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Clemson Football will play Kentucky in the Gator Bowl

By John Chancey

Workers paint and prep the field during a media press conference Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Friday the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on host South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Players also met with teens and children battling a life-threatening illness, associated with the local wish-granting organization, "Dreams Come True."Jki 122922 Final Gator Bowl Pcs 04
Workers paint and prep the field during a media press conference Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Friday the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on host South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Players also met with teens and children battling a life-threatening illness, associated with the local wish-granting organization, "Dreams Come True."Jki 122922 Final Gator Bowl Pcs 04 /
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As expected by many, Clemson Football learned Sunday that they will play the Kentucky Wildcats in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Friday, December 29th at 12:00 PM in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Gator Bowl has been played since 1946. This will be the first time the Tigers have played in the game since 2009, which was Dabo Swinney’s first bowl game as head coach. The Tigers lost to Nebraska 26-21.

Kentucky didn’t have big expectations going into the season, but they started 5-0 and defeated the Florida Gators in Lexington.

Things got rocky for the Wildcats at that point, starting with a loss to eventual SEC East champion Georgia. That was followed by losses to Missouri and Tennessee.

The Wildcats defeated Mississippi State, but then dropped two more games to Alabama and South Carolina. They finished the season on a high note with a win over in-state Louisville.

The Wildcats were led by a familiar name this season. Devin Leary transferred from North Carolina State to Kentucky this past offseason. Leary has dealt with injuries this season, but as of late November, he planned to play in the bowl game.

Clemson Football will play in the Gator Bowl for the first time since Dabo Swinney’s first bowl game

The last time Clemson played Kentucky in a bowl game was in 2009, when they met in the Music City Bowl. Clemson was coming off an Atlantic Division title and a loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game.

The Tigers defeated the Wildcats 21-13 at LP Field in Nashville. Current running backs coach CJ Spiller was named the game’s MVP with 172 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. It was the last game for Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks, who retired following the conclusion of the game.

The Gator Bowl will be televised on ESPN and available for streaming in the ESPN app.

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