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Cardinals to Meet No. 10 Boise State at AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Nov. 30, 2004 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In what will likely be one of the most attractive college bowl games this year, #7/8 Louisville will face #11/10 Boise State in the 2004 AutoZone Liberty Bowl on December 31, 2004. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. (EST) at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and will be televised live on ESPN. "I think fans will really enjoy this match-up," said head coach Bobby Petrino, who's making his second straight bowl appearance. "Boise State is an excellent football team with an explosive offense and a good defense. I know our players will be excited about a match-up of two top 10 teams." The game will feature two of the top two offenses in the country. Louisville leads the country in total offense with an average of 538.20 yards per game, while the Broncos are second at 511.64. The Cardinals also own the top scoring unit in the nation with a 49.8 per game average and Boise is second at 49.73. Louisville (9-1), champions of Conference USA, will face Boise State (11-0) for just the third time, with the Broncos winning both meetings. Boise State defeated the Cardinals, 34-31, in the 1999 Humanitarian Bowl, and also won, 14-13, in 1996 at Cardinal Stadium. Louisville is making its seventh straight bowl appearance and second straight under Petrino. The Cardinals are 4-6-1 in bowl games and are making their fourth appearance in the Liberty Bowl. The Cardinals are 2-1 all-time in the Liberty Bowl, defeating Michigan State in 1993 and BYU in 2001, and falling to Colorado State in 2000. Boise State became the first WAC team since 1984 to finish its regular season with a perfect record. The Broncos won at Nevada, 58-21, to earn its third consecutive WAC title. Boise State also extended its nation-best winning streak to 22 games and broke the WAC record of consecutive conference victories by winning their 26th in a row. "We're excited playing Boise State in the Liberty Bowl,especially for our loyal fans who can make the short trip to Memphis to see a great college football matchup," said Athletic Director Tom Jurich. "I think it has a chance to be one of the best college football games of the year, featuring two top 10 football teams and a pair of the top offensive football teams in the country." Ticket orders are being accepted by telephone with a VISA or MasterCard by calling the U of L ticket office at (502) 852-5151 or 852-5863. The U of L ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets are also available through TicketMaster by calling (502) 361-3100 and at statewide Kroger stores. Travel packages are available through Champion Sports Tours. Fans may
sign up by calling (812) 206-5282, toll free at 1-866-995-7444, or
through the internet at www.championsportstours.com.
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