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ESPN’s Taylor Tannebaum Shares Epic Reaction to Gatorade Shower at Gator Bowl

The ESPN reporter had a priceless reaction after she was caught in the crossfire of Clemson’s victory celebration.
Tim Capurso|
ESPN’s Taylor Tannebaum Shares Epic Reaction to Gatorade Shower at Gator Bowl
ESPN’s Taylor Tannebaum Shares Epic Reaction to Gatorade Shower at Gator Bowl

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Clemson TigersKentucky Wildcats

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.

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.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

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