Clemson’s Phil Mafah received recognition from the NCAA for his record-breaking performance in the Tigers’ 38-35 come-from-behind victory over Kentucky in Friday’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
In their 2023-24 list of top individual performances during college football’s bowl season, the NCAA’s official website made special note of Mafah’s heroics.
The star tailback rushed for a Gator Bowl record four touchdowns and 74 yards on 11 carries in Clemson’s victory. Three of Mafeh’s touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning score with just 17 seconds remaining.
In the final period, which began with the Tigers trailing 21-10, Mafeh ran for touchdowns of 1 yard, 29 yards, and 3 yards, respectively, in Clemson’s 28-point fourth quarter offensive explosion.
Mafah also had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that marked Clemson’s first touchdown of the afternoon.
Before Mafah’s performance, Virginia Tech’s Lee Suggs was the most recent of six players that had shared the record for most touchdown runs in a single Gator Bowl performance with three. Suggs’ three scores came in Virginia Tech’s 2001 Gator Bowl victory over Clemson.