The 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl was an American
college football bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivi ...
that was played on December 28, 2013 at the
Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in
Orlando, Florida. It was one of the
2013–14 bowl games that concluded the
2013 FBS football season. The 24th edition of the
Russell Athletic Bowl
The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...
, it featured the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
of the
Atlantic Coast Conference (which Louisville will join in 2014) against the
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...
of the
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
. It began at 6:45 p.m.
EST and aired on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
.
The game was sponsored by the
Russell Athletic
Russell Athletic is an American clothing manufacturer based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Currently a subsidiary of global company Fruit of the Loom, Russell Athletic was the main brand of Russell Brands, LLC. until its acquisition in 2006. uniform company. Louisville defeated Miami by a score of 36–9.
The Cardinals had a regular season record of 11–1 (7–1 American).
The Hurricanes finished their season at 9–3 (5–3 ACC).
Teams
The game featured the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
against the
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...
.
Miami
The Russell Athletic Bowl chose Miami as its ACC representative. The Hurricanes started 7–0 and were ranked as high as #7 in the
AP Poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
. However, a three-game losing streak knocked them out of the polls and ultimately derailed their ACC title hopes. Although Louisville and Miami will be conference rivals starting in 2014, the teams will be in opposite divisions for football, and will not meet every year. Miami's protected cross-division rival is Florida State and Louisville's will be Virginia. Miami had self-imposed bowl bans each of the previous two seasons due to an NCAA investigation. The final sanctions ultimately did not include a bowl ban for 2013.
Offense
James Coley
James Coley (born April 14, 1973) is an American football coach who is currently the Wide Receivers coach at Texas A&M University. He was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Georgia
Coley, a Miami nati ...
was the Hurricanes' offensive coordinator, and guided the offense throughout the season, during which it averaged 274.3 passing yards per game (29th in FBS), 172.5 rushing yards per game (63rd in FBS), and 35.9 points per game (25th in FBS). The Canes' offense featured third team all-conference honoree senior
Stephen Morris at quarterback;
he totaled 2868 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during the season.
A pair of sophomore running backs led the rushing attack, however one would not play in the bowl game – sophomore
Duke Johnson
Randy "Duke" Johnson Jr. (born September 23, 1993) is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round (77th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. ...
, who rushed for a total of 920 yards and 6 touchdowns during the season en route to second team all-conference achievement,
broke his ankle in Miami's game against Florida State and subsequently underwent surgery, which prevented his participation in the bowl game, and in his absence, sophomore Dallas Crawford picked up the slack, and in total, recorded 523 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns during the season. Freshman Gus Edwards also contributed, totaling 300 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
Miami's leading receiver was senior
Allen Hurns
Allen Bernard Hurns (born November 12, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He played college football at the University of Miami.
Early y ...
, a second team all-conference honoree,
who recorded 60 receptions, exceeded 1,000 yards, and totaled 6 touchdowns on the season. Freshman
Stacy Coley was second on the team in receptions with 30, and led the team with 7 receiving touchdowns. Sophomore
Herb Waters
Herbert Lewis Waters (born November 10, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League (NAL). He most recently played for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college ...
and junior Philip Dorsett also contributed wide receiver, and junior
Clive Walford
Clive Walford (born October 21, 1991) is a former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Miami and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Early years
Walford attende ...
contributed at tight end, catching 30 passes including 2 touchdowns.
Three Miami offensive linemen achieved all-conference honors, with senior guard Brandon Linder achieving second team accolades, and senior tackle
Seantrel Henderson and junior center Shane McDermott achieving third team recognition.
The other starters on the line were sophomore
Ereck Flowers at left tackle and junior Jon Feliciano predominantly at left guard (he made two starts at right tackle), both of whom started all 12 games. Sophomore Matt Goudis handled the kicking responsibilities, making 13 of his 17 field goal tries with a long of 49 yards, and making all 56 extra point attempts.
Defense
Coached by
Mark D'Onofrio
Mark Emil D'Onofrio (born March 17, 1969) is an American college football coach and former professional player. He is currently the inside linebackers coach for the Stanford Cardinal. He was formerly the defensive coordinator and inside lineba ...
, Miami's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, the Hurricanes'
4-3 defense was in the top half of FBS teams in terms of points allowed (averaged 26 per game), and was in the middle of the pack in terms of yards allowed (averaged 415.8 per game). The unit was anchored by first team all-conference honoree
Denzel Perryman
Denzel Perryman (born December 5, 1992) is an American football middle linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami.
High school career
Perryman attended Coral Gables Senior Hig ...
,
who totaled 104 tackles including 5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. Joining Perryman in the linebacking corps was Jimmy Gaines, who was second on the defense with 76 tackles. Other contributors included Tyrone Cornelius and Thurston Armbrister, each of whom started five games, and Tyriq McCord, whose four sacks led the team.
On the defensive line, junior
Anthony Chickillo started every game at defensive end, and totaled 44 total tackles (tied for fourth on the team), 7.5 TFL (second on the team), and 3.5 sacks (tied for second on the team). Senior Shayon Green started all 12 games opposite Chickillo, and recorded 63 tackles, 10.5 TFL (led the team), and 3 sacks. In the middle at tackle, however, there was more variance, as a total of four different players started games. Junior Olsen Pierre started 11 of the 12 games on the inside, recording a total of 29 tackles and 1 each TFL and sack. Senior Luther Robinson backed up Pierre in all 12 games (earning one start), and recorded a fumble recovery as well as 23 tackles. At the other tackle spot, senior Curtis Porter started seven games (though played in all 12) and recorded 23 total tackles, 3 TFL, 1 forced fumble (FF), and 1 fumble recovery (FR), and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
-transfer
Justin Renfrow, a senior, started five games, and totaled 36 tackles and 1 FF.
In the secondary, despite starting only two games, sophomore Deon Bush earned honorable mention all-conference accolades from the
Atlantic Conference Sports Media Association;
he totaled 24 tackles and recorded 1 each TFL, sack, and interception.
Sophomore cornerback Tracy Howard also earned such recognition,
recording 32 tackles and 4 interceptions on the season. The predominant starter at cornerback opposite Howard was junior Ladarius Gunter, whose 40 tackles placed him sixth on the team, and whose 3 interceptions were second on the team. Several players started at safety throughout the season; in the team's final game, however, the two starters were senior A. J. Highsmith and sophomore Rayshawn Jenkins ... earlier in the season, senior Kacy Rodgers II and Bush started games. All four saw regular playing time throughout the season.
Louisville
After the
previous season saw the Cardinals score an upset victory in the
Sugar Bowl against the
Florida Gators by a score of 33–23, expectations were enormous heading into the next season, especially with the
massive conference upheaval leading to the
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
's transformation into the
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
. While the Cardinals once again played an outstanding season, finishing at 11–1 overall and 7–1 in the American, one loss kept the Cardinals from a return trip to the BCS; that loss being a 38–35 home defeat at the hands of the
UCF Knights
The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I ( FBS for football) as a member of the Am ...
on Friday, October 18. After a 31–24 overtime victory on the road against the rival
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Cincinnati. Though they will move to the Big 12 Conference (XII) the teams are currently a part of the American Athletic Conference (The American), which from 1979 ...
to claim
The Keg of Nails
The Keg of Nails is a traveling trophy continuously-awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Louisville Cardinals. The rivalry has stretched over the span of four conferences from ...
,
Florida Citrus Sports
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...
CEO Steve Hogan extended an invitation to play in the game. In addition to being Louisville's first Russell Athletic Bowl, this will also be the Cardinals' final game as a member of the American Athletic Conference before moving to the
Atlantic Coast Conference for 2014 and will serve as a preview for future conference play, given their opponent already plays in the ACC. It will also be the final Russell Athletic Bowl to be a tie-in for the American Athletic Conference, as that tie-in will go to the
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
from 2014 through at least 2019.
Offense
Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was in charge of the Cardinals' offense that averaged 35.1 points per game, which on the field was led by star junior quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater
Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL).
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he graduated from Miami Northwestern high school ...
, a potential top-10 pick in the
2014 NFL Draft, should he decide to forgo his senior year. During the season, he totaled 3,523 with 28 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions, the second lowest interception total amongst the top-10 passers in terms of yardage in the country. In contrast to the Cardinals' strong passing game, they were a mediocre rushing team, rushing for just 150.2 yards per game. Their rushing attack was led by a complement of backs, including Dominique Brown, a bruising junior who totaled 783 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns,
and Senorise Perry, a smaller inconsistent speedster who entered the season the starter, but ultimately averaged 4.7 yards per carry and totaled 631 yards and 6 touchdowns recording fewer carries than Brown.
Early in the season, Auburn-transfer
Michael Dyer contributed in the rushing game, but subsequently sustained a groin and hip injury that nagged the remainder of the season, during which he did not play.
The receiving game featured three players – all wide receivers – with over 40 catches. They were junior DeVante Parker, who from his frame caught 46 passes for 743 yards and 11 touchdowns, the latter two of which led the team, senior Damian Copeland, who led the team with 52 receptions and gained 690 yards scoring five touchdowns, and senior Eli Rogers, who from a small stature () caught 41 passes for 498 yards.
Other contributing wide receivers included juniors Kai De La Cruz and Robert Clark, who combined for 38 receptions, 480 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Complementing the wide receivers were two tight ends – junior
Gerald Christian
Gerald Christian (born August 26, 1991) is a former American football tight end. He was Mr. Irrelevant in 2015 when the Arizona Cardinals drafted him with the 256th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville. His brothe ...
, who caught 26 passes for 401 yards and 4 touchdowns during the season, and senior Ryan Hubbell, who caught 14 passes for 236 yards during the season.
The majority of the kicking duties (though he was listed as both a kicker and punter on the official team roster) were handled by sophomore John Wallace, who succeeded on 81% of his field goal tries during the season with a long of 39; he scored a total of 100 points adding 49/50 extra point tries. The Cardinals' offensive line entered the season needing to replace players who had totaled a combined 73 starts, but returning three juniors expected to contribute – Jake Smith, John Miller, and Jamon Brown. In the last game of the season, the Cardinals started that trio at center, left guard, and left tackle respectively, while inserting senior Kamran Joyer and sophomore Ryan Mack on the right side at guard and tackle respectively. Though from time to time they struggled, Smith commented that they improved in each game.
Defense
Louisville's defense, which was coordinated by Vance Bedford, held opponents to 12.4 points per game, and recorded 39 total sacks, both of which were near the top of the NCAA. A strong defensive line contributed to the sack totals,
and was led by senior end Marcus Smith, whose 12.5 sacks were top 10 nationally. Opposite him was junior end
Lorenzo Mauldin
Lorenzo Malik Mauldin IV (born October 1, 1992) is a professional gridiron football defensive end for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He ...
, who recorded 9.5 sacks, which was top 20 nationally. In the middle at tackle, seniors Brandon Dunn and Roy Philon combined for 78 tackles, with Dunn recording 4.5 tackles for loss (TFL) and 1 sack, and Philon contributing 12 TFL and 4 sacks.
Though that was the starting lineup for all 12 of the Cardinals' regular season games,
sophomore end Sheldon Rankins also saw playing time, and made 15 tackles as well as 3 sacks. Louisville's linebackers were another strong group, although they did not feature the same starting lineup in each game like the defensive line.
Senior middle linebacker Preston Brown led the defense with 91 tackles, adding 10.5 TFL, and 3.5 sacks. Supplementing his anchorage of the linebacking corps was sophomore weak side linebacker James Burgess, who was third on the team with 67 tackles, and added 7 TFL. Primarily starting on the strong side was former walk on George Durant, a redshirt senior who started only 7 games and earlier in the season was arrested for egregious speeding and charged with reckless driving as well as several other charges ... he ultimately entered the bowl game having amassed 15 tackles. Freshman Keith Kelsey provided depth at all three linebacker slots,
and finished the season with 23 tackles.
Two veteran safeties – junior
Calvin Pryor and senior Hakeem Smith – anchored the Cardinals' defensive backfield, starting a combined 23 of 24 possible times. Pryor was second on the defense with 69 tackles, was tied for third on the defense with 3 interceptions, and led the secondary with 5.5 TFL. Smith made 42 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions.
Terrell Floyd, a "solid" and physical player,
led the cornerbacks, recording 4 interceptions and adding 45 total tackles. Starting opposite him was redshirt sophomore Charles Gaines, a converted wide receiver who also was a kick returner, led the team with 5 interceptions and was one of the defense's top playmakers.
He supplanted fellow redshirt sophomore Jermaine Reve, who started early in the season, but upon being overtaken was relegated to an extra defensive back in passing situations and recorded 20 total tackles. Sophomore Gerod Holliman also contributed, primarily as a
nickel back
In American football, a nickelback is a cornerback or safety (gridiron football position), safety who serves as the additional defensive back in a nickel defense. A base defense consists of two cornerbacks and two safeties, making the nickelback ...
.
Game summary
Scoring summary
References
{{Louisville Cardinals bowl game navbox
Russell Athletic Bowl
The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Miami Hurricanes football bowl games
Louisville Cardinals football bowl games
December 2013 sports events in the United States
Russell Athletic Bowl
The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...
2010s in Orlando, Florida
American football in Orlando, Florida