The game was sponsored by gas station chain 76 and was officially known as the 76 Birmingham Bowl.
After clinching their conference's West Division title, the Trojans defeated Appalachian State, 49–23, in the Sun Belt Championship Game to capture their eighth Sun Belt title.
The Blue Devils entered the game with a 7–5 record (4–4 in the ACC), tied for sixth place in their conference.
Their quarterback, Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame, while their backup, Henry Belin IV, had an "upper-body" injury.
It meant that their 3rd stringer true freshman quarterback Grayson Loftis had to start.