Tag: Louisville football

Wisconsin pitted against ACC opponent in Action Network bowl prediction ahead of Week 8

Updated bowl projection for Wisconsin after Rutgers win

The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy released his bowl predictions ahead of Week 8 of the 2024 college football season on Monday.

The outlet’s preseason prediction pitted Wisconsin against Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Eight weeks later, Brett McMurphy currently predicts the Badgers to play in Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against the Louisville Cardinals on Dec. 28 in Bronx, New York.

Ahead of Week 5, McMurphy also predicted the Badgers to play in the Pinstripe Bowl. Instead of Louisville being UW’s projected opponent, the analyst then believed Boston College would wind up in the bowl game against Wisconsin.

A member of the American Athletic Conference, Louisville boasts a 4-2 overall output through six games of its 2024 slate. The team’s sole losses arrived in one-score games against No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 21 SMU. The team also received six votes in the latest installation of the AP Top 25 on Sunday.

If McMurphy’s forecast comes to fruition, it would be the 23rd straight season that the Badgers appear in a bowl game after the regular season. While Luke Fickell’s main priority revolves around the 12-team playoff scenario, extending the bowl streak is still an achievement.

Wisconsin could bolster its case for a more prestigious bowl game after its Week 8 game against the Northwestern Wildcats. After producing over 500 yards of offense against both Purdue and Rutgers in its previous pair of games, UW is primed for another offensive explosion in Evanston on Oct. 19.

Wisconsin last appeared in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27, 2018, in a 35-3 victory over Miami (Florida). Former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst, accompanied by quarterback Jack Coan and all-world running back Jonathan Taylor, cruised to a victory before 37,821 fans at Yankee Stadium.

Rutgers (7-6) faced Miami (7-6) in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl, which figures to be where Wisconsin will land at the end of the season. The Badgers will next face No. 3 Penn State at home in Week 9, Iowa on the road in Week 10 and No. 2 Oregon at Camp Randall in Week 11.

Louisville receiver returns after transferring to South Carolina

After transferring to South Carolina, wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce is back on the Louisville Cardinals roster.

In an odd story that will certainly have more to it, the Louisville Cardinals may be getting a huge target back.

Just months following his transfer to South Carolina, Louisville expects receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce to join the team this week. South Carolina knew he was no longer with their program, but was unaware of where he was heading.

Last season, the receiver was second on the squad with four touchdowns and 312 yards. He was part of the offense that went to the ACC title game, but ultimately fell to Florida State. In his career, he has over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns through three seasons.

The Cardinals and quarterback Tyler Shough are slated to start the season on August 31st at home against Austin Peay. They have three straight home games to start the 2024 season.

The first ACC game is on September 21st against Georgia Tech, who upset Florida State in Ireland. The end of September sees Louisville at Notre Dame.

Jonah Monheim explains how the Holiday Bowl changed the 2024 USC team

Jonah Monheim sees and feels the difference in this USC team.

With a little over a minute left in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, near the end of a roller-coaster season for the USC Trojans, emotions were flowing. Through all the celebrations in the stands and on the field, one voice came out of nowhere but said it all: “We a team now!” Redshirt junior cornerback Jacobe Covington was voicing the mood of this team which was undefeated and ranked inside the top 10, only to finish the season losing five of the next six regular season games. But somehow, this young team went down to San Diego and beat the No. 15 Louisville Cardinals by two touchdowns despite missing a lot of veteran leadership, their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, and their starting running back MarShawn Lloyd. Jonah Monheim noticed.

The fifth-year senior felt the change in this team in the lead-up to and then in the aftermath of the bowl game. He explained to Ashley Adamson on the Big Ten Network how this young team came together and new stars emerged for this upcoming season. Monheim recalled:

“That was a great moment for our team at the end of last year showing a lot of the work that those guys [the freshman wide receivers and offensive linemen] had done up to that point to get that break out moment and end the season the right way after the season had not gone the way that we had wanted.  I think building on to this next year, a lot of those guys are going to be significant contributors that we are going to count on day after day and game after game, so it was great for them.”

These same sentiments were shared by USC head coach Lincoln Riley and starting quarterback Miller Moss at Big Ten Media Days.

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ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 5/11

Watch: Highlights of new Texans RB Jawhar Jordan

The Houston Texans have found another running back to add to the mix with the addition of Louisville’s Jawhar Jordan. Take a look at his highlights here!

The Houston Texans are adding more speed to their backfield in 2024. 

After moving back with the Detroit Lions, Houston wasted little time at pick No. 205 to select Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan in the NFL draft. 

Jordan, known for his straight-line speed and special teams skills, should compete for a role on kickoff and punt returns. He also should fill the void as the No. 3 running back behind Pro Bowler Joe Mixon and third-year standout Dameon Pierce. 

A transfer from Syracuse, the 5-foot-9 runner shined during his time at Lousiville, totaling nearly 2,000 yards in two seasons. Last year, he rushed for 1,128 and scored an ACC-leading 13 touchdowns under new head coach Jeff Brohm. 

Jordan’s proven to be a runner who can take over games. In 2023, he 134 yards against Boston College and had a 75-yard touchdown catch and a 40-yard kickoff return. He also hit the 100-yard marker six times in 12 games last fall. 

In 2022, Jordan was named the MVP of the 2022 Fenway Bowl, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Cincinnati. In his final season with the Cardinals, Jordan averaged 6.33 yards per rush attempt. 

The Texans won’t need Jordan to be a difference-maker initially, but they could see him carve out a niche role on third down. He’s also been a standout in the passing game, totaling 31 receptions for over 300 yards and a touchdown in two seasons. 

These highlights from Lousivlle show exactly what Jordan brings to the Texans’ offense in 2024.

Texans select Lousiville RB Jawhar Jordan with 205th overall pick in 2024 NFL draft

The Houston Texans have found another running back to add to the mix with the addition of Louisville’s Jawhar Jordan.

The Houston Texans are adding more speed to their backfield in 2024. 

After moving back with the Detroit Lions, Houston wasted little time at pick No. 205 to select Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan in the NFL draft. 

Jordan, known for his straight-line speed and special teams skills, should compete for a role on kickoff and punt returns. He also should fill the void as the No. 3 running back behind Pro Bowler Joe Mixon and third-year standout Dameon Pierce. 

A transfer from Syracuse, the 5-foot-9 runner shined during his time at Lousiville, totaling nearly 2,000 yards in two seasons. Last year, he rushed for 1,128 and scored an ACC-leading 13 touchdowns under new head coach Jeff Brohm. 

Jordan’s proven to be a runner who can take over games. In 2023, he 134 yards against Boston College and had a 75-yard touchdown catch and a 40-yard kickoff return. He also hit the 100-yard marker six times in 12 games last fall. 

In 2022, Jordan was named the MVP of the 2022 Fenway Bowl, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Cincinnati. In his final season with the Cardinals, Jordan averaged 6.33 yards per rush attempt. 

The Texans won’t need Jordan to be a difference-maker initially, but they could see him carve out a niche role on third down. He’s also been a standout in the passing game, totaling 31 receptions for over 300 yards and a touchdown in two seasons. 

The Texans still have three more picks in the seventh round before completing their squad for the weekend. 

Former Georgia DB enters transfer portal for second time

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back is expected to transfer away from Louisville after spending one season with the Cardinals

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Marcus Washington Jr. is back in the transfer portal. Washington Jr. transferred from Georgia last spring to the Louisville Cardinals.

Washington Jr. played in 13 games for Louisville, but did not record any stats. He primarily played on special teams and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining at his next college home.

Washington Jr. is a former four-star recruit. He is the son of former Georgia defender Marcus Washington.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back played in one game during the 2022 season with Georgia, recording one tackle. Washington Jr. still has a ton of potential.

Washington joins several other former Georgia players that have entered the transfer portal for the second time in their career. Former Georgia defensive lineman Bill Norton transferred from Arizona to Texas this spring. Former Georgia receiver Justin Robinson transferred to Mississippi State a couple of seasons ago and is back in the portal.

ACC Football Teams Ranked by Returning Production for 2024

A look at each ACC team’s returning production for the upcoming 2024 season.

Forecasting which teams will rise to greatness in college football in any given season can prove challenging. However, a key indicator often lies in the roster’s returning players.

From seasoned fifth-year senior linebackers to up-and-coming junior quarterbacks, the presence of experienced athletes opting to continue with their respective programs can significantly bolster a team’s competitive advantage. This continuity becomes particularly crucial as other teams contend with talent depletion due to NFL draft selections, transfers, or eligibility regulations.

ESPN recently released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, with each ACC team naturally being listed. Here is a look at each ACC team’s returning production on offense, defense, and total.

Updated 4/7

Texans to host breakout ACC RB for top 30 visit

Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo will pay a visit to the Houston Texans before the upcoming NFL draft later this month.

As the Houston Texans continue to prepare for the NFL draft later this month, prospects will head to NRG Stadium for in-person visits.

One visit could be worth monitoring given the status of Houston’s running back room entering offseason workouts and it could end up being another key piece to the offense.

According to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo will meet with the Texans before the draft for a top-30 visit. Guerendo is expected to be a mid-round target and a potential option for Houston in the fourth round.

Few players have bolstered their draft stock through the pre-draft process as much as Guerendo. Last month during the combine, he put on a clinic in front of scouts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Guerendo’s 4.33 40-time was the fastest among running backs at the event. His 41.5-inch vertical was the best among backs, while his 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump ranked second.

After transferring from Wisconsin in the offseason, Guerendo posted career numbers while splitting reps with Jahwar Jordan. In 132 attempts, the senior rushed for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns, while adding 22 catches for 234 yards.

Even after trading for and extending Joe Mixon, the Texans remain in the market for another running back. Houston believes the best is still to come with the former Bengals’ star, but the run game woes factored into Houston’s demise during the divisional round loss against Baltimore.

As free agency winds down, sights turn to the draft for a complementary No. 3 option behind the Pro Bowl rusher and third-year back Dameon Pierce. There’s talent found in the current class, but Houston could wait to target someone on Day 3.

Guerendo should be on the shortlist of options for Houston beginning in Round 4. While he’s yet to prove his skills as a lead back, the athleticism would be a welcomed addition to a revamped offense that recently added Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs.

The Texans turned to Devin Singletary as the new leading man by midseason and saw progress in a woeful rushing attack en route to winning a division title. Singletary posted career-highs in rushing yards (898) and carries (216), but it wasn’t enough to bolster a 23rd-ranked unit that averaged 3.7 yards combined.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans emphasized during his final press conference of the season the need to upgrade the run game if Houston hopes to return to the postseason in a revamped competitive AFC South next fall.

“I think as you see as you go throughout this game, especially in the postseason, teams that win games – you’ve got to be able to run the football and sustain it,” Ryans said.  “And we weren’t able to accomplish that versus the Ravens, and it showed up. So, we [definitely] have areas to improve – many different areas – but the run game is one of those areas, for sure.”

The Texans own nine picks in April’s draft, including two second-round picks and two fourth-round picks.

A look at Clemson football’s complete 2024 schedule

Here is a look at Clemson football’s entire 2024 schedule.

After a long wait, we finally have a complete look at the Clemson football team’s 2024 schedule.

While we have known who the Tigers will be facing for some time, we now have the date and week for each game. Times are yet to be determined, as many factors go into the time choices for each game. Even so, we know what week each game will take place, so Clemson fans can now plan accordingly.

With the release of the schedule, we put together a week-by-week schedule of our own for you to see who Clemson will face each week and where it will be. Take a look at Clemson’s complete 2024 schedule below.

Updated 3/31