Louisville Holds On to Win 2025 Boca Raton Bowl, 27-22

BOCA RATON, FL – Amidst coaching rumors surrounding head coach Jeff Brohm’s future in Louisville, his football team had a bowl game to play. The Cardinals defeated the Toledo Rockets by a final score of 27-22 in the 2025 Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. It marked the Cardinals’ ninth win of the season. For a third straight year, Louisville has won nine or more games.

2025 Boca Raton Bowl Recap

Louisville wasted no time on the first drive of the game, driving down the field and scoring. Running back Keyjuan Brown broke loose for a 31-yard rush for the first offensive play of the game. Later, quarterback Miller Moss connected with Caullin Lacy for a 17-yard completion.

The Cardinals went into a fourth-and-one situation, but decided to go for it. Moss rushed down the middle for a gain of one, giving them a fresh set of downs in the red zone. After no gain from Brown, Moss connected with Treyshaun Hurry for a 17-yard touchdown. For Moss, it was his 15th passing touchdown of the season. For Hurry, it marked his first touchdown of the season. Following the successful extra point, the Cardinals took a 7-0 lead with 10:26 left in the first quarter.

About an hour before kickoff, On3’s Brett McMurphy reported that Toledo starting quarterback Tucker Gleason would be out due to an injury. That paved the way for freshman Kalieb Osborne to make his first career start. On the Rockets’ first offensive drive of the game, Osborne ran it for six yards. However, Cardinals defensive lineman Clev Lubin forced a fumble, which was recovered by South Florida native Jojo Evans.

With 11 seconds left in the first quarter, Toledo’s kicker Robert Hammond III nailed a 41-yard field goal, but Louisville still led, 7-3.

In the first half of action, Toledo’s defense did a great job limiting Louisville to 35 rushing yards. Going into the game, the Cardinals averaged 162.6 rushing yards per game. Running back Isaac Brown, who had led the team in rushing yards during the season, only ran for 12 yards. Meanwhile, Keyjuan Brown ran for 37 yards in the first half of play. Toledo’s rush defense only allows 89.3 rushing yards per game, which is first in the MAC.

Cardinals Pull Away

To begin the second half of play, Toledo missed the 41-yard field goal, which would’ve made it a 7-6 game. On Louisville’s first drive of the third quarter, the Cardinals drove down the field, thanks to Moss connecting with Caullin Lacy for a 28-yard gain. To get into the red zone, Keyjuan Brown had a 19-yard run. And one play later, Moss connected with wide receiver Antonio Meeks for a 5-yard passing touchdown, making it 14-3 following the successful extra point.

For Meeks, it was his first receiving touchdown of the season. For Moss, it was his fifth multi-passing touchdown game of the season.

The Cardinals then took a commanding 21-3 lead, thanks to Homestead, Florida native, Isaac Brown. The running back punched in an 11-yard rushing touchdown, his sixth of the season. Brown, who went on to score again, finished the game rushing for 102 yards on 10 carries.

“Credit to Isaac (Brown),” said Brohm following the game. “He had been banged up, came back, and played hard. I don’t think he was at 100-percent, but he wanted to contribute. He and Keyjuan (Brown) both did a good job. A little rusty early on, but they found a way to hit some creases where we called a couple plays in the second half that fit their style a little bit better and fit what we were going against.”

Brown finished the game running for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Keyjuan Brown, who started for Louisville, finished rushing for 112 yards on 15 carries.

Toledo’s Fourth Quarter Burst

Toledo got their first touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, as Kalieb Osborne connected with Jacob Petersen for a 26-yard passing touchdown. The Rockets’ successful two-point conversion made it a 21-11 game with 10:42 left in the fourth quarter.

The Rockets made it interesting late in the game. Once Brown scored his second touchdown of the game, a 53-yard run, Toledo blocked the extra point attempt and took it all the way back for two, making it a 27-16 game. The Rockets scored on the ensuing drive, a three-yard rushing touchdown by Chip Trayanum, making it 27-22.

Louisville Wins 2025 Boca Raton Bowl

The second-half offensive adjustments were what truly changed the game for Louisville. They posted 188 total yards of offense, with 145 of those coming on the ground. Despite Toledo having 210 total yards of offense, the Rockets’ defense was not able to stop Louisville’s two-headed monster at running back.

Miller Moss, who completed 16 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, was named offensive MVP of the Boca Raton Bowl. He finished his collegiate career with a win.

“I feel extremely grateful for the opportunities that coach Brohm and the University have afforded me,” said Moss following the game. “I’ve kind of seen it all, from dealing with death threats and concerns about losing my job to knocking off the No. 2 team in the country and receiving playoff attention. I feel like I’ve gotten the full college football experience, and I don’t feel like there’s anything left unturned.”

In Louisville’s press conference, Brohm was asked about his future with the Cardinals and if he has had any contact with Michigan regarding the head coaching vacancy.

“I don’t speak on other jobs,” said Brohm. “I’m happy with this one and happy about the victory, and we’re going to enjoy it.”

Following Toledo’s touchdown, Louisville ran down the clock with a couple of first downs converted, ending the game. For the Cardinals, they have now won three bowl games in four years. Meanwhile, the Rockets drop to 8-5 on the season. They also leave the year with questions regarding what the future will look like under new head coach Mike Jacobs.