Two of the most productive passing offenses in the country clash at the historic Sun Bowl as Washington faces off against Louisville on New Year's Eve. The Huskies turned over much of the roster after a trip to the CFP National Championship a year ago but managed to reach bowl eligibility after beating USC and UCLA in the final weeks of the season.
Louisville ranked among the top teams in the ACC but suffered at the expense of close-game luck, finishing with an 8-4 record. All four losses -- Notre Dame, SMU, Miami and Stanford -- were by one score. The Cardinals gave Notre Dame their closest game of the season outside of the loss to Northern Illinois.
These two programs have never played one another, and they have rarely played in the Sun Bowl, either. Washington has played in the Sun Bowl four times but not since 2002. The program's only win came in 1979. Since Louisville only joined the ACC a little over a decade ago, you have to go all the way back to 1957 to catch the Cardinals' only appearance in El Paso -- a 34-20 win over Drake.
Washington vs. Louisville: Need to know
Key opt outs: After the 8-4 season for Louisville, several key players have declared for the NFL Draft and opted out of the bowl game -- most notably, quarterback Tyler Shough and wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks are both leaving to prepare for the draft. Both ranked top 20 nationally in passing yards and receiving yards per game, respectively. Star defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte will do the same after posting 26.5 sacks and 41 tackles for loss in four seasons. Washington linebacker Khmori House is the only major loss for the Huskies after transferring to North Carolina.
Running back battle: While these two teams are known for passing, the running backs may be the best players on the team, especially in the bowl games. Washington's Jonah Coleman transferred to Seattle with first-year coach Jedd Fisch from Arizona, posting 184 carries for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season. However, Louisville running back Isaac Brown might be the most surprising breakout player in the ACC. The freshman exploded for 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns on a mind-boggling 7.3 yards per carry. In a decimation of ACC champion Clemson, he posted 151 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
New era: While incumbent Washington quarterback Will Rogers will participate in the bowl game, true freshman Demond Williams will start his second straight game for the Huskies after debuting against Oregon. Against one of the best teams in college football, Williams posted 201 yards passing and a touchdown on only 20 pass attempts, completing 85% of his passes and recording a passer rating of 185.9. Williams is the future of the program, and that will continue against Louisville.
How to watch Sun Bowl live
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Bowl -- El Paso, Texas
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Sun Bowl prediction, picks
Based on the season, Louisville would be substantial favorites to crush Washington. Even with several key opt outs, there's still plenty of talent remaining, headlined by Isaac Brown. Louisville's highly rated defense will be able to cause just enough mistakes from Washington QB Demond Williams and escape the battle as victors. Pick: Louisville -2.5
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