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Bright spot: Whop Philyor sets Indiana, Outback Bowl record in loss to Ole Miss

Mark Schipper

By Mark Schipper

Published:

It’s an established fact that the Outback Coconut Shrimp is a superior app to the chain’s Bloomin’ Onion, a dish with a better Q-rating than the shrimp but an inferior flavor profile. Indiana’s Whop Philyor, whose team was playing for the shrimp during Friday’s New Year’s Day Outback Bowl, wanted all the little coconut treats afterward, catching 18 passes in a heroic but ultimately losing effort for the Hoosiers.

Philyor set both the Outback Bowl record for receptions when he grabbed his 13th of the day, and the Indiana school record when he wrapped up the afternoon with 18 catches. Philyor finished with just 81 yards and no touchdowns as the Hoosier’s backup quarterback Jack Tuttle struggled to push the ball down the field, and Indiana lost, 26-20, to the underdog Ole Miss Rebels.

The Big Ten team was playing for the Coconut Shrimp, as is tradition, while the SEC squad was there representing the Bloomin’ Onion. Depending on which side won, patrons of the restaurant chain only had to say “Outback Bowl” to their server in order to command a free order of the shrimp or onion, depending on who won. Philyor did everything he could to get America the shrimp, but fate had other ideas that day as Ole Miss won the game.

For Philyor, a senior, there may be another opportunity next season with the NCAA’s eligibility freeze as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic season. If Philyor’s finished, however, he ended on a high note, catching 54 passes for 495 yards and three touchdowns over eight games in a historic season for Indiana football. 

Mark Schipper

Mark Schipper is a reporter, sportswriter, and aspiring novelist living in Chicago, Illinois.