Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Toledo

Take a look at how the Cardinals stack up against the Rockets in the Boca Raton Bowl, and who the statistical models favor:
Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Clev Lubin (50) celebrates his tackle of Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) in the first half at L&N Stadium Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.
Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Clev Lubin (50) celebrates his tackle of Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) in the first half at L&N Stadium Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville (8-4, 4-4 ACC) is set to face Toledo (8-4, 6-2 MAC) in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 2:00 p.m. EST at Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. Here's how the Cardinals stack up against the Rockets:

*Mobile users can scroll left and right on the tables below*

Rankings

Toledo

Louisville

AP/USAT

NR/NR

RV/RV

CFP

NR

NR

SOS

128th

53rd

SOR

76th

36th

SP+

38th

29th

FPI

52nd

29th

Sagarin

54th

27th

Kelley Ford

56th

31st

CFB Graphs

50th

38th

Offensive Statistics

Toledo

Louisville

Total Offense

31st (421.8)

69th (388.8)

Yards Per Play

28th (6.30)

38th (5.99)

Scoring Offense

38th (31.6)

45th (30.2)

Passing Yards

51st (244.0)

65th (226.3)

Yards Per Completion

46th (12.25)

101st (10.77)

Rushing Yards

44th (177.8)

65th (162.6)

Yards Per Rush Attempt

29th (4.94)

23rd (5.07)

First Downs Gained

52nd (255)

86th (235)

3rd Down Con. %

55th (41.0)

94th (36.9)

4th Down Con. %

133rd (18.8)

69th (54.4)

Red Zone Con. %

119th (75.5)

13th (92.1)

Turnovers Lost

49th (14)

75th (16)

Interceptions Thrown

71st (10)

60th (9)

Fumbles Lost

16th (4)

77th (7)

Tackles For Loss Allowed

37th (4.75)

68th (5.33)

Sacks Allowed

13th (1.08)

75th (1.92)

Avg. Time of Possession

62nd (30:08)

54th (30:22)

Key: National Rank out of 136 FBS Teams (Value)

Defensive Statistics

Toledo

Louisville

Total Defense

3rd (247.8)

16th (300.3)

Yards Allowed Per Play

1st (3.91)

15th (4.69)

Scoring Defense

4th (12.2)

35th (21.1)

Passing Yards Allowed

8th (158.4)

27th (190.6)

Rushing Yards Allowed

8th (89.3)

22nd (109.8)

First Downs Allowed

3rd (168)

15th (200)

3rd Down Def. %

5th (29.9)

20th (33.3)

4th Down Def. %

11th (37.0)

14th (37.5)

Red Zone Def. %

3rd (68.0)

67th (83.9)

Turnovers Gained

25th (20)

36th (19)

Interceptions Caught

23rd (13)

16th (14)

Fumbles Recovered

44th (7)

79th (5)

TFL Per Game

5th (7.4)

60th (5.6)

Sacks Per Game

13th (2.92)

50th (2.25)

Key: National Rank out of 136 FBS Teams (Value)

Special Teams Statistics

Toledo

Louisville

Net Punting

108th (37.37)

113th (37.09)

Avg. Kickoff Return

42nd (22.29)

33rd (22.69)

Avg. Kickoff Return Def.

103rd (22.78)

33rd (18.12)

Avg. Punt Return

32nd (11.48)

5th (18.08)

Avg. Punt Return Def.

20th (4.22)

18th (4.11)

Field Goal Attempts

8-11

23-28

PAT

49-49

37-39

Key: National Rank out of 136 FBS Teams (Value)

Predictions:

- FPI Prediction: Per ESPN's Football Power Index, the Cardinals have a 67.6 percent chance to win against the Rockets. Louisville has an FPI rating of 9.9 (29th overall), whereas Toledo has an FPI rating of 4.2 (52nd overall)

- SP+ Prediction: Per Bill Connelly's SP+ model, the Cardinals have a 58.0 percent chance to take down the Rockets. Louisville has an SP+ rating of 11.7 (29th overall), whereas Toledo has an SP+ rating of 8.4 (38th overall).

- Sagarin Prediction: Per Jeff Sagarin's ratings, the Cardinals have an 70 percent chance to defeat the Rockets. Louisville has a Sagarin rating of 80.43 (27th overall), whereas Toledo has a Sagarin rating of 72.41 (54th overall)

- College Football Graphs Prediction: Per College Football Graph's EPA Margin metric, the Cardinals have a 57.6 percent chance to take down the Rockets. Louisville has an EPA Margin of 0.128 (38th overall), whereas Toledo has an EPA Margin rating of 0.071 (50th overall).

- Personal Prediction: Louisville 28, Toledo 21.

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(Photo of Clev Lubin: Matt Stone - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic