Preview: Louisville Faces Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl

Boca Raton Bowl | Louisville Cardinals (8-4, 4-4 ACC) vs. Toledo Rockets (8-4, 6-2 ACC)

- Kickoff: Tuesday, December 23 at 2:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
- Weather Conditions: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 79F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph.
- How To Watch: ESPN
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -7.0
- All-Time Series: Louisville Leads 5-3
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 31-6 on Sept. 9, 1981 (Cardinal Stadium)

Game Notes

Louisville

Jeff Brohm has put significant emphasis on the postseason and Louisville’s desire to win at least nine games for the third-straight season. Louisivlle will also be looking for its second straight bowl win and the fourth in the last six seasons. Brohm is looking to match Bobby Petrino as the school’s only head coach to win nine games in three-straight seasons.
Running back Braxton Jennings, who hails from Ashland, Ky., became the first walk-on in school history to rush for 100 yards in a game when he carried 20 times for 113 yards in the 41-0 win over Kentucky to close the season. Jennings entered the game with 17 carries for 87 yards.
Louisville went 2-0 this season against teams that qualified for the College Football Playoff.
Quarterback Miller Moss leads the team with nine rushing touchdowns.
The Cardinals rank 15th nationally with 14 interceptions through 12 games this season.
Head coach Jeff Brohm will make his ninth appearance in the postseason when Louisville faces Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl — his second visit to this bowl.
Brohm’s teams have accumulated a 6-2 record, including a 1-1 mark at Louisville. The 2023 Louisville team dropped a 42-28 decision to USC and last year’s squad squeaked out a 35-34 win over Washington in the Sun Bowl.
The Cardinals are appearing in a bowl game for the 28th time in school history after going 4-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with three losses in their last four games.
Louisville is 13-13-1 all-time in bowl games and owns three wins in its last five appearances.
Eleven University of Louisville players were named to the 2025 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Football Team.
Wide receiver Chris Bell was the lone firstteam selection after his career-best season. Defensive tackle Rene Konga earned secondteam accolades, while running back Isaac Brown, all-purpose performer Caullin Lacy, placekicker Cooper Ranvier, defensive end Clev Lubin and linebacker TJ Quinn gathered third-team honors.
The Cardinals will look for their ninth win on the season if they can defeat Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 23. Louisville will look to win its ninth game of the year for the third-straight season for only the third time in school history and the first time since 2012- 14 under Charlie Strong and Bobby Petrino. Louisville won 11 games in 2012 and 1013 and nine in 2014.
Louisville has ranked among the nation’s most successful teams in one-possession games since hiring Jeff Brohm for the 2023 season. The Cardinals have appeared in 18 such games under Brohm — a drastic improvement for a program that had 18 games in the seven seasons prior to his arrival.
Since Jeff Brohm took over as the Louisville head coach, he has made it a priority to acquire players with vast experience and proven levels of production over potential. The Cardinals have 24 players on the roster this year that are in their final year of eligibility in 2025. Louisville has the second most in the ACC. Colorado leads the list with 38 players in their final year.
Jeff Brohm is in his third season as the head coach of the UofL program since taking over in 2023. In his 12 seasons as a head coach, Brohm has assured himself of recording his ninth winning season at the helm of his third different program. He has enjoyed three winning campaigns at Louisville, Purdue and Western Kentucky.
Heading into the season, Jeff Brohm and offensive coordinator Brian Brohm raved about the upgrade in offensive skill, which would allow the Cardinals to be more balanced and not rely solely on the legs of Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. In its 12 games this season, Louisville is near 50-50 in its run/pass selection with 385 combined rushing attempts to 394 passes.
The Cardinals’ rushing game was on full display in the 41-0 win over Kentucky in the 2025 regular season finale. The Cardinals rushed for 258 yards on a season high 50 carries — the fourth game of over 200 yards rushing this season, helping the Cardinals improve to 4-0 in those games.
Louisville has been solid in the fourth quarter during the three seasons under Jeff Brohm. Over that time, the Cardinals have outscored the opposition 287-213 in the fourth quarter over the last 38 games since 2023.
The Cardinals are 305-38 all-time when scoring 30 or more points in a game and are 91-2 prior to 1980.

Toledo

Toledo is playing in its fifth-straight bowl game. The Rockets are 13-9 all-time in bowl games.
Toledo has been bowl-eligible for 16 straight years, the sixth-longest streak in the country.
Toledo has clinched its 16th consecutive season without a losing record, the third-longest streak in the FBS.
Robert Weiner has been named interim head coach and will lead the Rockets in the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. Weiner, who has served as the Rockets’ co-offensive coordinator/QB coach for the past six years, fills in for Jason Candle, who left to accept the head coaching position at UConn. Candle departs as Toledo’s all-time victory leader (81-44).
Toledo announced on Dec. 10 that former Mercer Head Coach Mike Jacobs will be the Rockets’ next head coach.
Senior safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was named to three major AllAmerica teams: Sporting News (2nd team), FWAA (2nd team) and AP (3rd team).
Toledo has held its opponent to 14 points or fewer seven times this season, and in single digits in each of the final four games.
Toledo put a school-record 17 players on the All-MAC team, including seven on the first team. Both figures were tops in the MAC.
Toledo’s defense ranks third in the FBS in total defense (247.8). In other FBS rankings as of Dec. 7, Toledo ranks No. 2 in defensive passing efficiency (98.60), third in first downs allowed (168), fourth in scoring defense (12.2), eighth in passing yards allowed (158.4), eighth in rushing defense (89.3), and ninth in third-down defense conversion (29.9%).
Through Dec. 13, Toledo’s defense ranks third in the FBS in total defense (247.8), trailing only Ohio State (213.5) and James Madison (247.6).
In other FBS rankings as of Dec. 13, Toledo ranks No. 2 in defensive passing efficiency (98.60), third in first downs allowed (168), fourth in scoring defense (12.2), eighth in passing yards allowed (158.4), eighth in rushing defense (89.3), and ninth in third-down defense conversion (29.9%).
Senior wide receiver Junior Vandeross III is tied for sixth with 11 TD receptions and is 13th in receptions per game (6.3)
Sophomore Bryson Hammer is 14th in punt return average (12.3).
Senior running back Chip Trayanum is tied for 19th in rushing yards per game (95.0).
Senior safety Emmanuel McNeilWarren is tied for 13th in forced fumbles (3) and tied for 12th in fumbles recovered (2).
A total of 16 Toledo Rockets earned a school-record 17 spots on the 2025 All-MAC Football Team, including seven first-team selections.
Senior safety Emmanuel McNeilWarren was named to three major All-America teams: the Sporting News (2nd Team), the FWAA (2nd Team) and the Associated Press (3rd Team).
McNeil-Warren was also named a semifinalist for the 2025 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. McNeil-Warren is the first Rocket to be named a Thorpe semifinalist since former Dallas Cowboy Barry Church in 2009 and the first MAC defensive back to be named a semifinalist since Shawun Lurry of Northern Illinois in 2015
Four Rockets have accepted invitations to play in post-season all-star games.
Toledo has three defensive backs among the MAC’s top 10 in passes defended (interceptions plus breakups): Avery Smith (3rd-12), Andre Fuller (4th-11), Braden Awls (8th-9)
Tucker Gleason ranks fifth all-time at Toledo with 57 career TD passes. Gleason also has 6,659 passing yards for his career, eighth on UT’s all-time list. He needs 146 yards to pass Aaron Opelt (6,804 from 2006-09) for seventh place.
Senior wide receiver Junior Vandeross III has 208 career receptions, just the seventh Rocket to cross the career 200-reception threshold and good for fifth place on Toledo’s all-time list.
Toledo offensive lineman Matt Hofer was one of three national finalists for the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.
Sophomore wide receiver/punt returner Bryson Hammer was named as nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy on Nov. 4. The trophy is awarded annually to the best player in the nation who began his career as a walk-on.
The Rockets boast eight players who were named to preseason watch lists, led by quarterback Tucker Gleason, who was on five lists.

Depth Charts

Here are the depth charts for both teams ahead of their matchup: Louisville vs. Toledo

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Rockets, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Toledo

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing red jerseys with black helmets and pants, while Toledo has yet to announce their uniform combination.

.@BocaBowl threads 🌊#GoCards pic.twitter.com/d9tevYsUO6
— Louisville Football (@LouisvilleFB) December 22, 2025