Clemson wins Gator Bowl behind RB’s record day
Dec 29, 2023, 05:26 PM ET JACKSONVILLE, Fla.– Clemson completed the Gator Bowl on Friday much like it did the season: with a flourish.Phil Mafah ran for 4 goals, including a 3-yarder with 17 seconds to play, and the Tigers rallied to beat Kentucky 38-35 in among the wildest Gator Bowls to date, ending the year with a five-game winning streak.Mafah scored 3 times in a back-and-forth last quarter that consisted of five turnovers, four touchdowns and five lead changes. Clemson(9-4)outscored Kentucky 28-14 over the last 15 minutes.”You saw who we are this evening,”Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Those guys, they completed.
“Cade Klubnik made the play of the game when he connected with Troy Stellato for 16 backyards on third-and-18 to set
up Mafah’s fourth-down run that moved the chains. Mafah scored 3 plays later to put the Tigers up for good.Kentucky(7-6)had a last chance, however Devin Leary’s first-down pass was obstructed by Justin Mascoll.Editor’s Picks
“An extremely difficult loss,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops stated. “Terrific football game. We dealt with a lot of hardship and conquered it. Errors and turnovers, charges, there was a lot of things that you’re not very pleased with.”
Mafah finished with 71 backyards on 11 carries. His 4 rushing goals set a Gator Bowl record. Klubnik finished 30 of 41 passes for 264 yards without any touchdowns and an interception. He completed 8 of 9 hand down the winning drive.Clemson tracked 21-10 after Kentucky’s Barion Brown, who scored 3 goals three various ways, returned the second-half kickoff 100 lawns. He is the first SEC player with a rushing TD, getting TD and kickoff return TD in any game considering that Ole Miss’Deuce McAllister did it against Texas Tech in the 1998 Independence Bowl, according to ESPN Statistics & Information.The Wildcats appeared like they would roll to a triumph after Brown
‘s kickoff return, however they turned the ball over on three successive ownerships in the fourth.Clemson capitalized and got a 27-21 lead on Mafah’s 3rd TD run.Brown reacted with a 60-yard TD catch that put UK back in front 28-27. It was short-term since Will Shipley returned the ensuing kickoff 60 backyards to establish Jonathan Weitz’s basket– a 52-yarder that hit the crossbar and bounced over. “He kicked it 52 lawns and one inch,”Swinney said.The Wildcats answered, though. Leary gotten in touch with Jordan Dingle for 72 backyards on the
next play, setting up Ray Davis’1-yard scoring run.
“I’m happy to have actually played that game, “stated Davis, who played regardless of turning pro.” The rest of my life I’m going to have the ability to keep in mind that and be able to understand that I belonged to a really historical game in a sense of simply backward and forward and ups and downs, highs and lows and knowing whenever hardship struck, we stepped up to the plate. “Clemson rallied once again in the end and wound up celebrating on the field later.”I don’t know if I’ve ever belonged of that in a quarter in the past, “Swinney stated.”
It was special, and these guys know that.” SHIPLEY INJURED Shipley turned head over heels out
of bounds on his long return. He got his knee and needed to be assisted to the bench and then hauled to the locker room with a towel over his head. He finished what might have been his final game at Clemson with 132 all-purpose lawns, including 94 on returns.”Initial reports appear to be encouraging, “Swinney said. “But you never know up until you get an MRI. “GRAND ENTRANCE Clemson fans didn’t have much to cheer about in the 3rd quarter till former Tigers stars and current Jacksonville
Jaguars standouts Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. strolled onto the sideline.Lawrence and Etienne got 2 of the loudest ovations
from the Clemson side when they were shown on the videoboards shaking hands with players and coaches during a timeout with 6:31 to play in the 3rd. The duo led the Tigers to the 2018 championship game and 2 more appearances in the College Football Playoff. Later on Friday it was revealed Lawrence will miss his first profession game because of an injury to his tossing shoulder.THE TAKEAWAY Clemson: The Tigers played without star linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (88 takes on) and standout cornerback Nate Wiggins (9 pass breakups). Both pulled out to begin preparing for the NFL draft and were plainly missed as Kentucky delivered 3 plays longer than 40 yards.Kentucky: Davis played well in a game he easily might have avoided. He had a 43-yard scamper in the very first half that established a touchdown and finished with 63 backyards on the ground.UP NEXT Clemson: The Tigers have lots of youth to construct around, beginning with Klubnik and receivers Tyler Brown and Antonio Williams.Kentucky: The Wildcats need to replace Davis, who totaled 1,383 lawns and 20 touchdowns this season.Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.