Tag: Gator bowl

Eric Mac Lain shares his takeaways from Clemson’s wild Gator Bowl win over Kentucky

Former Tiger Eric Mac Lain recently shared his takeaways from Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers secured a thrilling victory in the Gator Bowl, edging out Mark Stoop and the Kentucky Wildcats with a 38-35 score that’s buzzing across social media.

Despite lacking aesthetic perfection from both teams, the contest was charged with explosive plays, turnovers, and more. It unfolded as a seesaw battle, with both sides seemingly on the verge of clinching the win at different junctures. This particular showdown undoubtedly stands out as one of the most exhilarating among the myriad wild bowl matchups witnessed this season.

Recently, former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain shared his takeaways from the Gator Bowl on an episode of Gramlich & Mac Lain.

“I wanted to see a little bit more from the offense throwing the football, and it is what it is at this point. There’s some serious growing up that needs to happen,” Mac Lain said. “Giving up eight sacks… it’s brutal, and it’s like 50-50, O-line versus quarterback versus whatever, protection, just outnumbered, just is what it is. And I see that, I’m like, gosh, that stinks. Like, how much better could it be. And not hitting guys when they’re open and guys dropping balls. It really felt like just this perfect, ‘Here’s the season, all in one.’ And really for the last couple of seasons, it’s kind of felt like this. But, Clemson found a way and they were able to get it, and they really leaned on (Phil) Mafah and leaned on Ship (Will Shipley). 

“Defense, kind of stepped up big when you needed them the most. So many young guys – I mean, Khalil Barnes being the leading tackler, I think he has a chance to be really, really special. Wade Woodaz looked great. Barrett Carter again doing his thing, Peter Woods and company, TJ Parker. So, I think the future’s really bright for the future of the Clemson defense.”

According to Mac Lain, the best thing he saw from the win was the two-minute game-winning drive from starting quarterback Cade Klubnik. The sophomore quarterback showed up when the team needed him, completing 8-for-8 for 71 yards on the game-winning drive.

“Cade was essentially perfect… and just moving the ball, finding guys, getting out in space, making it happen… The thing that I heard coach Swinney say after the game of Cade is very comfortable going fast, and that’s what they had to do,” Mac Lain said. “And that kind of takes thinking out of it. You move him around a little bit; he’s just getting the ball to guys and moving the ball quickly.

“It is going to be fascinating, how can Clemson grow from this game and what can they take from it, what can these players take from it and essentially keep riding this wave of five games in a row.”

Hopefully, it is only up from here for the Tigers.

Mafah named a top individual performer from bowl season by the NCAA

The NCAA has once again recognized Phil Mafah for his excellent bowl performance in the Gator Bowl.

For the second time since his electric Gator Bowl performance, Phil Mafah is being recognized by the NCAA for his showing. 

It was a record-breaking day for Mafah, who took 11 carries for 71 yards and four touchdowns. The four-touchdown performance broke two records: the Gator Bowl touchdown record and Clemson’s bowl game record. Mafah’s performance in this Gator Bowl was a special way for the Tigers’ stud running back to end his 2023 season.

The NCAA recently released an article taking note of the top individual performances during college football’s bowl season, which included Mafah. Here is what they had to say about the stud running back.

Clemson running back Phil Mafah ran for 74 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries, filling in for the injured Will Shipley in Clemson’s 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky. Three of Mafah’s touchdowns came in the fourth quarter in a back-and-forth contest and his four touchdowns tied a Gator Bowl record.

After a strong performance, fans anxiously await news on whether Mafah will return to Clemson for another season or depart for the NFL.

Clemson vs. Kentucky Gator Bowl ranked the No.2 best bowl game of 2023-24

CBS Sports has ranked Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky as the No.2 best bowl game of the season.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers won the Gator Bowl 38-35 over the Kentucky Wildcats in a wild game, one of the best bowl games of 2023-24.

From top to bottom, this was an exciting matchup between two excellent programs. There were huge plays, turnovers, lead changes, and a ton of suspense, and the Tigers battled with the Wildcats in what many called an instant classic.

How good was this Gator Bowl? From many points of view, including mine, it was arguably the best bowl game of the season. I’m not the only one who feels this way, as CBS Sports’ recent article ranking all 41 college football bowl games for 2023-24 ranked the Gator Bowl as the No.2 best bowl game this season. Here is what writer Tom Fornelli had to say about the matchup.

No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35: I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just begin with the record. There were 42 points scored in the fourth quarter of this game, more than in any fourth quarter in bowl game history — and that was just part of what went down in the Gator Bowl. There were eight lead changes, including four in the fourth quarter, as both teams kept trading haymakers. It was everything you could want from a bowl game played on a Friday morning in Jacksonville. Early on, the star of the show was Kentucky’s Barion Brown. He scored UK’s first touchdown of the day with a 22-yard run and then opened the second half with a 100-yard kick return TD that gave the Wildcats a 21-10 at the time. He had a setback with a fumble that led to a 29-yard TD run by Clemson’s Phil Mafah to give the Tigers a 27-21 lead (Clemson’s first lead since it was up 10-7), but Brown made up for it immediately, catching a 60-yard touchdown pass to take the lead back.

What more could you want from a bowl game? As a fan, I’m sure if you’re on Kentucky’s side, a win would be the answer, but other than that, what? This game had it all!

If you haven’t seen it, check out the highlights below from this crazy game.

Mafah recognized by NCAA for Gator Bowl performance

Phil Mafah was dominant in the Tigers’ Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

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.

Injury update on Will Shipley after MRI

Will Shipley will not require surgery after hurting his knee in the Gator Bowl.

Clemson star running back Will Shipley suffered a scary-looking knee injury in the Tigers’ 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky, but luckily, the injury looked worse than it was.

According to multiple reports, Will Shipley’s MRI showed no structural damage to his knee, which is huge news for the running back, who still has to make a decision on whether he will return to Clemson for another season or head to the NFL. No surgery will be required for the injury, which is also a major positive for Shipley.

Shipley entered the 2023 bowl season with 2,718 yards and 31 touchdowns on 515 career rushing attempts and 593 yards and two touchdowns on 83 career receptions in 1,485 offensive snaps over 35 career games (27 starts).

EJ Manuel on Cade Klubnik’s Gator Bowl: ‘He grew up’

EJ Manuel on Cade Klubnik growing up during the Tigers Gator Bowl win.

Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik had a solid Gator Bowl performance as he helped lead the Tigers to a wild 38-35 win over Kentucky. 

In the game, Klubnik completed 30-of-41 passes for 264 yards, saving the best for last with his final offensive drive. On their final drive, Klubnik completed 8 of 8 pass attempts, setting up a Phil Mafah game-winning 3-yard touchdown run. 

During the ACC Network’s ACC PM show, former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel discussed the Gator Bowl and Klubnik’s performance, saying how he grew up in the win. 

“He grew up,” Manuel said. “And we’ve talked about it, we watched the game, we watched the last quarter of this game, and the part where I would say I was most proud for him is just that he was poised. He didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. At times earlier in the season, he might’ve felt like, I needed to make the big play right now. But he was calm the entire time. He allowed (offensive coordinator) Garrett Riley to give him more opportunities with the football… So, that was a big moment for him.”

It wasn’t a perfect performance from Klubnik, but he showed up when the team needed him most. He ended the season completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine interceptions, adding 182 yards and four touchdowns rushing.

He has a huge offseason coming up, and he needs to take the next step.

Swinney ‘really excited’ about the Tigers’ 2024 offensive line despite Gator Bowl struggles

Clemson allowed eight sacks against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, but head coach Dabo Swinney has plenty of confidence in the unit going into 2024.

Clemson’s offensive line performance in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday left much to be desired, but despite the unit’s struggles, head coach Dabo Swinney remained optimistic about the future.

Speaking to the media after the Tigers’ 38-35 victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, head coach Dabo Swinney briefly touched on the offensive line’s performance and outlook.

“We’ll have seven starters coming back, and we’re excited about that,” Swinney said. “We’re excited about what we got. I’m sure not all of those sacks were on the OL. It’s easy, and that’s kind of the first thing everybody does, but we’ll watch the tape and assess it. There’s probably one or two that Cade might’ve taken. I don’t know, we’ll see when we watch the tape. There’s a lot of things that go into it, but I’m really excited about the group that’s coming back.”

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was sacked eight times against the Wildcats on Friday after only being sacked 20 times throughout the regular season.

Despite consistently being under duress and hit, Klubnik said after the game that he felt like he “had all day back there today.”

Nonetheless, Swinney added in his post-game press conference that Clemson’s offensive line has to “get better,” and the Tigers need to “establish our depth.”

Swinney’s confidence in next year’s line stems from two factors, the first of which is the returning players on the roster.

In 2024, Clemson will have Marcus Tate, Walker Parks, Blake Miller, Collin Sadler, Tristan Leigh, Harris Sewell and Trent Howard, all of whom started in at least one game this season. The only starter who the Tigers are losing is center Will Putnam, who is out of eligibility. Clemson also lost guard Mitchell Mayes to the transfer portal earlier this month.

The second reason Swinney has confidence in the unit is the hiring of Matt Luke as the new offensive line coach.

Luke coached in Friday’s game against Kentucky, and although his group didn’t perform exceptionally well, he is expected to elevate and develop the blockers up front, as well as have more success on the recruiting trail than his predecessor, Thomas Austin.

Dabo Swinney on kick return touchdown: ‘I was pissed. It was bad’

Dabo Swinney was not happy about the kick return touchdown the team allowed in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers won the Gator Bowl 38-35 over the Kentucky Wildcats in a wild game where the Tigers needed to come from behind.

Trailing 14-10 heading into the half, Clemson needed to come out strong in the second half, and they didn’t do that. On the first play of the second half, Kentucky wide receiver Barion Brown took a kick return 100 yards for a touchdown, extending Kentucky’s lead to 21-10.

When asked about his message for the team after that play, Swinney was clearly not happy with what had happened.
“I’m not sure I can repeat that right here,” Swinney said in response to the aforementioned question.

“I was pissed. It was bad. We thought there was a hold, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve got 11 guys on the field, and I was really disappointed. We knew going in – I think they were third in the country in kick return – and ironically, we ended up having a big one ourselves that set up a difference in the game. But that was very disappointing.”

Regardless, Clemson rallied and figured things out. It’s not every game a team can overcome something such as that, but Swinney’s squad did. It was an excellent win for the Tigers, who proved when they’re down, they aren’t out.

“It’s amazing to win the game,” Swinney said. “You give up a kick return, you usually get beat, and just a tough way to start the third quarter. Really disappointed in that, but we overcame it.”

A Gator Bowl win to end Clemson’s season is something no one will complain about.

Clemson’s Defensive Players of the Game for the Gator Bowl win over Kentucky

Here are our Defensive Players of the Game for Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

No. 22 Clemson needed every play — and almost every second — in their wild, 38-35 comeback victory over Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. 

Fortunately, the Tigers (9-4 overall) ended up with no shortage of playmakers deserving of game balls in what would be their fifth consecutive victory to end the season. 

Clemson had to win this one without star linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. and cornerback Nate Wiggins, who both opted out of the bowl to prepare for the NFL draft. Both were missed as Kentucky notched three plays of longer than 40 yards.

In their absence, though, the Tigers got a big performance from junior linebacker Barrett Carter, who pressured Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary throughout the afternoon. Carter recovered a fumble and also intercepted a Leary pass to go with three pass break-ups.

Late in the first half, with Kentucky in possession of the ball with a chance for a late score, Carter dropped Leary for a sack and an eight-yard loss that would force a Wildcats punt two plays later. Carter finished with three tackles (two solo).

Freshman cornerback Shelton Lewis made the game-clinching interception on Kentucky’s final offensive snap, picking off Leary around midfield. Lewis had three solo tackles on the afternoon.

Clemson’s Offensive Players of the Game for the Gator Bowl win over Kentucky

Here are our Offensive Players of the Game for Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

Clemson, ranked 22nd, had a thrilling comeback to win 38-35 against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The game was intense, and Clemson needed every play and nearly every second. Luckily, the Tigers, with an overall record of 9-4, had plenty of standout players who deserved recognition for their efforts in this game, which marked their fifth consecutive win to close the season.

Despite an uninspiring first half that saw Clemson held to just 55 rushing yards and only 10 points, the Tigers rallied for four fourth-quarter touchdowns, including Phil Mafah’s game-winning 3-yard rush with just 17 seconds remaining.

Mafah finished with 71 yards on 11 carries and four touchdowns, including three scores in the Tigers’ 28-point fourth-quarter rally. Mafah also had a pair of one-yard touchdown runs, plus another score on a 29-yard touchdown scramble.

Mafeh had some help from Will Shipley, though most of Shipley’s big plays came on special teams. Playing in perhaps his final college game, Shipley (11 carries, 29 yards rushing) delivered his two longest kick returns of the year.

He opened the game with a 34-yard return, then did one better with a 60-yard kick return in the fourth quarter that led to a Jonathan Weitz field goal from 52 yards. Weitz’s kick, his second of the game, put Clemson ahead, 30-28, with 4:20 remaining in the contest. Shipley was injured on the kickoff and did not return. He finished with 132 all-purpose yards for the day.

Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik also did his part in the victory, finishing 30-of-41 with 264 yards through the air. Klubnik’s performance included perhaps the biggest play of the game when he found receiver Antonio Williams on a third-and-18 play at midfield that gave Clemson a more manageable fourth-and-2.

Mafah’s five-yard gain on that fourth down kept the Tigers’ drive alive and allowed Clemson to take the lead for good on Mafah’s game-winning score.

Jake Briningstool led all receivers with nine catches to go with 91 yards for the Tigers.