No real leather jackets were harmed during the Clemson Tigers’ celebratory Gatorade bath following their 38—35 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the Gator Bowl on Friday.
In the aftermath of the thrilling victory, which saw Tigers running back Phil Mafah rumble for the winning score—and a Gator Bowl-record fourth touchdown—in the fourth quarter, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney met up with ESPN sideline reporter Taylor Tannebaum for a postgame interview.
That’s when Tigers players pulled a sneak attack on Swinney, dousing him with orange Gatorade in a perfectly timed shower that also appeared to splash Tannenbaum. In a lighthearted moment, Swinney told the ESPN reporter that he hoped the jacket she was wearing wasn’t “real leather.”
Tannenbaum took to X, formerly Twitter, later on Friday and assured Swinney and the masses that the jacket was budget-friendly.
Can confirm, it’s faux leather. We’re on a budget over here. Fun day at the @taxslayerbowl! https://t.co/r9xUtdG2uZ
— Taylor Tannebaum (@TaylorTannebaum) December 29, 2023
Thankfully, Tannebaum’s jacket was “faux leather” and didn’t end up as a casualty of Clemson’s colorful victory shower. Kudos to the ESPN reporter for taking the incident in stride.
