Louisville running back Jeremy Wright (28) scores a first quarter touchdown as Florida linebacker Darrin Kitchens (49) and linebacker Antonio Morrison (12) defend in the Sugar Bowl NCAA game Wednesday in New Orleans.NEW ORLEANS – Terell Floyd returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown on the first play, Teddy Bridgewater directed three more scoring drives and No. 22 Louisville jumped to a 24-10 halftime lead over heavily favored No. 4 Florida in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night.
Shaking off an early hit that flattened him and knocked off his helmet, Bridgewater was 12 of 17 passing for 180 yards, including a pinpoint timing toss that DeVante Parker acrobatically grabbed as he touched one foot down in the corner of the end zone.
Jeremy Wright added short touchdown run for Louisville and John Wallace connected on a 27-yard field goal. Quite a start for the two-touchdown underdogs.
Florida had not trailed by more than 10 points in a game all season. It did not get on the board until Caleb Sturgis’s 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter, which made it 14-3.
The Gators finally got in the end zone with a trick play in the closing second of the half. They changed personnel as if to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1, but lined up in a bizarre combination of swinging-gate and shotgun formations and handed off to Matt Jones.