2022 Gator Bowl

2022 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
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
Date	December 30, 2022
Season	2022
Stadium	TIAA Bank Field
Location	Jacksonville, Florida
MVP	Tyler Buchner (QB, Notre Dame)
Favorite	Notre Dame by 5.5
Referee	Mike Cannon (Big Ten)
Attendance	67,383
Payout	US$5,350,000
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), and Alyssa Lang (sideline)
International TV coverage
Network	ESPN Deportes
Gator Bowl
< 2021 (Dec.)	2023 >

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	3	4	Total
No. 21 Notre Dame	7	10	14	14	45
No. 19 South Carolina	21	3	7	7	38

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
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	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 downs	27	20
First downs rushing	14	5
First downs passing	13	13
First downs penalty	0	2
Third down efficiency	11–19	5–15
Fourth down efficiency	1–1	1–2
Total plays–net yards	80–558	72–352
Rushing attempts–net yards	46–264	22–65
Yards per rush	5.7	3.0
Yards passing	294	287
Pass completions–attempts	19–34	31–50
Interceptions thrown	3	1
Punt returns–total yards	1–7	2–7
Kickoff returns–total yards	1–18	2–64
Punts–average yardage	4–50.0	6–40.0
Fumbles–lost	0–0	1–1
Penalties–yards	4–40	8–68
Time of possession	36:39	23:21

Notre Dame statistics^[4]
Fighting Irish passing
	C–A	Yds	TD–INT
Tyler Buchner	18–33	274	3–3
Davis Sherwood	1–1	20	0–0
Fighting Irish rushing
	Car	Yds	TD
Audric Estimé	14	95	0
Logan Diggs	13	89	1
Tyler Buchner	12	61	2
Chris Tyree	5	21	0
TEAM	2	−2	0
Fighting Irish receiving
	Rec	Yds	TD
Braden Lenzy	4	89	1
Logan Diggs	2	81	1
Jayden Thomas	5	67	0
Mitchell Evans	3	39	1
Chris Tyree	4	10	0
Audric Estimé	1	8	0

South Carolina statistics^[4]
Gamecocks passing
	C–A	Yds	TD–INT
Spencer Rattler	29–46	246	2–1
Kai Kroeger	1–1	23	1–0
Dakereon Joyner	1–1	18	0–0
Gamecocks rushing
	Car	Yds	TD
Juju McDowell	6	28	0
Spencer Rattler	7	27	0
Dakereon Joyner	1	8	0
Christian Beal-Smith	3	8	0
Ahmarean Brown	1	2	0
Rashad Amos	1	−2	0
Antwane Wells Jr.	1	−2	0
Xavier Legette	2	−4	0
Gamecocks receiving
	Rec	Yds	TD
Xavier Legette	7	78	2
Nate Adkins	5	78	0
Dakereon Joyner	3	35	0
Antwane Wells Jr.	5	30	0
Hunter Rogers	1	23	1
Ahmarean Brown	4	22	0
Juju McDowell	3	13	0
Christian Beal-Smith	2	7	0
O'Mega Blake	1	1	0

References

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

[1] @PFF_College (December 30, 2022). "The Tyler Buchner experience tonight was WILD:" (Tweet). Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Twitter.

[refs-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.

[finalstats-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.

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v t e 2022–23 NCAA football bowl game season
Bahamas (Dec. 16) Cure (Dec. 16) Fenway (Dec. 17) Celebration (Dec. 17) Las Vegas (Dec. 17) LA (Dec. 17) LendingTree (Dec. 17) New Mexico (Dec. 17) Frisco (Dec. 17) Myrtle Beach (Dec. 19) Famous Idaho Potato (Dec. 20) Boca Raton (Dec. 20) New Orleans (Dec. 21) Armed Forces (Dec. 22) Independence (Dec. 23) Gasparilla (Dec. 23) Hawaii (Dec. 24) Quick Lane (Dec. 26) Camellia (Dec. 27) First Responder (Dec. 27) Birmingham (Dec. 27) Guaranteed Rate (Dec. 27) Military (Dec. 28) Liberty (Dec. 28) Holiday (Dec. 28) Texas (Dec. 28) Pinstripe (Dec. 29) Cheez-It (Dec. 29) Alamo (Dec. 29) Duke's Mayo (Dec. 30) Sun (Dec. 30) Gator (Dec. 30) Arizona (Dec. 30) Orange (Dec. 30) Sugar (Dec. 31) Music City (Dec. 31) ReliaQuest (Jan. 2) Citrus (Jan. 2) Cotton (Jan. 2) Rose (Jan. 2)
College Football Playoff games: Fiesta (Dec. 31) Peach (Dec. 31) National Championship Game (Jan. 9)
All-Star Games Hula Bowl (Jan. 14) Tropical Bowl (Jan. 21) NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (Jan. 28) East–West Shrine Bowl (Feb. 2) Senior Bowl (Feb. 4) HBCU Legacy Bowl (Feb. 25)

v t e Gator Bowl
Known as the TaxSlayer Bowl from 2014–2017
History & conference tie-ins	History Gator Bowl Stadium (1946–1993) Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (1994) EverBank Stadium (1995–present) Big Ten Conference Southeastern Conference
Games	1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 (Jan) 1954 (Dec) 1955 1956 1957 1958 1960 (Jan) 1960 (Dec) 1961 1962 1963 1965 (Jan) 1965 (Dec) 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 (Jan) 1971 (Dec) 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1989 (Jan) 1989 (Dec) 1991 (Jan) 1991 (Dec) 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 (Jan) 2016 (Dec) 2017 2018 2020 2021 (Jan) 2021 (Dec) 2022 2023 2025 (Jan)
Notes	There was a Gator Bowl in January and December in 1954, 1960, 1965, 1971, 1989, 1991, 2016, and 2021.