Tiger time: Clemson to play in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl for the 10th time, vs. Kentucky

Clemson will play Kentucky in the 79th TaxSlayer Gator Bowl — a record 10th appearance in Jacksonville for the Tigers and a game that their coach Dabo Swinney said will be sentimental to him in multiple ways.

When the game kicks off Dec. 29 at noon at EverBank Stadium (ESPN), the Tigers will break a tie with the Florida Gators for the most TaxSlayer Gator Bowl games.

Clemson (8-4) last played in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in 2009, a 26-21 loss to Nebraska. The Tigers have lost three in a row in Jacksonville, last winning in 1989, 27-7 over West Virginia.

The Wildcats (7-5) will make their third appearance in Jacksonville. They beat N.C. State 23-21 on Jan. 2, 2021 and lost to Georgia Tech 33-18 on Dec. 31, 2016.

Gator Bowl president Greg McGarity noted that the first bowl game for Swinney as the Tigers head coach was the last time they played in Jacksonville.

He also expected the usual ticket-buying pace from Clemson fans, who historically have flocked to games in Jacksonville -- led by the 1989 game in which 82,911 saw the Tigers beat West Virginia 27-7. That mark held up until 2010 when 84,129 came to watch Bobby Bowden coach his last game at Florida State.

"We're ecstatic," McGarity said. "We've got Dabo Swinney coming back to where he coached in his first bowl game and Mark Stoops has decided to stay at Kentucky and we think both fan bases will be energized. Clemson finished the season very well with four victories in a row and Kentucky got a great win in a rivalry game [vs. Louisville] and they're both going to want to continue their momentum in our bowl game."

Swinney took it a step further: the first time he was ever with a bowl team as a coach was the 1993 Gator Bowl in which Alabama beat North Carolina 24-10. Swinney was a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide.

“My first ever bowl game as a coach was the 1993 Gator Bowl as a graduate assistant at Alabama and my first ever bowl game as a head coach was the Gator Bowl with Clemson at the end of the 2008 season, so this selection feels very full circle,” Swinney told Clemson's athletic communications department.

Dabo Swinney coached three Jaguars players

Swinney also has three important ties to Jacksonville: the players he coached at Clemson who are on the Jaguars roster, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and guard Tyler Shatley. Swinney visited the Jaguars training camp last August.

“This is a great bowl with a great history and rich tradition in an area I’m super familiar with," Swinney said. "It’s an area I’ve recruited, and I’ve got a lot of love for Duval County, especially with the Jags having three of our guys there."

It will be the first time Swinney and Stoops have gone against each other as head coaches.

“I also want to congratulate Kentucky on their selection and for having a great season so far," Swinney said. "Coach Stoops is one of the best coaches in the business. The job he’s done at Kentucky has been phenomenal to watch, and I know it will be an incredibly competitive matchup.”

Clemson and Kentucky won rivalry games

Clemson is on a four-game winning streak after starting the season 4-4. During that run, they beat Notre Dame, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Tigers are led by a two-pronged running attack with Phil Mafah (894 yards, nine touchdowns) and Will Shipley (798 yards, five scores). Quarterback Cade Klubnik has thrown for 2,580 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Kentucky won its first five games but has since lost five of seven. The Wildcats did beat Louisville 38-31 to close the regular season.

The Wildcats are led by running back Re'Mahn Davis, who has 1,066 yards and 13 TDs. Quarterback Devin Leary has thrown for 2,440 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Why did Tennessee fall out of consideration?

Most national bowl projections had the Gator Bowl snaring Tennessee (8-4) but when Ole Miss was elevated to the Peach Bowl — giving the SEC four teams in the New Year's Six games — the Citrus Bowl, which gets the next choice of SEC teams, snared the Volunteers.

The trickle-down effect sent LSU to the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa and Kentucky to Jacksonville.

The SEC alternatives weren't the best for the Gator Bowl: Texas A&M, which had to opt out of the 2020 game because too many players had left the team or failed the SEC COVID-19 protocols; or Auburn at 6-6. The Aggies also had been to the Gator Bowl in 2018.

How often has Clemson played Kentucky in football?

Kentucky holds an 8-5 edge over Clemson but the Tigers have won two of the last three and four of the last six. The last three meetings have been in bowl games. Clemson won 21-13 in the 2009 Music City Bowl, Kentucky won 28-20 in the 2006 Music City Bowl and Clemson won 14-13 in the 1993 Peach Bowl.

The Wildcats won five of the first six meetings in the rivalry but all of those occurred between 1925 and 1971.

Clemson has usually contributed to large Gator Bowl crowds. There have been four Gator Bowls with the Tigers involved that are ranked among the top 16 in attendance.

But Stoops said in a statement that the Wildcats plan to hold their own in terms of ticket sales.

“The Big Blue Nation always represents at our bowl destination and we are excited to spend time in Jacksonville," Stoops said. "We look forward to a great week and our team can’t wait to play one more time this season.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: It's Clemson vs. Kentucky at EverBank Stadium