Citrus Bowl Louisville vs. LSU 12-30-2016 Photo by William Caudill TheCrunchZone.com

Louisville vs. LSU Quick Notes, Game & Ticket Info

Mark BlankenbakerDecember 4, 2016

The 13th-ranked University of Louisville football team will face 20th-ranked LSU in the 2016 71^st Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game is scheduled for Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. on ABC.

Louisville, ranked No. 15 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the Associated Press Poll, is playing in its seventh consecutive bowl game, which is tied for the 16th-longest active streak in FBS.

Appearing in a bowl for the 16^th time in 19 seasons, the Cardinals are making their 21^st overall post-season game, posting a 10-9-1 record and have wins in four of their last six bowl games.

“I’m thrilled to accept a bid to this great bowl with the history of the Citrus Bowl,” Vice-President/Director of Athletics Tom Jurich said. “It’s one of the long-standing bowls with a great tradition, and we’re fortunate to have been selected. Orlando is an outstanding destination for our players, staff and families, as well as, our fans. We were able to be in Orlando a few years ago and it was a tremendous location for everyone. It’s a great reward for our program and fans for an outstanding season.”

UofL head coach Bobby Petrino has guided the Cards to a bowl berth for the seventh-straight season, going 3-3 in those contests, and is leading his team to the Citrus Bowl for the first time.

The Citrus Bowl will be the first series meeting between the schools, but Petrino owns a 2-2 record against the Tigers during his time as the head coach at Arkansas.

Louisville (9-3) has posted just its 14^th nine-win season in program history and the second in the ACC era. Louisville went 9-4 in its first season in the league in 2014.

Through 12 games, Louisville leads the nation in scoring at 45.3 points per games after scoring over 36 points in nine games, including 70 in the season opener versus Charlotte.

Led by sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Cards are second in the country in total offense at 558.8 yards per game, the second-highest mark in school history.

Speaking of Jackson, the 2016 ACC Player and Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals in rushing with a school-record 1,538 yards and 21 touchdowns, while passing for 3,390 yards and 30 touchdowns.

The Pompano Beach, Fla., native set an ACC record with 51 touchdowns this season, while also establishing a league mark for rushing yards by a quarterbacks (1,538) and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (21).

The Cards will bring a top 15 defense into the game, ranking 11^th allowing 316.3 yards per game and the tenth-ranked rushing defense at 110.4 yards per game.

LSU, 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, features a daunting defense that flaunts the fourth-fewest points allowed and fifth-fewest yards allowed in the nation.

The Tigers bring one of the nation’s best running back tandems in the country in Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, who have combined to run for 2,092 and 22 touchdowns. With Fournette out of the lineup for most of the season due to injury,

Guice has rushed over 1,249 rushing yards and f. The rushing tandem has combined for nine 100-yard rushing games and three 200-yard rushing efforts in team’s eleven games. LSU’s four losses have come by a total of 23 points (5.75 ppg).

LOUISVILLE FOOTBALL NOTES

Louisville and LSU will meet for the first time. However, head coach Bobby Petrino is 2-2 all-time versus the Tigers from his time at Arkansas.
Louisville is making its seventh consecutive bowl appearance – tied for the 16th-longest active streak in FBS and have appeared in a bowl game in 16 of 19 seasons.
Louisville will make its 21st bowl appearance, posting a 10-9-1 record, with four wins in its last six games.
Louisville is making its first trip to the Citrus Bowl, but its second trip to Orlando having defeated Miami 36-9 in the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl.
Louisville ranks in the top 11 nationally of eight major statistical categories – Scoring offense, 1^st – 45.3), total offense (2^nd, 558.8), third-down defense (8^th, 30.6), first down offense (9^th, 314), rushing defense (10^th, 110.4), passing yards per completion (10^th, 15.2), rushing offense (11^th, 256.8), total defense (11^th, 316.3).
Louisville is 10-21-1 all-time in the state of Florida and 1-0 at Camping World Stadium.
Louisville is 3-1 in bowl games played in the state of Florida – Orange (1-0), Gator (0-1), Russell Athletic (1-0), Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (1-0).
Louisville is 1-0 all-time on New Year’s Eve.

TICKET INFORMATION

Fans immediately can order tickets through Louisville’s Bowl Central, where the online seat selection option will allow you to view real-time availability and select the best seats in the Cardinals’ official fan sections. Lower level tickets are available beginning at $86 each.

Bowl tickets can also be ordered through the athletic department’s ticket office by calling (502) GO-CARDS or by visiting the location at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium near Gate 2 on weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. ET.

By purchasing tickets from the Louisville Ticket Office, fans can secure the best available seats in the official team section as well as help UofL’s candidacy for elite-level bowl selection in the future. Fans who are unable to attend the bowl game this season can donate bowl tickets to a UofL student, active members of the military, or to an Orlando-area charitable organization.

Many Louisville fans have already secured their bowl tickets as Cardinal Athletic Fund members and season ticket holders were given an opportunity to pre-order tickets in November. All pre-order ticket reservations are assured of receiving tickets and will receive notification on their seat location from the ticket office Dec. 6-8.

Complete information on the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will be provided on Louisville’s Bowl Central page on its web site atwww.GoCards.com/bowl.

TRAVEL PACKAGES

Headed to Orlando? Join other Cardinals fans on the official Louisville Bowl Tour presented by Anthony Travel.

The official fan hotel package includes two-night hotel accommodations at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel, round-trip game day transportation, admission to the Louisville Tailgate Party, commemorative souvenir, and more.

For more information on official Louisville Bowl Tour travel packages, visit GoCardsTravel.com. To speak with a sports travel expert, call 844-845-5649 or email Louisville@AnthonyTravel.com.