Indiana University Athletics
Game Notes: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
12/28/2019 8:30:00 AM | Football
Setting The Scene
• Indiana (8-4, 5-4 B1G East) faces Tennessee (7-5, 5-3 SEC East) in the 75th TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Thursday, Jan 2. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST at TIAA Bank Field (67,164; Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass) on ESPN.
• The Hoosiers are playing in their first TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and their first bowl game in the state of Florida.
• IU is making its 12th overall bowl appearance and third in the last five years.
• The two teams have met once previously, a 27-22 Volunteers win in the 1988 Peach Bowl on Jan. 2.
• This marks Indiana's fourth bowl game against an SEC opponent: 1988 Peach Bowl, 1988 Liberty Bowl (34-10 win over South Carolina on Dec. 28), 1990 Peach Bowl (27-23 loss to Auburn on Dec. 30, 1990).
• The Hoosiers last squared off against an SEC foe on Sept. 20, 2014, a 31-27 victory at No. 18 Missouri, and hold a 27-21-1 mark (.561) all-time against SEC opponents.
• IU has won nine-straight non-conference games.
• Indiana received 10 votes in the Amway Coaches Poll.
• On Nov. 10, the Hoosiers entered the AP Poll (No. 24) for the first time since Sept. 20, 1994, and the Coaches Poll (No. 25) for the first time since Oct. 17, 1994.
• IU senior safety Khalil Bryant and sophomore safety Devon Matthews are from Jacksonville.
• Twenty-six Indiana players hail from the state of Florida (2 attended IMG Academy), while eight came to Bloomington from surrounding states (Georgia - 6, Alabama - 1, South Carolina - 1).
The Coaches
• One of 22 semifinalists for the 2019 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, Tom Allen was named Indiana's head coach on Dec. 1, 2016, and made his debut at the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl against Utah. The New Castle, Ind., native joined IU as associate head coach/defense on Jan. 15, 2016. Allen's 18 wins are the most for a Hoosiers boss in his first three years. (full bio on page 17)
• Jeremy Pruitt is 12-12 in his second season as Tennessee head coach. Pruitt served as the defensive coordinator at Alabama (2016-17), Georgia (2014-15) and Florida State (2013) prior to his arrival in Knoxville.
News & Notes
• The Hoosiers have won eight games for just the eighth time in program history and the first time since 1993. Indiana owns six eight-win (1905, 1979, 1987, 1988, 1993, 2019) and two nine-win (1945, 1967) campaigns.
• IU's five-conference wins are tied for its third-most in program history (1945, 1979, 1988, 1991, 1993, 2019). The school record for conference wins is six (1967, 1987).
• The Hoosiers posted a winning conference record for the first time since 1993 (5-3).
• Indiana posted its first winning season since 2007 (7-6).
• Indiana (8-4, 5-4 B1G East) faces Tennessee (7-5, 5-3 SEC East) in the 75th TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Thursday, Jan 2. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST at TIAA Bank Field (67,164; Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass) on ESPN.
• The Hoosiers are playing in their first TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and their first bowl game in the state of Florida.
• IU is making its 12th overall bowl appearance and third in the last five years.
• The two teams have met once previously, a 27-22 Volunteers win in the 1988 Peach Bowl on Jan. 2.
• This marks Indiana's fourth bowl game against an SEC opponent: 1988 Peach Bowl, 1988 Liberty Bowl (34-10 win over South Carolina on Dec. 28), 1990 Peach Bowl (27-23 loss to Auburn on Dec. 30, 1990).
• The Hoosiers last squared off against an SEC foe on Sept. 20, 2014, a 31-27 victory at No. 18 Missouri, and hold a 27-21-1 mark (.561) all-time against SEC opponents.
• IU has won nine-straight non-conference games.
• Indiana received 10 votes in the Amway Coaches Poll.
• On Nov. 10, the Hoosiers entered the AP Poll (No. 24) for the first time since Sept. 20, 1994, and the Coaches Poll (No. 25) for the first time since Oct. 17, 1994.
• IU senior safety Khalil Bryant and sophomore safety Devon Matthews are from Jacksonville.
• Twenty-six Indiana players hail from the state of Florida (2 attended IMG Academy), while eight came to Bloomington from surrounding states (Georgia - 6, Alabama - 1, South Carolina - 1).
The Coaches
• One of 22 semifinalists for the 2019 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, Tom Allen was named Indiana's head coach on Dec. 1, 2016, and made his debut at the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl against Utah. The New Castle, Ind., native joined IU as associate head coach/defense on Jan. 15, 2016. Allen's 18 wins are the most for a Hoosiers boss in his first three years. (full bio on page 17)
• Jeremy Pruitt is 12-12 in his second season as Tennessee head coach. Pruitt served as the defensive coordinator at Alabama (2016-17), Georgia (2014-15) and Florida State (2013) prior to his arrival in Knoxville.
News & Notes
• The Hoosiers have won eight games for just the eighth time in program history and the first time since 1993. Indiana owns six eight-win (1905, 1979, 1987, 1988, 1993, 2019) and two nine-win (1945, 1967) campaigns.
• IU's five-conference wins are tied for its third-most in program history (1945, 1979, 1988, 1991, 1993, 2019). The school record for conference wins is six (1967, 1987).
• The Hoosiers posted a winning conference record for the first time since 1993 (5-3).
• Indiana posted its first winning season since 2007 (7-6).
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballFB: Kaelon Black Media Availability (10/28/25)
Tuesday, October 28
FB: Devan Boykin Media Availability (10/28/25)
Tuesday, October 28
FB: Week 10 (at Maryland) - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Monday, October 27
FB: Week 9 (UCLA) - Curt Cignetti Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, October 25