Clemson looking to end disappointing season on a high note against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-4), Dec. 29, noon Eastern (ESPN).
FanDuel Sportsbook College Line: Clemson by 4 1/2.
Series record: Kentucky leads 8-5.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Clemson tries to end its worst season since 2010 with a five-game winning streak. The Tigers, one of 11 Power Five teams to go undefeated in November, have won a postseason game (conference championship, bowl or playoff game) in each of the last 12 years — the longest streak in major college football history. Kentucky, meanwhile, dropped five of its last seven after a 5-0 start but ended the regular season with a 38-31 victory against in-state rival Louisville in the annual Governor’s Cup.
KEY MATCHUP
Kentucky running back Ray Davis versus Clemson’s front seven, which will be without two of its top defenders. Davis, who totaled 1,383 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, opted to play in the Gator Bowl after announcing his decision to enter the NFL draft. He now faces a Tigers defense without star linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (88 tackles) and standout cornerback Nate Wiggins (nine pass breakups).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kentucky: QB Devin Leary will play in his first bowl game despite being in his sixth college football season and traveling to two previous Gator Bowls. Leary spent the last five years at North Carolina State, where he missed one bowl game while redshirting and two because of injuries. Another one got canceled.
Clemson: RBs Phil Mafah and Will Shipley are a dynamic duo, accounting for 1,692 total yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Mafah ran for 455 yards during the team’s four-game winning streak, including a career-high 186 against Notre Dame.
FACTS & FIGURES
Kentucky is playing in its eighth consecutive bowl game, a school record, and making its third appearance in the Gator Bowl. The Wildcats split the previous two in Jacksonville. … Davis, who leads the Southeastern Conference in touchdowns (20) and scoring (120), is believed to be the first player to rush for more than 1,000 yards at three Football Bowl Subdivision schools (Temple, Vanderbilt, Kentucky). … Wildcats coach Mark Stoops and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney are two of the seven longest-tenured head coaches in the FBS. Stoops, in his 11th season in Lexington, ranks seventh. Swinney, in his 16th season in Clemson, ranks sixth. … Clemson is playing in its 10th Gator Bowl, which is the most appearances by any school. The Tigers are 4-5 in Jacksonville. … Coach Dabo Swinney’s first bowl as a graduate assistant (1993, Alabama) and his first bowl as a head coach (2009, Clemson) came in the Gator. … Swinney is 2-0 against the Stoops family. He notched victories against former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops in the 2014 and 2015.
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