Tag: Holiday Bowl

Other than Miller Moss, what else matters for USC in the Holiday Bowl?

It seems the Holiday Bowl isn’t a big deal, but we don’t know that for sure.

Just how important is this 2023 Holiday Bowl for USC? Everyone knows it is really important for Miller Moss, the quarterback who will get to play the full game and demonstrate what he can do on the field as the unquestioned leader of this offense. There’s no Caleb Williams. There is no Malachi Nelson. This is Moss’s game. Maybe Moss is playing for the chance to be USC’s starting quarterback on opening day in 2024, when the Trojans face the LSU Tigers in Las Vegas. Maybe Moss is not playing for his USC status, but to give other schools and coaches a good piece of game film before entering the transfer portal.

We don’t know if Moss will enter the portal, but it could be that Moss will play this game for USC and then reconsider his options. Lincoln Riley and USC haven’t yet signed Will Howard or any other transfer portal quarterback. Moss might have made his decision behind the scenes, but nothing has been made public just yet. It’s clear this game is big for Moss.

What about the rest of the USC Trojans?

Defensive players might be playing for roster spots in this game, since new coordinator D’Anton Lynn will be evaluating players. Lynn won’t coach the Trojans, but he will certainly take notes on who does well and who fails. Who does Lynn think will be part of the 2024 roster, and who will Lynn ask to enter the transfer portal and find an opportunity elsewhere? These are the kinds of questions which will tell us how important the Holiday Bowl is.

Also: Will a loss turn off more recruits and portal prospects, or will a loss tell players that the roster is weak, meaning that new and incoming players might have a better chance of starting in 2024? That could work both ways. A loss might not be a negative for USC in terms of building its roster for next season.

Ultimately, we will know more about the importance of this Wednesday night game on Friday and Saturday.

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It’s very good for Miller Moss that Louisville is his bowl game opponent

Miller Moss will have a chance to earn high marks on a report card.

The USC Trojans and quarterback Miller Moss face the Louisville Cardinals in the 2023 Holiday Bowl on Wednesday. It’s a tough matchup for Moss, which could set him up for failure. Yet, that’s just the way it should be for Moss.

It wouldn’t really mean much for Moss if he went up against an opponent with a pillow-soft defense, such as Syracuse or Wake Forest. Lighting up a not-that-great defense would only carry so much value for other college programs, not to mention NFL scouts. If Moss is going to elevate his stock — either as USC’s quarterback heading into 2024, or as a potential transfer prospect at another school — he needs to show he can play well against a legitimately good, tough defense.

Louisville’s defense, under coordinator Ron English, is legitimately good.

As we noted a few weeks ago, “Imagine a world in which USC had Louisville’s defense, not Alex Grinch’s defense, in 2023. This 2023 Louisville defense shut out opponents in the first quarter in 11 of 13 games. If USC’s defense had shut out UCLA’s offense in the first quarter on November 18, the Trojans very likely would have won that game against the Bruins.

“Louisville’s defense was similarly strong in fourth quarters this year as well as first quarters. The Cardinals allowed more than seven fourth-quarter points in only one game this season, to Kentucky. If USC had that kind of a defense in 2023, the Trojans would have a 10-2 record, not a 7-5 record. They wouldn’t have beaten Notre Dame, given how bad the USC offense was. They probably wouldn’t have beaten Oregon, given that they trailed 29-7 before scoring a few cosmetic touchdowns.”

Moss has a tough assignment. He needs to pass a difficult test in order to prove he is ready to be a QB1 — for USC or anyone else. It’s good for Moss this challenge is substantial. If he aces this test, we can know with added certainty that Moss is ready to lead a college offense in 2024.

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Miller Moss gets ready for his big USC moment in the Holiday Bowl

Miller Moss is auditioning for a QB1 role in 2024.

Get familiar with USC’s Holiday Bowl starting quarterback Miller Moss.

Life comes at you fast in college football, especially in 2023. One moment, Miller Moss was part of a quarterback room with former Heisman Trophy Winner Caleb Williams and former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson. Now he’s the only scholarship QB on the roster and aiming to take charge.

The Southern California native is elated for the chance to step up and lead the USC Trojans (7-5) into battle as their starting quarterback against the No. 15 Louisville Cardinals (10-3) in the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park in San Diego.

Speaking with the media, Moss explained some of the key differences in his preparation as the starting quarterback, versus what it was like as the No. 2.

“It’s obviously different,” Moss stated. “I think the only real difference is that I have more dialogue and say with Coach Riley over the game plan. But aside from that, I attack my preparation the same way.

“Because in that role as No. 2 quarterback, you always have to be prepared. So I’ll prepare the same way. I’ll lead the same way. I’m just excited again for this opportunity.”

When it comes to Malachi Nelson transferring: “I mean obviously everyone has to do what’s best for themselves,” . “We’re happy with the group we have here and whoever wants to be here is here and we’re excited to come together in that way.”

On playing against Louisville: “They’re a really good, solid team [and] obviously they had success this year. They’re good up front, they’re good in the secondary, so I’m excited to play against a good opponent.”

This will be Moss’ first career start at USC. In three games this season, he has completed 23 of 32 passes for 309 yards and threw for a touchdown against Nevada. Moss also has two rushing touchdowns on the year.

“I worked my whole life for this,” Moss said. “So I’m just excited to step into this role, and I’m very confident in our team.”

Moss, before coming to USC, was a four-star quarterback at Bishop Alemany High in Mission Hills (California).

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound redshirt sophomore was the No. 112 player in the 2021 class and the 15th-rated quarterback behind Caleb Williams, Quinn Ewers, Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Jaxson Dart and Kyle McCord, among others.

The Trojans only have a few days to go before they kick off against the Cardinals, with the Holiday Bowl set for December 27.

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Current ticket prices for the Holiday Bowl between USC and Louisville

You can get in for a very cheap price at the Holiday Bowl in sunny San Diego.

With Caleb Williams not playing, the 2023 Holiday Bowl between USC and Louisville took on a distinctly different feel. Imagine a scenario in which Caleb Williams was playing his last college game for USC. That would have been a very hot ticket in San Diego for the Holiday Bowl. Instead, this game at Petco Park won’t carry quite as much buzz.

Also keep in mind that Louisville fans had expected to go to the Orange Bowl, given that Florida State was expected to make the playoff after going 13-0. When the Seminoles were snubbed, that kicked them down to the Orange Bowl and pushed Louisville out of the New Year’s Six.

It’s true that San Diego is as attractive a bowl location as one could possibly imagine, but USC and Louisville would have preferred to be elsewhere.

The good news: This has made ticket prices very affordable for the Holiday Bowl. At SeatGeek, you can find a lot of tickets with good sight lines for well under $100.

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The 2023 Holiday Bowl is next Wednesday, December 27, at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. The game starts shortly after 5 p.m. local time in San Diego and will be televised by Fox Sports.

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Elite Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan won’t play in the Holiday Bowl vs USC

This is a significant limitation for the Louisville offense.

The Louisville Cardinals were able to win 10 games in the 2023 college football regular season despite the profound limitations of quarterback Jack Plummer. Louisville and first-year coach Jeff Brohm authored one of the more surprising stories in the sport this year, reaching the ACC Championship Game and making a strong run at a New Year’s Six bowl. Had Florida State been selected for the College Football Playoff, Louisville would be preparing not for the Holiday Bowl, but for the Orange Bowl. It was a very impressive year for the Cards, and one of the men who helped them get to this point is running back Jawhar Jordan. USC has learned Jordan won’t play in the Holiday Bowl for the Trojans. Jordan will prepare for the 2024 NFL draft.

Jordan was one of Louisville’s three best skill-position players in 2023. The other two were receiver Jamari Thrash and fellow running back Isaac Guerendo. These guys were so talented that Plummer’s flaws at quarterback were minimized for most of the season. Louisville went 10-1 before Plummer turnovers became pivotal in season-ending losses to Kentucky and Florida State. Not facing Jordan in the Holiday Bowl will level the playing field to a degree, even though USC being without Caleb Williams is by far the biggest “opt out” storyline of this upcoming game on December 27 in San Diego.

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Zachariah Branch has a chance to make a big impression in the Holiday Bowl

Zachariah Branch has a lot to prove against Louisville.

Zachariah Branch is just getting started. The freshman star at USC recorded 29 receptions for 311 yards and two touchdowns in the 2023 season. He also rushed for 70 yards on 8 carries with 1 TD.

Branch is also one of the nation’s most electric returners. Against Stanford on Sept. 9, he returned a punt for a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He also had a 96-yard kickoff return for a score versus San Jose State on Aug. 26. He is the first Trojan since Adoree’ Jackson in 2016 to have a punt return and kickoff return for a touchdown, as well as at least one receiving TD, in the same season. Jackson had two punt returns and two kickoff returns for TDs and one touchdown reception in the 2016 season.

Branch finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in punt returns (20.6), No. 2 in the nation in combined kick returns (751) and punt return TDs (1), and No. 6 in the nation in kickoff return TDs (1).

Branch was named to the USA TODAY All-America First Team as a returner and the PFF All-America First Team as a return specialist. He is USC’s first-ever true freshman First Team All-American.

Next stop: San Diego for the Holiday Bowl. Zachariah Branch can make a statement heading into a very important offseason for him and the Trojans.

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Imagine Louisville’s defense plus Caleb Williams — that would have been special

Louisville lacked the quarterback it needed to reach the next level.

The USC Trojans and Louisville Cardinals will meet in the 2023 Holiday Bowl. They will come to San Diego knowing they both had half of a winning formula, and that their opponent owned the other half.

USC and Louisville are good examples of “half a loaf” teams. USC had the offense but not the defense. Louisville had the defense but not the offense.

Just imagine what Louisville could have been in 2023 if it had Caleb Williams at quarterback.

Louisville scored just six points against Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. The Cardinals scored only 10 points in the first half against Kentucky on November 25. The Cards were shut out in the second half of a loss to Pittsburgh on October 14. Put Caleb Williams on the Cardinals, and they probably go 12-1 this season.

Louisville won 10 games in spite of the fact that Jack Plummer, the former quarterback at Cal, piloted the UL offense this season. Louisville was strong enough in the running game to move the ball in most of its games without Plummer’s help. Plummer made some important plays at various points in the season, but he also held back Louisville with a lot of critical turnovers, including a bad fumble in the loss to Kentucky and a huge interception against Florida State this past weekend.

If USC could have used Louisville’s defense in 2023, Louisville could have used a great quarterback this year.

Both teams will regret not having what the other side has. It will be fascinating to see how these very different teams fare against each other in San Diego.

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USC-Louisville Holiday Bowl is a tale of what might have been for the Trojans

Imagine USC’s offense with Louisville’s defense.

The 2023 Holiday Bowl between USC and Louisville is a matchup of teams which had so much to offer but couldn’t quite put all the pieces together. To be sure, USC’s 7-5 season is a million times more disappointing than Louisville’s very good 10-3 season. Yet, both teams will look back on this year as a season of missed opportunities.

USC crumbled and wasted Caleb Williams’ talents. Louisville could have made a New Year’s Six bowl and won the ACC championship. It is a story of what might have been for both teams.

Let’s look at the USC side in this article.

USC’s offense wasn’t great in 2023, but it was good. The Trojans still did score 42 points against Washington, 32 against Utah, and 27 against Oregon. With a significantly better defense, USC probably wins two of those three games. While USC’s offense didn’t play well against UCLA, the Trojans — if they had a strong defense — might have been able to smother the Bruins’ usually anemic offense. With Alex Grinch’s defense — coached by interim coordinators — USC couldn’t stop UCLA.

Imagine a world in which USC had Louisville’s defense, not Alex Grinch’s defense, in 2023. This 2023 Louisville defense shut out opponents in the first quarter in 11 of 13 games. If USC’s defense had shut out UCLA’s offense in the first quarter on November 18, the Trojans very likely would have won that game against the Bruins.

Louisville’s defense was similarly strong in fourth quarters this year as well as first quarters. The Cardinals allowed more than seven fourth-quarter points in only one game this season, to Kentucky. If USC had that kind of a defense in 2023, the Trojans would have a 10-2 record, not a 7-5 record. They wouldn’t have beaten Notre Dame, given how bad the USC offense was. They probably wouldn’t have beaten Oregon, given that they trailed 29-7 before scoring a few cosmetic touchdowns.

They probably would have won all their other games.

It’s a story of what might have been for USC.

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Louisville gets hit hard by Holiday Bowl news — Cardinals rightly expected an Orange Bowl bid

Louisville fully expected to be in the Orange Bowl. Then came the Florida State playoff snub, which ruined everything.

The Louisville Cardinals, who will play the USC Trojans in the Holiday Bowl, were one of the big victims of the playoff and bowl selection process. Louisville would have made the prestigious Orange Bowl had Florida State been picked to play in the College Football Playoff semifinals. As we know, the Seminoles were snubbed in a shocking decision.

Florida State not making the playoff put the Seminoles in the Orange Bowl, kicking Louisville out of the Orange — the New Year’s Six — and into the Holiday Bowl.

For USC, playing in the Holiday Bowl is the sign of a failed season. For Louisville, playing in the Holiday Bowl is the product of a terrible and unfair decision from the playoff committee. That decision hit UL, Florida State, and the ACC with maximum negative impact.

Let’s look at how the Orange Bowl miss affects Louisville and the ACC. Let’s then give you some fast facts and notable players on the Louisville team which will face USC in three weeks:

USC isn’t thrilled to go to the Holiday Bowl, but Louisville is a better opponent than Liberty for Oregon

It could have been worse, USC fans.

It could have been worse, everybody. USC could have had to go to El Paso for the Sun Bowl. That would have reminded USC fans of the absolutely miserable time the Trojans had there over a decade ago against Georgia Tech. Lane Kiffin’s team no-showed, setting the table for Kiffin’s tarmac exit in the 2013 season.

It could have been worse for USC. Not only did the Trojans not go to El Paso, they also got a pretty good opponent, the Louisville Cardinals. USC actually got a bowl opponent better than what Oregon received for going to the New Year’s Six and the Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks were saddled with the Liberty Flames. No one will want to either watch or attend that game. USC-Louisville is better by comparison.

Yet, we can be honest: With Caleb Williams not playing in this game and D’Anton Lynn not coaching USC’s defense in this game, there really isn’t a whole lot to look forward to. The one real highlight is seeing Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson play quarterback. Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot to get jazzed up about. Reaction to the matchup proves it: