Louisville to face Air Force in First Responder Bowl

The 2021 Louisville football season will end with a matchup against Air Force in the First Responder Bowl.

The game will be played Tuesday, Dec. 28, at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. ET, and ESPN has the television coverage.

I know afternoon on a non-holiday weekday isn’t exactly ideal, but I suppose it’s better than playing at the same time as a basketball game (there had been reports this morning that Louisville was headed to the Armed Forces Bowl, which kicks off about an hour into the U of L-UK men’s basketball game). Hey, I’m trying here.

Air Force had a stellar 2021 season, going 9-3 overall and 6-2 in Mountain West play. The Falcons’ three losses came by a total of 17 points, and one the most lopsided of those (21-14 to Army) came in overtime. Air Force leads the nation in rushing at 342.0 yards per game.

Louisville, which has never faced Air Force before, is 11-11-1 all-time in bowl games, and will be playing a postseason contest in Texas for the first time since 1958. This will also be U of L’s first bowl game against a non-SEC opponent since it joined the ACC in 2014.