From UofL

The No. 20 University of Louisville football team has accepted a bid to play No. 13 Georgia in 13th Annual Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., the fifth consecutive season the Cardinals will play in a bowl game and the 14th in the last 17 years. It’s the first top 20 match-up in the bowl’s history.

The Cardinals (9-3 overall, 5-3 ACC) and Bulldogs (9-3 overall, 6-2 SEC) will meet at Bank of America Stadium, home of the Charlotte Panthers, Dec. 30th at 6:30 p.m.  ESPN will televise the match-up between the Cardinals and Bulldogs, the first-ever between the two schools.

Louisville will make its 19th all-time postseason bowl appearance, and it’s second in the Belk Bowl. The Cardinals played at the Belk Bowl in 2011, dropping a memorable 31-24 decision to NC State. The Cardinals, behind the play of Teddy Bridgewater, battled back from a 21-point deficit before falling by a touchdown.

“I am proud of our team’s hard work and commitment this season, and playing in Belk Bowl against a nationally ranked SEC team is very exciting for our program,” head coach Bobby Petrino said. “Charlotte is a great destination for our fans and very accessible. Georgia is a high-quality opponent with a great tradition, and the bowls first-ever top 20 match-up will definitely be exciting.”

The Cardinals finished their first season in the ACC at 9-3 overall and 5-3 in league play in Petrino’s return to Louisville. The Cardinals opened the year and league play with a 31-13 win over Miami, and went on to win five of their first six games.

After close losses to No. 25 Clemson on Oct. 11 and No. 2 Florida State on Oct. 30, the Cardinals closed the year by winning their final three games over Boston College, Notre Dame and Kentucky.

Louisville is making its third post-season appearance against an SEC foe in school history, having defeated Florida 33-23 in the 2013 Sugar Bowl.

Louisville is led by one of the most talented defenses in the country, ranking 6th in total defense at 293.3 yards per game and third versus the rush, yielding 93.7 yards per game. Led by junior safety Gerod Holliman, who tied the NCAA record for interceptions in a season with 14, the Cardinals lead the country with 25.

Offensively, senior wide receiver DeVante Parker, who missed seven games with a foot injury, has caught 35 passes for 735 yards and five touchdowns in five games.

Georgia finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall record (6-2 SEC) and ranked No. 13 in both the AP Poll and the College Football Playoff. They were victorious over ranked opponents Clemson, Auburn, and SEC East champion Missouri, and won eight of their last 10 games to end the season.

Tickets for fans who didn’t pre-order through Louisville will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis through My Cardinal Account  atwww.gocards.com or via phone at 502-852- 5151 beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday. Tickets to the Belk Bowl are $70.

Fans are strongly encouraged to order through Louisville’s official allotment to ensure that all Cards fans are seated in the official Louisville sections of the stadium.

Anthony Travel will also provide official travel packages to the bowl game. Visit the gocards.com/bowl for more information regarding travel package information  and much more.

From TheCrunchZone.com
In a last minute POWER PLAY by the SEC, Louisville’s slot in the super close Music City Bowl in Nashville was taken in an abandonment of bowl criteria in favor of Notre Dame.

The ACC confirmed the McMurphy tweet on it’s Bowl Selection show Sunday evening. Louisville & Georgia have NEVER played.

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@UofLSheriff50. Louisville native, University of Louisville Business School Grad c/o 2004. Co-Founder of TheCrunchZone.com

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