The Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans boiled over in the fourth quarter Tuesday, with Louisville holding off a furious Toledo rally to claim a 27-22 win that sent the Cardinals into the offseason at 9-4, and into 2026 with more questions, starting with whether head coach Jeff Brohm is a serious candidate at Michigan.
In the college football month of December, the headlines often belong to those who are leaving, to the draft, to the portal, or to wait for something better.
Louisville’s football players piled off the plane Friday in their white sweatsuits. But they weren’t arriving to play a game. They were entering a branding ecosystem.
As Louisville football prepares for its Dec. 23 matchup with Toledo in the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans, head coach Jeff Brohm confirmed Tuesday that two defensive starters have opted out and several others remain game-time decisions.
Louisville was caught in an ACC tangle of bowls after Notre Dame declined an invitation to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Mark Stoops, entering his 13th year at Kentucky, looked like a man who understood the value of 1-0. He praised his team’s toughness. He tipped his cap to a Toledo squad that didn’t go quietly. He saw what his team did well.
Kentucky’s 24-16 victory over Toledo was exactly in line with the team’s blueprint for winning this season: run the ball, play solid defense, and make a few big plays.
Mark Stoops begins his 13th season at Kentucky with a chance to reset the narrative after a 4-8 campaign in 2024.
For a program used to the SEC meat-grinder, the name “Toledo” on the schedule isn’t going to elicit much fear. But Kentucky coach Mark Stoops says it better draw some respect for his players.
Veteran transfer Zach Calzada has been named the Wildcats’ Week 1 starter, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
