Louisville takes on USC minus their Heisman winner tonight at Holiday Bowl

Today's Holiday Bowl football game is headlined less by the players on the field as much as who will be missing at kickoff.

In the first-ever meeting between the Louisville Cardinals and the USC Trojans, 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams won't play as he considers the impending NFL draft.

That's probably a big reason why the 15th-ranked Cards are a 7-point favorite in the contest tonight at Petco Park in San Diego.

Otherwise, a rising Louisville squad is looking to cap the first year of the Jeff Brohm era with a rare 11th win. 

The Trojans are one of the nation's most potent offensive teams, while being just the opposite on defense. The Trojans have lost three straight and five of its last six.

Beginning next season, USC is departing the dying Pac 12 for the Big Ten, while the ACC welcomes Stanford and Cal from the Pac 12, and SMU of the AAC. UofL visits Stanford as part of its league schedule next season.




(AP Photo Timothly D. Easley)