Harrison Bailey threw for three touchdowns Tuesday and Louisville held off Washington 35-34 to win the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Bailey was more efficient than spectacular, completing 16 of 25 passes for 164 yards, but also directed a turnover-free offense that boasted good balance. The Cardinals (9-4) rushed for 207 yards, getting 99 yards from freshman Isaac Brown and 83 from another freshman, Duke Watson.
The Huskies (6-7) got a big game from quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who shrugged off an early pick-six to hit 26 of 32 attempts for 374 yards and four scores. Giles Jackson shredded the Louisville secondary for 11 catches, 161 yards and all four touchdowns.
“He’s continued to show poise and show growth,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said of Williams, a freshman.
Williams found Jackson over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown pass with 3:42 left in the game to get the Huskies within 35-28. They trimmed the deficit to one with nine seconds left when Williams hit Jackson on fourth-and-goal for a 1-yard strike, but the two-point pass for the win was knocked away by Antonio Watts.
After two 15-yard celebration penalties on the Cardinals, Washington tried an onside kick from their 35 but the ball was knocked out of bounds with four seconds remaining.
“You’ve got to keep playing to the very end,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “Our guys have played hard all year. They made a few big plays without questions but we buckled down at the end.”
Bailey snapped a 21-21 tie on a 21-yard touchdown strike to wide-open tight end Nate Kurisky with 4:46 left in the third quarter. Louisville made it 35-21 less than three minutes later on an 8-yard scoring jaunt by Caullin Lacy.
Tahveon Nicholson gave Louisville a 7-0 lead 2:45 into the game, picking off Williams and lugging it 21 yards for a touchdown. But Williams responded with a 40-yard strike to Jackson at the 8:09 mark.
Bailey made it 14-7 with 27 seconds left in the first quarter on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Lacy but Williams and Jackson hooked up from 49 yards out with 8:10 remaining in the half.
Bailey’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Meeks gave the Cardinals a 21-14 edge but Williams rushed for a 7-yard score with 51 seconds left, tying the game at halftime.
–Field Level Media
