Postgame Notes: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
1/3/2020 1:27:00 AM | Football
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Postgame Notes
Indiana vs. Tennessee
January 2, 2020
TEAM
• The Hoosiers played in their first bowl game in the state of Florida.
• IU's 16 points in the third quarter are tied for the second-most points scored in any quarter of a bowl game in program history. IU scored 17 in the second quarter of the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl and 16 in the fourth quarter of the 2007 Insight Bowl.
• Indiana played in its third bowl game in five seasons.
• The Hoosiers posted their first winning campaign since 2007 (7-6).
• IU won eight games for just the eighth time in program history and the first time since 1993. The Hoosiers own six eight-win (1993, 1988, 1987, 1979, 1905) and two nine-win (1967, 1945) campaigns.
• Senior left tackle Coy Cronk, fifth-year senior linebacker Reakwon Jones, redshirt junior quarterback Peyton Ramsey, fifth-year senior right guard Simon Stepaniak and fifth-year wide receiver Nick Westbrook served as game captains. The five are the team's season captains.
• Indiana won the coin toss for the fourth time this season and elected to defer for the fourth time.
OFFENSE
• Indiana's first touchdown drive took 10-pus plays (11) and over 5:00 (5:09) to give it 12 drives over 10 and 5:00 in 2019.
• Redshirt sophomore tight end Peyton Hendershot caught six passes for 67 yards. He set the Indiana single-season tight ends record with 643 yards and 55 receptions (Bob Stephenson, 1979). Hendershot also shares third with four touchdowns.
• Hendershot reached the five-catch mark for the sixth time in 2019.
• Peyton Ramsey put the Hoosiers in the end zone for the first time in the ballgame with a 1-yard touchdown run, his seventh of the season and the 14th of his career.
• The redshirt junior finished with 227 passing yards and 54 rushing yards en route to being named Indiana's Most Valuable Player in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
• Ramsey finished the season completing 204-of-300 passes (68.0 percent) to break the single-season record for completion percentage. He now holds the top three spots after completing 295-of-447 (66.0 percent) in 2018 and 134-of-205 (65.4 percent) in 2017.
• The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has totaled 6,581 passing yards, the fourth-most in program history. He also ranks fourth among team leaders in career total offense with 7,411 yards.
• Fifth-year senior Nick Westbrook finished his career with four catches for 48 yards. His career receiving yardage (2,226) is good for sixth on the all-time Hoosier leaderboard, while his career receptions (144) are seventh.
• Sophomore tight end Matt Bjorson matched a career-high in receptions after hauling in two grabs for 12 yards.
DEFENSE
• Sophomore husky Jamar Johnson scored Indiana's first defensive touchdown in its bowl history with a 63-yard interception return in the third quarter.
• Johnson finished with a team-high two INTs on the year, has three in his career and recorded his first pick-6.
• It marked IU's second interception return for a score this year. Sophomore linebacker Cam Jones picked off a pass and returned it 41 yards against UConn on Sept. 21.
• With sophomore linebacker Micah McFadden's second-quarter INT, Indiana has a takeaway in 29 of its last 31 games.
• The Hoosiers scored a field goal off of the McFadden pick and scored 67 points off of the 18 takeaways overall.
• IU has 18 takeaways this season with 10 fumble recoveries and eight interceptions.
• Senior defensive end Allen Stallings IV made his first start of the season (ninth career).
• Redshirt junior defensive tackle Jerome Johnson recorded a team-best six tackles and his fifth sack of the season.
• Redshirt junior safety Marcelino Ball recorded four tackles (3 solos) to give the Roswell, Ga., native 201 total tackles in his career at Indiana.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Fifth-year senior kicker Logan Justus became the ninth Hoosier with 30 career field goals with a 24-yarder to end the first half, a 49-yarder in the third quarter and a 30-yarder in the fourth. Justus finished the year 17-of-21 (81.0 percent) and finished his career 32-of-39 (82.1 percent).
• Indiana's all-time career percentage leader also ranks eighth in extra points (75) and ninth in field goals. His 17 field goals share third on IU's single-season list, while his 45 PATs are tied for fourth and his 96 total points are tied for seventh.
• Justus finished the game 3-for-4 on field goals. His three made field goals established an IU program bowl record.
• Fifth-year senior punter Haydon Whitehead recorded four punts for 185 yards (46.2 yards per punt) with a long of 56 yards. He knocked one punt inside the 20-yard line.
Indiana vs. Tennessee
January 2, 2020
TEAM
• The Hoosiers played in their first bowl game in the state of Florida.
• IU's 16 points in the third quarter are tied for the second-most points scored in any quarter of a bowl game in program history. IU scored 17 in the second quarter of the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl and 16 in the fourth quarter of the 2007 Insight Bowl.
• Indiana played in its third bowl game in five seasons.
• The Hoosiers posted their first winning campaign since 2007 (7-6).
• IU won eight games for just the eighth time in program history and the first time since 1993. The Hoosiers own six eight-win (1993, 1988, 1987, 1979, 1905) and two nine-win (1967, 1945) campaigns.
• Senior left tackle Coy Cronk, fifth-year senior linebacker Reakwon Jones, redshirt junior quarterback Peyton Ramsey, fifth-year senior right guard Simon Stepaniak and fifth-year wide receiver Nick Westbrook served as game captains. The five are the team's season captains.
• Indiana won the coin toss for the fourth time this season and elected to defer for the fourth time.
OFFENSE
• Indiana's first touchdown drive took 10-pus plays (11) and over 5:00 (5:09) to give it 12 drives over 10 and 5:00 in 2019.
• Redshirt sophomore tight end Peyton Hendershot caught six passes for 67 yards. He set the Indiana single-season tight ends record with 643 yards and 55 receptions (Bob Stephenson, 1979). Hendershot also shares third with four touchdowns.
• Hendershot reached the five-catch mark for the sixth time in 2019.
• Peyton Ramsey put the Hoosiers in the end zone for the first time in the ballgame with a 1-yard touchdown run, his seventh of the season and the 14th of his career.
• The redshirt junior finished with 227 passing yards and 54 rushing yards en route to being named Indiana's Most Valuable Player in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
• Ramsey finished the season completing 204-of-300 passes (68.0 percent) to break the single-season record for completion percentage. He now holds the top three spots after completing 295-of-447 (66.0 percent) in 2018 and 134-of-205 (65.4 percent) in 2017.
• The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has totaled 6,581 passing yards, the fourth-most in program history. He also ranks fourth among team leaders in career total offense with 7,411 yards.
• Fifth-year senior Nick Westbrook finished his career with four catches for 48 yards. His career receiving yardage (2,226) is good for sixth on the all-time Hoosier leaderboard, while his career receptions (144) are seventh.
• Sophomore tight end Matt Bjorson matched a career-high in receptions after hauling in two grabs for 12 yards.
DEFENSE
• Sophomore husky Jamar Johnson scored Indiana's first defensive touchdown in its bowl history with a 63-yard interception return in the third quarter.
• Johnson finished with a team-high two INTs on the year, has three in his career and recorded his first pick-6.
• It marked IU's second interception return for a score this year. Sophomore linebacker Cam Jones picked off a pass and returned it 41 yards against UConn on Sept. 21.
• With sophomore linebacker Micah McFadden's second-quarter INT, Indiana has a takeaway in 29 of its last 31 games.
• The Hoosiers scored a field goal off of the McFadden pick and scored 67 points off of the 18 takeaways overall.
• IU has 18 takeaways this season with 10 fumble recoveries and eight interceptions.
• Senior defensive end Allen Stallings IV made his first start of the season (ninth career).
• Redshirt junior defensive tackle Jerome Johnson recorded a team-best six tackles and his fifth sack of the season.
• Redshirt junior safety Marcelino Ball recorded four tackles (3 solos) to give the Roswell, Ga., native 201 total tackles in his career at Indiana.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Fifth-year senior kicker Logan Justus became the ninth Hoosier with 30 career field goals with a 24-yarder to end the first half, a 49-yarder in the third quarter and a 30-yarder in the fourth. Justus finished the year 17-of-21 (81.0 percent) and finished his career 32-of-39 (82.1 percent).
• Indiana's all-time career percentage leader also ranks eighth in extra points (75) and ninth in field goals. His 17 field goals share third on IU's single-season list, while his 45 PATs are tied for fourth and his 96 total points are tied for seventh.
• Justus finished the game 3-for-4 on field goals. His three made field goals established an IU program bowl record.
• Fifth-year senior punter Haydon Whitehead recorded four punts for 185 yards (46.2 yards per punt) with a long of 56 yards. He knocked one punt inside the 20-yard line.
Players Mentioned
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