JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Taxslayer Gator Bowl matchup is set — Virginia and Missouri are headed to town.
The ACC and SEC announced the bowl assignments late Sunday afternoon, with the SEC sending the Tigers in an early decision and the ACC making the call on the Cavaliers a couple hours later.
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The Gator Bowl is Dec. 27 this year, the earliest the game has been played. It has been held on Dec. 27 four other times (1958, 1969, 1976 and 1986).
It’s no doubt a disappointing consolation prize for the Cavaliers (10-3), who lost in overtime of the ACC championship game on Saturday night to Duke, 27-20. They’d beaten the Blue Devils handily last month (34-17) and were a heavy favorite in the rematch.
Quarterback Chandler Morris (2,802 passing yards, 16 TDs), running back J’Mari Taylor (1,062 rushing yards, 14 TDs) and receiver Trell Harris (847 receiving yards, 5 TDs) lead Virginia into the Gator Bowl.
Missouri (8-4) won its first five games before finishing with four losses in its final five games. The Tigers are led by running back Ahmad Hardy (1,560 rushing yards, 16 TDs) and quarterback Beau Pribula (1,941 passing yards, 11 TDs).
The game will be televised nationally on ABC.
The Gator Bowl matches a team from the SEC against an opponent from the ACC or Notre Dame. In last season’s Gator Bowl, No. 16-ranked Ole Miss, led by first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart, walloped Duke, 52-20 on Jan. 2.
The Gator Bowl had seen some high-profile matchups projected in recent weeks, including Texas and Miami. But the Hurricanes made the College Football Playoffs, and Texas was slotted to play Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando.