CHARLOTTE — While Clemson is getting all of the preseason hype, Louisville is one of the teams kind of flying under the radar.

The Cardinals rolled into Death Valley in November of last season and beat the Tigers 31-23 in a game that wasn’t really as close as the final score might indicate. It was Louisville’s first-ever win over Clemson, snapping an eight-game losing streak.

This year, the Cardinals get to play host to the Tigers at home in November on a Friday night, in front of what should be a rowdy crowd.

Seeing how this year’s version of Clemson will look pretty close to the team Louisville handled pretty well last November, at least from a personnel standpoint, should the Cards be getting a little more preseason love?

Veteran wideout Chris Bell doesn’t really mind the fact his team isn’t getting a lot of hype, insisting that it is exactly what he and the rest of his teammates are accustomed to.

“We are always going to be overlooked,” Bell told The Clemson Insider during the ACC Kickoff. “It is like the normal thing until we get to the season and show something. It ain’t nothing new. We are ready for it. Whatever comes, comes. We will just show them when the season comes.”

That November game at Louisville is also on a Friday night, and it might very well have ACC Championship Game implications if both of these teams wind up living up to expectations.

“I like playing under the lights,” Bell said. “Night games make the best games.”

‘It is going to be a big game, but we don’t need to treat it like it is a big game. When you treat it like a big game, it don’t go as planned. Just treat them like any other team. We play Western Kentucky in our first game, so treat every game the same.”

Bell, who started all 13 games in 2024, accounted for 82 yards of offense in the win at Death Valley last season, with 47 of those coming on a big run. He finished up with 737 receiving yards and his 17.1 yards per catch led the team.

Now that he is entering his senior season, Bell is one of the veteran leaders in the Louisville wide receiver room, and he knows exactly how big it would be for the Cardinals to notch a second straight win over the Tigers.

“It would be so much of a boost for our confidence if… when we beat them,” Bell added confidently. It is going to show everybody we are nothing to play with.”

Photo courtesy of Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images