Ad Disclosure
The No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs will face the No. 21 Louisville Cardinals in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 30. The Cardinals enter with a three-game winning streak, while the Bulldogs look to avoid back-t0-back losses to ACC teams after falling to in-state rival Georgia Tech in Week 14.
Louisville has a talented roster that should provide Georgia with tough competition in Tuesday’s game. Here’s a look at the five Cardinals every Bulldogs fan needs to know entering the Belk Bowl.
QB Kyle Bolin: Louisville has seen two season-ending injuries to quarterbacks in 2014. Will Gardner suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11 before replacement Reggie Bonnafon went down in Week 14. Bolin entered the Cardinals win against Kentucky in the second quarter and threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-31 passing.
RB Brandon Radcliff: Radcliff saw the majority of Louisville’s rushing yards, despite splitting carries with former Auburn standout Michael Dyer. The sophomore rushed for 648 yards and 11 touchdowns on 125 attempts. Radcliff averaged a team-best 54 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry.
WR DeVante Parker: Parker led the Cardinals with 735 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 35 catches. He averaged 122.5 yards and 5.8 receptions per game in just six appearances. Parker and Bolin found a fast rapport, connecting for 172 yards and three touchdowns on five passes.
DE Lorenzo Mauldin: Lorenzo Mauldin was a crucial part of Louisville’s defensive success in 2014. The senior recorded a team-best 13 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Along with Sheldon Rankins, who led the team with seven sacks, the Cardinals have a talented duo at defensive end that could pressure quarterback Hutson Mason and meet star running back Nick Chubb in the backfield.
DB Gerod Holliman: Holliman led the nation with 14 interceptions. For his efforts, the sophomore was named the 2014 Jim Thorpe Award winner. Holliman will play a vital role in forcing Mason to make mistakes. The senior has struggled when the Bulldogs rushing attack is contained and could throw some mistake passes in Holliman’s direction.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
