Release from The Belk Bowl:
The Belk Bowl announced today that the #13 University of Georgia will face #20 University of Louisville in the 2014 Belk Bowl, marking the first time the bowl has featured two Top 20 teams. The Bulldogs will be making their first appearance in the game, while the Cardinals will be making their second appearance and first since 2011. This is the first year the Belk Bowl features a matchup between the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“We are very excited to welcome the University of Georgia and the University of Louisville to the 2014 Belk Bowl in a matchup of Top 20 teams,” said Will Webb, Belk Bowl Executive Director. “The Bulldogs and Cardinals have proven to be great competitors and should provide a tremendous matchup on the field. Both schools have dedicated and supportive fan bases that we will be proud to host in Charlotte for the 2014 Belk Bowl.”
Georgia finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall record (6-2 SEC) and ranked #13 in both the AP Poll and the College Football Playoff. They were victorious over ranked opponents Clemson, Auburn, and SEC East champion Missouri, and won eight of their last ten games to end the season.
“The selection of our team to play for the first time in the Belk Bowl is a great opportunity for our team and especially our seniors,” said UGA head coach Mark Richt. “We¹ve never been to Charlotte and it will be a new experience for our fans and all our players. Charlotte is an exciting city, has a great stadium, and will furnish first class competition with a quality opponent like Louisville. It will be a challenge for our team and we are looking forward to the game.”
Louisville finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall record (5-3 ACC) and ranked #20 in the AP, #21 in the CFP. They won four of their last five games, and five games over bowl eligible teams. Two of their losses were by six points or less.
“I am proud of our team’s hard work and commitment this season, and playing in Belk Bowl against a nationally ranked SEC team is very exciting for our program,” said Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino. “Charlotte is a great destination for our fans and very accessible. Georgia is a high-quality opponent with a great tradition, and the bowls first-ever top 20 match-up will definitely be exciting.”
College football’s only bowl game to call the Carolinas home, the Belk Bowl will take place on Tuesday, December 30th, with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff and televised nationally on ESPN.
The Sports Inquirer 
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