The Auburn Tigers and Maryland Terrapins will face one another in the 26th edition of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl this Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. CST, bowl officials announced.
The highly anticipated matchup will take place inside Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville and will be televised nationally on ABC and simulcast on ESPN+.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Auburn and Maryland to our game this year,” Scott Ramsey, President & CEO of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, said. “As we look forward to the unique matchup, we hope it will become another memorable chapter in the history of our bowl game and for Nashville as a whole, as we welcome back Auburn and introduce Maryland and its fans to our great city.”
The matchup will mark Maryland’s first TransPerfect Music City Bowl appearance and be the first meeting between both schools since 1983. Auburn holds a 2-1 advantage in the series overall.
Auburn, concluding the 2023 season with an overall record of 6-6, are led by head coach Hugh Freeze, who is in his first season with the Tigers. Freeze will coach in his second Music City Bowl, having coached Ole Miss to a win in Nashville in 2013.
Key offensive contributors for Auburn include junior quarterback Payton Thorne, who amassed 1,671 passing yards and 15 touchdowns during the regular season, junior running back Jarquez Hunter with 865 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, and junior tight-end Rivaldo Fairweather contributing 349 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. On the defensive front, junior linebacker Eugene Asante leads with 84 tackles and 6 touchdowns, while cornerback Jaylin Simpson has made a mark with 4 interceptions and 1 touchdown.
Auburn’s history in the Music City Bowl includes two victories in 2003 and 2018 against Wisconsin (28-14) and Purdue (63-14), respectively.
Under the guidance of Head Coach Michael Locksley, the Terrapins are set to make their inaugural appearance in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Locksley, in his 5th season as head coach in College Park, has led the team to an overall record of 7-5 in the 2023 season.
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The Terrapins feature star senior QB Taulia Tagovailoa, who has thrown for 3,307 yards and 25 touchdowns. Other key contributors include sophomore running back Roman Hemby with 668 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, Senior wide receiver Jeshaun Jones with 747 receiving yards, and senior defensive backs Beau Brade and Tarheeb Still, with 72 tackles and 5 interceptions, respectively.
Tickets are available for purchase through the official bowl website, MusicCityBowl.com/Tickets
