TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to feature Indiana, Tennessee

The Hoosiers and the Volunteers will meet in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The matchup for the 75th TaxSlayer Gator Bowl was announced Sunday.

The Gator Bowl will feature Indiana (8-4) and Tennessee (7-5) facing off at 7 p.m. Jan 2. at TIAA Bank Field.

Hoosiers fans will be seated on the east side of the stadium in Jacksonville while Volunteers fans will be seated on the west side.

This season, the Hoosiers won eight games for the eighth time in program history and the first time since 1993. The Big Ten team hasn’t won nine games since 1967. The Volunteers were 2-5 after losing at Alabama on Oct. 19 but reeled off five straight wins, the SEC team’s longest streak since opening 5-0 in 2016.

This is Indiana’s first appearance in the Gator Bowl and first appearance in a bowl played in Florida. It’s Indiana’s 12th bowl appearance in school history. Indiana’s roster also includes two local players — defensive backs Khalil Bryant (First Coast) and Devon Matthews (Ribault).

For the Vols, this will be their sixth appearance in the Gator Bowl and their first since 1994. This is their 53rd bowl overall.

The last time the two teams met was Jan. 2, 1988, when Tennessee defeated Indiana 27-22 in the Peach Bowl.


About the Authors

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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