Tagovailoa and Big Ten's Maryland to face SEC's Auburn in Music City Bowl on Dec. 30
Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) looks to throw a pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Rutgers, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Piscataway, N.J. Credit: AP/Corey Sipkin
Maryland (7-5, ACC) vs Auburn (6-6, SEC), Dec. 30, 2 p.m. ET
LOCATION: Nashville, Tennessee
TOP PLAYERS
Maryland: QB Taulia Tagovailoa, 3,377 yards, 25 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, Big Ten record 11,256 career passing yards.
Auburn: DT Marcus Harris, 40 tackles, seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss.
NOTABLE
Maryland: Seeking three bowl wins in three years for first time in program history. Facing its first SEC bowl opponent since 2002. Ranks second in the Big Ten in total offense (393.8 points per game) and leads the league in passing yards per game with 284.8.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, right, argues a missed call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. Credit: AP/Vasha Hunt
Auburn: Tigers finished coach Hugh Freeze's first season with a loss to playoff-bound Alabama on a last-minute, fourth-and-31 touchdown pass.
LAST TIME
No. 3 Auburn 35, No. 7 Maryland 23 (Nov. 6, 1983)
BOWL HISTORY
Maryland head coach Mike Locksley, center, looks on during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in College Park, Md. Michigan won 31-24. Credit: AP/Nick Wass
Maryland: First Music City Bowl appearance and 30th bowl game overall.
Auburn: Making its 47th bowl appearance and third in the Music City Bowl, seeking first bowl win since beating Purdue 63-14 in the 2018 game in Nashville. Lost three straight bowls.
