1989 Gator Bowl (December)
| 1989 Gator Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 30, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Gator Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP |
Levon Kirkland, LB, Clemson Mike Fox, DT, West Virginia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 82,911 | ||||||||||||||||||
The 1989 Gator Bowl was held on December 30, 1989 at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The #14 Clemson Tigers defeated the #17 West Virginia Mountaineers by a score of 27-7.
Game Summary
The scoring was opened by West Virginia in the first quarter, as they scored on a 12-yard pass. The PAT was good and the Mountaineers led 7-0. Clemson retaliated in the second quarter, though, as they converted a 27-yard field goal and then a 1-yard touchdown run. The Tigers led at halftime 10-7. The third quarter saw no scoring, and the fourth quarter's scoring was opened by Clemson, as they scored on a 4-yard rush to lead 17-7. The Tigers defense got them six more, as they recovered a fumble in the end zone to score yet another touchdown. The PAT was successfully converted, and the Tigers took a 24-7 lead. Clemson topped their victory off with a 24-yard field goal, and they won the game 27-7.
Aftermath
The Tigers finished the game with eight more first downs, 139 more rushing yards, and 111 more total yards. WVU finished with 28 more passing yards.
As a result of their victory, Clemson rose from their #14 spot to finish at #12 for the 1989 season. The Mountaineers dropped from #17 to #21.