Notre Dame football to face South Carolina in Gator Bowl

It was announced yesterday that Notre Dame football is set to square off with South Carolina in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 30th.

The Notre Dame football program will head to Jacksonville to meet the Gamecocks of the SEC in a matchup of top-25 programs. Notre Dame will be without their starter for most of the year, Drew Pyne, due to his intention to transfer. On the bright side, the Irish should have Tyler Buchner back and ready to go, who won the starting job to open the season before his shoulder injury. Leading the way for their opponent is the former top quarterback recruit in the nation, Spencer Rattler.

As a defense, South Carolina is ranked 79th in the nation in total yards given up per game. All things considered, they seem like a pretty average team on that side of the ball and can be exploited. In his last two games to finish another relatively mediocre season, Rattler exploded against Tennessee for 438 yards and 6 touchdowns. He followed that up with a solid performance against Clemson, throwing for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns.

It’s a more than winnable game for the Irish, but it remains to be seen who will opt out and who will suit up for the program. Mayer and Foskey, the best players on either side of the ball, could opt to sit this one out in preparation for the NFL. After a tough loss to Oklahoma State last year in the Fiesta Bowl, coach Marcus Freeman looks to bounce back in his second bowl-game attempt.

There will be no shortage of Irish fans looking to support the team in person. If you can’t make the trip, the game will air on December 30th at 3:30 ET on ESPN. As the weeks progress, we’ll have more details on the Irish and Gamecocks. Go, Irish.