2022 Gator Bowl

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2022 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
78th Gator Bowl
Notre Dame Fighting Irish South Carolina Gamecocks
(8–4) (8–4)
Independent SEC
45 38
Head coach: 
Marcus Freeman		 Head coach: 
Shane Beamer
APCoachesCFP
192021
APCoachesCFP
201919
1234Total
Notre Dame 710141445
South Carolina 2137738
DateDecember 30, 2022
Season2022
StadiumTIAA Bank Field
LocationJacksonville, Florida
MVPTyler Buchner (QB, Notre Dame)[1]
FavoriteNotre Dame by 5.5
RefereeMike Cannon (Big Ten)[2]
Attendance67,383
PayoutUS$5,350,000[3]
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
AnnouncersTaylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), and Alyssa Lang (sideline)
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes

The 2022 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The 78th annual Gator Bowl, the game featured Notre Dame, an FBS Independent, and South Carolina of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game began at 3:40 p.m. EST[4] and was aired on ESPN.[5] It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. Sponsored by financial technology company TaxSlayer, the game was officially known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Notre Dame defeated South Carolina with a final score of 45–38.

With 5.766 million viewers, the 2022 Gator Bowl was the highest rated non-New Year’s Six bowl game of the 2022–23 season.[6] It was also the highest-scoring Gator Bowl in history, with a combined 83 points.[7]

Teams

Based on conference tie-ins, the game was expected to feature teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Big Ten Conference, or the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Selected to the bowl were South Carolina of the SEC and Notre Dame, who compete as an FBS Independent.

This was the fifth meeting between Notre Dame and South Carolina; the Fighting Irish lead the all-time series, 3–1.[8]

Notre Dame

Notre Dame compiled an 8–4 record during their regular season. They opened their season with two losses, then won eight of their next nine games, before closing with a loss at USC. The Fighting Irish faced five ranked opponents, defeating BYU, Syracuse, and Clemson while losing to Ohio State and USC. Notre Dame entered the bowl 21st in the College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking.

South Carolina

South Carolina went 8–4 during the regular season, 4–4 in conference play. They also faced five ranked opponents, defeating Kentucky, Tennessee, and Clemson while losing to Arkansas and Georgia. The Gamecocks entered the bowl 19th in the CFP ranking.

Game summary

2022 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 21 Notre Dame 7 10 141445
No. 19 South Carolina 21 3 7738

at TIAA Bank Field • Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: Friday, December 30, 2022
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: 20 mph (32 km/h) south
  • Game attendance: 67,383
  • Referee: Mike Cannon
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), and Alyssa Lang (sideline)
  • Box score
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Notre Dame South Carolina
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.

Statistics

Team statistical comparison[4]
Statistic Notre Dame South Carolina
First downs2720
First downs rushing145
First downs passing1313
First downs penalty02
Third down efficiency11–195–15
Fourth down efficiency1–11–2
Total plays–net yards80–55872–352
Rushing attempts–net yards46–26422–65
Yards per rush5.73.0
Yards passing294287
Pass completions–attempts19–3431–50
Interceptions thrown31
Punt returns–total yards1–72–7
Kickoff returns–total yards1–182–64
Punts–average yardage4–50.06–40.0
Fumbles–lost0–01–1
Penalties–yards4–408–68
Time of possession36:3923:21
Notre Dame statistics[4]
Fighting Irish passing
C–A Yds TD–INT
Tyler Buchner18–332743–3
Davis Sherwood1–1200–0
Fighting Irish rushing
Car Yds TD
Audric Estimé14950
Logan Diggs13891
Tyler Buchner12612
Chris Tyree5210
TEAM2−20
Fighting Irish receiving
Rec Yds TD
Braden Lenzy4891
Logan Diggs2811
Jayden Thomas5670
Mitchell Evans3391
Chris Tyree4100
Audric Estimé180
South Carolina statistics[4]
Gamecocks passing
C–A Yds TD–INT
Spencer Rattler29–462462–1
Kai Kroeger1–1231–0
Dakereon Joyner1–1180–0
Gamecocks rushing
Car Yds TD
Juju McDowell6280
Spencer Rattler7270
Dakereon Joyner180
Christian Beal-Smith380
Ahmarean Brown120
Rashad Amos1−20
Antwane Wells Jr.1−20
Xavier Legette2−40
Gamecocks receiving
Rec Yds TD
Xavier Legette7782
Nate Adkins5780
Dakereon Joyner3350
Antwane Wells Jr.5300
Hunter Rogers1231
Ahmarean Brown4220
Juju McDowell3130
Christian Beal-Smith270
O'Mega Blake110

References

  1. @PFF_College (December 30, 2022). "The Tyler Buchner experience tonight was WILD:" (Tweet). Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Twitter.
  2. Austro, Ben (December 4, 2022). "2022–23 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  3. "2022 Bowl Schedule". College Football Poll. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  4. "2022 Gator Bowl Final Stats" (PDF). Statbroadcast. December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  5. "2022 College Football Bowl Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  6. "South Carolina 2022 Football Season Highlights". University of South Carolina Athletics. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  7. "Irish top S.C. in historic Gator Bowl barnburner". ESPN.com. December 31, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  8. "Winsipedia – Notre Dame vs. South Carolina". Winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 4, 2022.