Louisville Holds Off Washington in Sun Bowl Thriller

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EL PASO, Tex. - The Louisville football program will be heading into the offseason with momentum on their side.

Capping off year two under head coach Jeff Brohm with a showdown against Washington in the Sun Bowl, the Cardinals were able to withstand a furious fourth quarter comeback attempt, coming out on top with a thrilling 35-34 victory on Tuesday at Sun Bowl Stadium.

Louisville (9-4, 5-3 ACC) led by 14 points heading into the final period, but Washington (6-7, 4-5 Big Ten) was able to score back-to-back touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game.

Huskies wide receiver Giles Jackson, who finished with 11 catches for 161 yards and four touchdowns, snagged a 31-yard touchdown with 3:42 left to put UW within striking distance, then a one-yard score on a fade with just nine seconds left.

Instead of kicking the PAT to tie, Washington went for the win with a two point try. QB Demond Williams Jr. tried for Jackson again, but his attempt was broken up by Antonio Watts to seal the game for the Cardinals.

Louisville concludes their 2024 campaign with a dominating three-game winning streak, previously taking down Pitt and Kentucky by a combined 55 points. Brohm also wins his first bowl game with his alma mater after losing the Holiday Bowl to USC last season.

Conversely, Washington wraps up year one under head coach Jedd Fisch with an 0-7 mark away from home. The Huskies went 14-1 and were the national runner-up a year ago.

Louisville's defense got off to a good start in the Sun Bowl. On Washington's first offensive drive, Nicholson took an interception 21 yards to the house to get the scoring started. On the Huskies' next four drives, they punted three times and amassed only 91 yards - with 40 of them coming from Jackson's first touchdown reception to tie the game.

Conversely, the Cardinals' offense did not start as efficiently, punting on their first three drives of the games, including a pair of three-and-outs. Eventually, Bailey was able to settle in after some shaky early play, tossing a nine-yards touchdown pass to Lacy and to close out the first quarter and a 28-yard lob to Meeks late in the second.

However, after a strong early showing, Louisville's defense took a big step back, allowing Washington to put up just 152 yards in the second quarter after giving up just 79 in the first. One play removed from a Cardinals' turnover on downs, Jackson scored touchdown No. 2 on a 49-yard catch midway through the period, while Williams rushed for a game-tying seven-yard score with 51 seconds until halftime to tie the game at 21.

On the other side of the break, Louisville found their stride on both sides of the ball to start the second half. The Cardinals scored on their first two drives of the third quarter, with Bailey throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Kurisky and Lacy scoring on an eight-yard sweep.

Defensively, Louisville was able to wear down on Washington throughout much of the second half prior to their comeback try. On the Huskies first three drives of the half, the Cardinals gave up just 70 yards and forced punts on all three. UW put up 159 yards in their final two drives.

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