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This 2019 stat regarding 4th quarter leads in the FBS will make Indiana fans cringe after Gator Bowl loss
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Salt, meet wound.
If you didn’t think there was anything that could make Indiana’s 23-22 loss to Tennessee anymore gut-wrenching than what transpired at the Gator Bowl Thursday night, think again. ESPN has a stat that will make IU fans cringe immediately.
With less than five minutes to play in the Gator Bowl, Indiana owned a 13-point lead with a 22-9 score. At that time, it looked like the Hoosiers would snap a winless bowl drought that dates back to 1991. But two touchdowns by Tennessee changed all that, lifting the Volunteers to the win and ending IU’s season with an 8-5 record.
What’s the cringe-worthy statistic?
According to ESPN, FBS teams who were trailing by 13 points or more with less than five minutes remaining in games this season were 0-471. Tennessee is now the only FBS team all season to overcome that deficit in the allotted time to win a game.
Tennessee overcomes a 13-point deficit in the final 5 minutes to stun Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Entering this matchup, FBS teams were 0-471 when trailing by at least 13 points in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter this season. pic.twitter.com/UzwQPli1oy
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 3, 2020
Yeah, that makes the loss even worse for Hoosier fans.
The 2019 campaign was still a strong one for Indiana. It finished 8-5, defeated Nebraska on the road, beat Purdue and played in a warm-weather bowl game. But the freshness of Thursday night’s loss still stings, especially considering the Hoosiers had so many chances to put the game away.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB