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PAGE 5B December 2023
Kentucky to face Clemson in 2023 Gator Bowl
By Myra W. Pierce The Sports Ledger Last year the college football bowl schedule had many exciting match-ups and this year's bowl game lineup could be even better, as team's are preparing to battle it out on the gridiron. One of the games last year that I was privileged to be able to cover from the press box, was the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The two college programs met in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. This year, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl is once against hosting two of the South’s great teams. The Clemson Tigers, coached by Dabo Swinney, and the University of Kentucky Wildcats, coached by Mark Stoops, have been paired against each other for this year's Gator Bowl. Kentucky is 7-5 overall and 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference, and Clemson is 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
coach Thomas Austin with Matt Luke. Clemson also replaced the teams defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall with Chris Rumph. Kentucky has already picked up Quarterback Brock Vandagriff from Georgia through the portal. Kentucky's current Senior quarterback Devin Leary has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award. According to a press release from Kentucky, the award recognizes student athletes from all divisions of college football for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Leary, a 6-1, 217 pound quarterback from
New Jersey, transferred to Kentucky in 2023 after four seasons at NC State. Overall, Leary was 17-9 as a starter and he left NC State ranked sixth in school history in career passing yards with 6,807 and he was fourth in career completion percentage (.602). In 2022, Leary helped NC State start the season with a 5-1 record and a Top 15 national ranking. He completed 118-of-193 passes for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns, before suffering a tear in his right pectoralis major. Following his surgery, and almost a year of not playing, Leary returned to the gridiron in 2023 to lead Kentucky to their school record eighth consecutive bowl bid with a 7-5 record. He has completed 193 of 343 pass attempts for 2,440 yards. He has 23 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in 12 games. His 23 passing TDs ranks second in the SEC, behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels.
The Gator Bowl is scheduled to be aired on December 29, 2023, on ESPN at 11 a.m. CT. While Kentucky and Clemson both are presented with the opportunity to enhance their teams utilizing the transfer portal, both programs also have the challenge of keeping their current players, and coaches, in place. This is true for most college teams this time of the year. Clemson has recently made changes on the coaching staff. The Tigers replaced offensive line Devin Leary Courtesy of UK Athletics
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger Jax State Football Headed To New Orleans Bowl Jacksonville State's Jordan McCants (#88) (shown right) hauls in a catch earlier this season during the Gamecocks football game against Liberty. Both Jax State and Liberty are members of Conference USA and both earned the opportunity to compete in a College Football Bowl game this year. JSU will be one of the first teams to compete this Bowl season. The Gamecocks will travel to New Orleans, LA to take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on December 16, 2023 at 1:15 p.m. Liberty finished the regular season undefeated to earn a spot in the New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. Liberty will face off against Oregon at noon CT.
Saturday, December 16, 2023 College Football Bowl Game Schedule James Madison vs. Air Force Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl - 2:30 p.m. on ABC Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas) Georgia State vs. Utah State Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - 2:30 p.m. on ESPN Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Myrtle Beach Bowl - 10 a.m. on ESPN Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina) Howard vs. Florida A&M NC State vs. Kansas State - Pop-Tarts Bowl - 4:45 on ESPN Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) Arizona vs. Oklahoma Valero Alamo Bowl - 8:15 p.m. on ESPN Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) Friday, December 29, 2023 Clemson vs. Kentucky
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho) South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan 68 Ventures Bowl - 6 p.m. on ESPN Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama) Utah vs. Northwestern - Las Vegas Bowl - 6:30 on ABC Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada) Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State Hawaii Bowl - 9:30 p.m. on ESPN Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu) Tuesday, December 26, 2023 Bowling Green vs. Minnesota Quick Lane Bowl - 1:00 p.m. on ESPN Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan) Texas State vs. Rice First Responder Bowl - 4:30 p.m. on ESPN Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas, Texas) Kansas vs. UNLV - Guaranteed Rate Bowl - 8 p.m., ESPN Chase Field (Phoenix, Arizona) Wednesday, December 27, 2023 Virginia Tech vs. Tulane Military Bowl - 1 p.m. on ESPN Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, MD) North Carolina vs. West Virginia Duke's Mayo Bowl - 4:30 p.m. on ESPN Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) Louisville vs. USC DirecTV Holiday Bowl at 7 p.m. on Fox
Cricket Celebration Bowl - 11 a.m. on ABC Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) Jacksonville State University vs. Louisiana R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl - 1:15 p.m. on ESPN Caesars Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana) Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State Cure Bowl - 2:30 p.m. on ABC FBC Mortgage Stadium (Orlando, Florida) New Mexico State vs. Fresno State New Mexico Bowl - 4:45 p.m on ESPN University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico) UCLA vs. Boise State - LA Bowl - 6:30 p.m. on ABC SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) California vs. Texas Tech Independence Bowl - 8:15 p.m. on ESPN Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana) Monday, December 18, 2023 Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion Famous Toastery Bowl - 1:30 p.m. on ESPN Jerry Richardson Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) Tuesday, December 19, 2023 UTSA vs. Marshall - Frisco Bowl - 8 p.m. on ESPN Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas) Thursday, December 21, 2023 South Florida vs. Syracuse
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl - 11 a.m. on ESPN EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida) Oregon State vs. Notre Dame Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl - 1 p.m. on CBS Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas) Memphis vs. Iowa State Liberty Bowl - 2:30 p.m. on ESPN
Brandon Boswell h Pharmacist/Owner h 256-524-2981 “Caring for You Like Family” 588 South Valley Avenue P.O. Box 498 All-State Sugar Bowl - 7:45 p.m. on ESPN Ceasars Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana) Monday, January 8, 2024 Alabama/Michigan winner vs Texas/Washington Winner CFP National Championship - 6:30 p.m. on ESPN NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas) Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee) Missouri vs. Ohio State - Cotton Bowl - 7:00 p.m. on ESPN AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) Saturday, December 30, 2023 Ole Miss vs. Penn State - Peach Bowl - 11 a.m. on ESPN Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) Auburn vs. Maryland - Music City Bowl - 1 p.m. on ABC Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee) Georgia vs. Florida State - Orange Bowl - 3 p.m. on ESPN Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) Toledo vs. Wyoming - Arizona Bowl - 3:30 p.m. Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona) Monday, January 1, 2024 Wisconsin vs. LSU - ReliaQuest Bowl - 11 a.m. on ESPN Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Iowa vs. Tennessee - Cheez-It Citrus Bowl - noon on ABC Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) Liberty vs. Oregon - Fiesta Bowl - noon on ESPN State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona) Alabama vs. Michigan - Rose Bowl - 4 p.m. on ESPN Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, California) Texas vs. Washington
Boca Raton Bowl - 7 p.m. on ESPN FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
Petco Park (San Diego, California) Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State TaxAct Texas Bowl - 8 p.m. on ESPN NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas)
Friday, December 22, 2023
Georgia Tech vs. UCF Gasparilla Bowl - 5:30 p.m. on ESPN Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Saturday, December 23, 2023 Troy vs. Duke - Birmingham Bowl - 11 a.m. on ABC Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Thursday, December 28, 2023
SMU vs. Boston College Wasabi Fenway Bowl - 10 a.m. on ESPN Fenway Park (Boston) Rutgers vs. Miami Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl - 1:15 p.m. on ESPN Yankee Stadium (New York)
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois Camellia Bowl - 11 a.m. on ESPN Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
Keith Canterberry ~ 256-302-2252 Keithcanterberry@yahoo.com bamawholesaleauctions@gmail.com Like us on Facebook at: bama-wholesale-auctions Instagram: Bama Wholesale Auctions Marshall County’s Largest Knife Outlet Visit our store at 9021 US Highway 431 in Albertville Wishing You and Yours A Very Merry Christmas!
Collinsville, AL 35961 (256) 524-2981 (256) 524-2987
Brandon Boswell, PharmD Pharmacist/Owner Merry Christmas!
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