Louisville, LSU selected to play in Citrus Bowl

ORLANDO, Fla. — The No. 20 LSU Tigers (7-4, 5-3 SEC) and the No. 13 Louisville Cardinals (9-3, 7-1 ACC) will meet in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. Florida Citrus Sports' Chairman Harold Mills and CEO Steve Hogan announced the matchup today on behalf of the organization's Team Selection Committee. The 71st edition of the game will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 31 at Camping World Stadium and will be televised nationally by ABC.

This year’s Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will be the first-ever meeting between Louisville and LSU. The Tigers have played in Orlando three times previously, most recently in 2010. The Cardinals will be making their first appearance in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl but their second appearance in an Orlando bowl game after the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl.

LSU features a formidable defense that touts the fourth-fewest points allowed and fifth-fewest yards allowed in the nation as well as one of the nation’s best running backs in Leonard Fournette on the offensive side of the ball. Derrius Guice has filled in admirably when Fournette has been unable to play, tallying over 1,200 rushing yards himself. The rushing tandem have combined for nine 100-yard rushing games and three 200-yard rushing efforts in team’s eleven games. LSU’s four losses have come by a total of 23 points (5.75 ppg).

Louisville is led by ACC Player of the Year, Heisman finalist and record-setting quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson finished the regular season with the ACC single-season touchdown record (51; 30 passing, 21 rushing), rushing yards by a quarterback (1,538) and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (21) as well as setting the Louisville mark with 4,928 yards of total offense and 1,538 rushing yards.

WFTV