The 2023 Gator Bowl will be headlined by an ACC-SEC showdown with No. 22 Clemson battling Kentucky. This postseason tilt should serve as a punctuation mark for two programs trying to end the rollercoaster season on a high note. Both the Tigers and Wildcats started the season with high expectations – especially for Clemson – and will now look to start the 2024 season with new momentum with a win this season.
A disastrous first month left the Tigers essentially irrelevant in the ACC title race, but Dabo Swinney's team rattled off four straight wins to close out the season. Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw six touchdown passes in the last four games, finally complementing a rushing attack that has been strong all season and forging an identity.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, defeated rival Louisville in the final regular-season game of the season, ending a two-game losing streak and giving coach Mark Stoops' team a boost after stumbling in the second half of the season.
What can you expect on Friday afternoon in Jacksonville, Florida? Let's break the game down and make a selection.
Clemson vs. Kentucky: Need to know
Grind and crush: The Tigers' rushing attack has increased, ranking second in the ACC with 225.5 yards per game in the final month of the season. Running back Phil Mafah managed 113.75 yards per game while splitting time with Will Shipley for most of the season. Speaking of Shipley, the junior rushed for 283 yards and two touchdowns in three games in November, capping a tumultuous regular season. Neither has revealed their actual plans for the game and beyond, so it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Garrett Riley addresses what could be a starting point for a Clemson team desperate to get back in the want to get into the national title fight.
Will Devin Leary cook? The first-year Kentucky quarterback played against Clemson three times during his career at NC State, two of which were complete disappointments. He also hasn't completed more than 60% of his passes in a game since the loss to Tennessee on Oct. 28. However, this will likely be his final game as a college quarterback, so it will be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Liam Coen lays bare everything to get Leary back in the good graces of NFL draft scouts – and that seemed to be the case I've fallen in love with him over the last two offseasons.
Does ACC’s success matter? Kentucky has won six straight games against ACC opponents, and that has been a big talking point heading into this matchup against the Tigers. Is there something to that? Five of those six wins came against Louisville, with the sixth coming against Virginia Tech in the 2019 Belk Bowl. So it's not like they did it against juggernauts. Clemson isn't one either – at least not this year. We will find out here how important conference affiliation is.
How to watch Gator Bowl live
Date: Friday December 29th | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: EverBank Stadium – Jacksonville, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: Fubo (Try for free)
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Gator Bowl Prediction, Tips
SportsLine consensus odds
Clemson has struggled with some opt-out issues, but that shouldn't make much of a difference in one of those high-risk, high-reward bowl games where both offenses just let it rip. Klubnik will be asked to stretch the field, even though he hasn't done that much this season, to try to expand the playbook early in the offseason. This will be too much for Kentucky and it should be fun. Pick: Clemson -5
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