the Cards will also be without two defensive starters – end Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley – as well as receiver Ja’Corey Brooks.
• The Huskies will be without freshman linebacker Khmori House, who transferred to North Carolina to play for Bill Belichick.
• The Huskies played in the national championship game against Michigan last season but lost coach Kalen DeBoer and most of his staff to Alabama. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also moved to the NFL
• Washington hired Fisch from Arizona, where he went 16-21 in three seasons. His coaching staff is made up of people with ties to the NFL. Washington averaged 131 rushing yards and 252 passing yards, while the Cards averaged 183 rushing yards and 272 passing yards.
• The Cards’ defense will look to build on their strong performance the last two games, when they limited Pitt to 265 yards and UK to 328.
• According to the U of L depth chart, Tramel Logan will start in Gillotte’s place, while Tahveon Nicholson will step in for Riley at cornerback.
• Notre Dame defeated Oregon State in front of 48,223 fans in the Sun Bowl last season. It is 1,470 miles from Louisville to El Paso and 1,701 miles from Seattle.

The quote: Cards coach Jeff Brohm talks about the opportunities given to players to fill in for teammates who are out of the game:

“It’s important that they play well if they want to get a place next year. They have to prove themselves in this football game and then we have to make decisions depending on how the game goes.”

The choice: U of L 27, Washington 20.

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