2023 Holiday Bowl
{{short description|Postseason college football bowl game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| game_name = Holiday Bowl
| subheader = 44th Holiday Bowl
| title_sponsor = DirecTV
| image = 2023 Holiday Bowl (8184711).jpg
| caption =
| date_game_played = December 27
| year_game_played = 2023
| football_season = 2023
| stadium = Petco Park
| city = San Diego, California
| visitor_school = University of Louisville
| visitor_name_short = Louisville
| visitor_nickname = Cardinals
| visitor_record = 10–3
| visitor_conference = ACC
| visitor_rank_AP = 16
| visitor_rank_coaches = 15
| visitor_rank_CFP = 15
| visitor_coach = Jeff Brohm
| visitor_1q = 7
| visitor_2q = 7
| visitor_3q = 7
| visitor_4q = 7
| home_school = University of Southern California
| home_name_short = USC
| home_nickname = Trojans
| home_record = 7–5
| home_conference = Pac-12
| home_rank_AP =
| home_rank_coaches =
| home_rank_CFP =
| home_coach = Lincoln Riley
| home_1q = 7
| home_2q = 21
| home_3q = 7
| home_4q = 7
| MVP = {{ubl
|Off.: Miller Moss (QB, USC){{cite tweet |user=CFBONFOX |number=1740229233874460739 |title=The offensive Holiday Bowl MVP is @uscfb 's Miller Moss |date=December 27, 2023 |accessdate=December 27, 2023}}
|Def.: Jaylin Smith (S, USC){{cite tweet |user=Ryan_Kartje |number=1740229194024681505 |title=Jaylin Smith was named defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl. |date=December 27, 2023 |accessdate=December 27, 2023}}
}}
| odds = Louisville by 7.5{{cite news|url=https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/betting/college-football-bowl-season-schedule-games-odds-point-spreads|title=College football bowl schedule, game odds, point spreads for 2023-24|publisher=Sports Illustrated|first=James|last=Parks|date=December 11, 2023|access-date=December 13, 2023}}
| anthem =
| halftime =
| referee = Lee Hedrick (SEC){{cite news|url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2023/12/2023-24-bowl-officiating-assignments/|title=2023-24 bowl officiating assignments|website=footballzebras.com|first=Ben|last=Austro|date=December 3, 2023|accessdate=December 6, 2023}}
| attendance = 35,317
| payout =
| us_network = Fox
| us_announcers = Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
| ratings =
| intl_network =
| intl_announcers =
}}
The 2023 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2023, at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The 44th annual Holiday Bowl featured the Louisville Cardinals from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the USC Trojans from the Pac-12 Conference. The game began at approximately 5:00 p.m. PST and was aired on Fox.{{cite web |last1=Straka |first1=Dean |title=2023-24 college football bowl schedule, games, dates, locations, kickoff times, TV channels |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2023-24-college-football-bowl-schedule-games-dates-locations-kickoff-times-tv-channels/ |access-date=27 June 2023 |website=CBS Sports}}{{Cite web |title=San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl |url=https://holidaybowl.com/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=Holiday Bowl at Petco Park |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kenney |first=Kirk |date=2023-07-19 |title=Holiday Bowl gets date, time for 2023 game at Petco Park |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/college/story/2023-07-19/holiday-bowl-date-time-2023-game-pac-12-acc-fox-at-petco-park |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}} It was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. Sponsored by multichannel video programming distributor DirecTV, the game was officially known as the DirecTV Holiday Bowl.
Teams
Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Pac-12 Conference. This was the first-ever game between Louisville and USC.{{cite web |title=Winsipedia – Louisville Cardinals vs. USC Trojans. |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/louisville/vs/usc |website=Winsipedia.com |access-date=December 8, 2023}}
=Louisville Cardinals=
{{main|2023 Louisville Cardinals football team}}
The Cardinals entered the game with a 10–3 record (7–1 in ACC play) and No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Louisville finished second in the ACC but lost to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game, 16–6.
This was the Cardinals' first appearance in the Holiday Bowl.
=USC Trojans=
{{main|2023 USC Trojans football team}}
The Trojans entered the game with a 7–5 record (5–4 in Pac-12 play). USC finished tied for fourth place in their conference.
This was USC's final game as a member of the Pac-12, as the Trojans committed to move to the Big Ten Conference for the 2024 season.
USC made its fourth appearance in the Holiday Bowl, having previously won the 2014 edition and lost the 2015 edition and 2019 edition.
Game summary
{{Americanfootballbox|titlestyle=background:#0A609D; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #00C5CD; text-align:center;|state=autocollapse|bg=#fff|bg2=#eee|title=2023 DirecTV Holiday Bowl
|date=Wednesday, December 27, 2023
|time=5:00 p.m. PST
|road=No. 15 Louisville
|R1=7|R2=7|R3=7|R4=7
|home=USC
|H1=7|H2=21|H3=7|H4=7
|stadium=Petco Park • San Diego
|attendance=35,317
|weather=Clear • Temperature: {{convert|61|F|C}} • Wind: {{convert|5|mph|kph|abbr=on}} NW
|referee=Lee Hedrick
|TV=FOX
|TVAnnouncers= Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline)
|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401581109 Box score]
|scoring=
;First quarter
- (8:37) LOU – Isaac Guerendo 2-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:10; Louisville 7–0)
- (4:25) USC – Tahj Washington 17-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:33; Tied 7–7)
;Second quarter
- (8:07) USC – Tahj Washington 29-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:13; USC 14–7)
- (6:30) USC – Kyron Hudson 9-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:39; USC 21–7)
- (1:56) LOU – Evan Conley 9-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:34; USC 21–14)
- (0:19) USC – Ja'Kobi Lane 31-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 34 yards, 1:15; USC 28–14)
;Third quarter
- (9:43) LOU – Isaac Guerendo 1-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:41; USC 28–21)
- (4:51) USC – Ja'Kobi Lane 12-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:52; USC 35–21)
;Fourth quarter
- (12:51) LOU – Isaac Guerendo 2-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 7:00; USC 35–28)
- (10:00) USC – Duce Robinson 44-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:51; USC 42–28)
}}
=Statistics=
{{AmFootballGameStatistics
| Float = left
| Visitor = Louisville Cardinals
| VisitorDisplay = LOU
| Home = USC Trojans
| HomeDisplay = USC
| VisFirsts = 22
| VisPlaysYds = 70–361
| VisRushing = 45–220
| VisPassYds = 141
| VisPassing = 21–25–0
| VisTOP = 36:34
| HomeFirsts = 19
| HomePlaysYds = 52–443
| HomeRushing = 19–71
| HomePassYds = 372
| HomePassing = 23–33–1
| HomeTOP = 23:26
}}
{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers
| Float = right
| Visitor = Louisville Cardinals
| VisitorDisplay = Louisville
| Home = USC Trojans
| HomeDisplay = USC
| VisPasser = Jack Plummer
| VisPassStats = 21–25, 141 yds
| VisRusher = Isaac Guerendo
| VisRushStats = 23 cars, 161 yds, 3 TDs
| VisReceiver = Isaac Guerendo
| VisReceivingStats = 5 rec, 42 yds
| HomePasser = Miller Moss
| HomePassStats = 23–33, 372 yds, 6 TDs, 1 Int
| HomeRusher = Austin Jones
| HomeRushStats = 11 cars, 60 yds
| HomeReceiver = Tahj Washington
| HomeReceivingStats = 7 rec, 99 yds, 2 TDs
}}
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/index.html?id=497021 Game statistics] at statbroadcast.com
{{2023 bowl game navbox}}
{{Holiday Bowl navbox}}
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{{Louisville Cardinals bowl game navbox}}
{{USC Trojans bowl game navbox}}