BELK BOWL

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
vs.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK

*PREVIEW VIDEO*

Tuesday, Dec. 27 • 8 p.m.
Bank of America Stadium (73,778/Natural Grass)
Charlotte, N.C.

Television
ESPN/ESPN3
Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese and Shannon Spake

Louisville Radio
WHAS-AM 840 (flagship)
SiriusXM Channel 91

THE GAME
The Belk Bowl will be played for the 10th time when Louisville meets North Carolina State Dec. 27 in Charlotte, N.C. … The bowl existed as the Continental Tire Bowl for its first three seasons and was the Meineke Car Care Bowl from 2005-10 … The game features representatives from the BIG EAST Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference … The lone exception was in 2006, when Navy was chosen to face Boston College … The BIG EAST has gone 4-4 in the Belk Bowl with three straight wins … The game will be the fourth meeting between Louisville and North Carolina State … The Cardinals have won all three previous meetings.

BELK BOWL HISTORY
12-28-02 Virginia 48, WEST VIRGINIA 22
12-27-03 Virginia 23, PITTSBURGH 16
12-30-04 Boston College 37, North Carolina 24
12-31-05 North Carolina State 14, USF 0
12-30-06 Boston College 25, Navy 24
12-29-07 Wake Forest 24, CONNECTICUT 10
12-27-08 WEST VIRGINIA 31, North Carolina 30
12-26-09 PITTSBURGH 19, North Carolina 17
12-31-10 USF 31, Clemson 26

rv/- LOUISVILLE (7-5)
Head Coach
Charlie Strong (Central Arkansas ’82)
14-11, second season at Louisville
14-12, second full season as collegiate head coach


NOTES
Louisville is playing in a bowl game for the second consecutive year and the 15th time overall … The Cardinals are 2-1 in bowl games as a BIG EAST member and 7-6-1 all-time in the postseason … Louisville was a 31-28 winner against Southern Mississippi last season in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl … The Cardinals have reached the postseason in each of Charlie Strong’s two seasons as head coach … Louisville closed the regular season with five wins in its last six games to claim a share of its second BIG EAST title … The Cardinals started the season 2-4 … Louisville averaged 16.3 points in its first seven games, but has averaged 29.4 points in its last five … All of the Cardinals’ losses have been to teams that are playing in bowl games … Louisville is 10th nationally in rushing defense (103.5 ypg), 14th in scoring defense (19.2 ppg) and 23rd in total defense (327.8 ypg) … The defense is keyed by three All-BIG EAST picks — S Hakeem Smith and CB Adrian Bushell, who were first-team selections, and LB Dexter Heyman, who was named to the second team … Smith had 81 tackles with three forced fumbles and 10 passes defended, while Bushell made 43 stops … Heyman leads the team with 83 tackles to go with 15.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three interceptions … QB Teddy Bridgewater took over as the starter in October and was unanimously chosen as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year … Bridgewater has thrown for 1,855 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions to go with three rushing touchdowns … RB Dominique Brown (482 yards) and RB Victor Anderson (478 yards) have split the duties in the backfield … WR Michaelee Harris has 37 catches for 455 yards, while WR DeVante Parker leads the team with six touchdown catches.

2011 RESULTS
September
1 Murray State W 21-9
9 Florida International L 17-24
17 at Kentucky W 24-17
October
1 Marshall L 13-17
8 at North Carolina L 7-14
15 at CINCINNATI L 16-25
21 RUTGERS W 16-14
29 SYRACUSE W 27-10
November
5 at WEST VIRGINIA W 38-35
12 PITTSBURGH L 14-21
19 at CONNECTICUT W 34-20
25 at USF W 34-24
December
27 vs. North Carolina State 8 p.m.

BIG EAST games in CAPS

NORTH CAROLINA STATE (7-5)
Head Coach
Tom O’Brien (Navy ’71)
32-30, fifth season at North Carolina State
107-75, 15th season as collegiate head coach


NOTES
North Carolina State closed the regular season with three wins in its last four games, including a 37-13 decision against then-No. 7 Clemson … The regular-season finale saw NC State rally from a 41-14 fourth-quarter deficit in a 56-41 win against Maryland … The Wolfpack will make their 26th bowl appearance and are 13-11-1 all-time in the postseason … NC State last played in the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl, scoring a 23-7 win against West Virginia … Head coach Tom O’Brien is 7-2 in bowl games, including a 6-1 mark when he coached Boston College … O’Brien has taken his team to the postseason 11 times in the last 13 years, including this season … North Carolina State made its only other appearance in what is now known as the Belk Bowl in 2005, when the Wolfpack defeated USF 14-0 … NC State’s defense allowed an average of 412.2 yards in its first six games, but has yielded just 291.7 yards per game in its last six … The Wolfpack lead the nation with 24 interceptions … CB David Amerson is a Walter Camp All-America selection and an Associated Press All-America Second Team choice … Amerson finished the regular season with 11 interceptions — four more than any other player nationally … Amerson has more interceptions than 63 Bowl Subdivsion teams … QB Mike Glennon has thrown for 2,790 yards and 28 touchdowns with 11 interceptions this season … RB James Washington has rushed for 852 yards and seven TDs … WR T.J. Graham has 39 receptions for 641 yards and five touchdowns — all team highs — and is the ACC career record-holder in kickoff return yards (3,090) … Amerson and Graham were All-ACC First Team choices, while TE George Bryan and LB Terrell Manning were chosen to the Second Team.

2011 RESULTS
September
3 Liberty W 43-21
10 at WAKE FOREST L 27-34
17 South Alabama W 35-13
22 at Cincinnati L 14-44
October
1 GEORGIA TECH L 35-45
8 Central Michigan W 38-24
22 at VIRGINIA W 28-14
29 at FLORIDA STATE L 0-34
November
5 NORTH CAROLINA W 13-0
12 at BOSTON COLLEGE L 10-14
19 CLEMSON W 37-13
26 MARYLAND W 56-41
December
27 vs. Louisville 8 p.m.

Atlantic Coast Conference games in CAPS