Holiday Bowl Preview: Louisville vs. USC
On Wednesday, December 27, college football bowl game action continues with this Holiday Bowl matchup between Louisville and USC at Petco Park in San Diego.
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Louisville (-7.5, 58) vs. USC
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is far from the only star who’s taking the Holiday Bowl literally — meaning he’s taking a vacation day and sitting this one out. Unfortunately, the matchup in San Diego two days after Christmas is mostly about who’s missing. Louisville will be without star running back Jawhar Jordan and leading receiver Jamari Thrash, as both are declaring for the NFL Draft. The Cardinals are still big favorites, and the total remains high, so there could be some value in the inflated numbers.
Williams’ absence is no surprise, considering he’s projected to be the No. 1 pick of the draft. He passed for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns as the Trojans finished the regular season at 7-5, a major drop-off from the 2022 season when USC went 11-3 and Williams won the Heisman Trophy. Miller Moss, a third-year sophomore, will get the start. Moss has completed 23 of 32 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown in limited action this season. USC coach Lincoln Riley is losing more than Williams — leading rusher MarShawn Lloyd and No. 2 receiver Brenden Rice also have declared for the draft. Lloyd and Rice combined for 21 touchdowns. Moss will trigger a USC offense missing significant firepower.