1968 Liberty Bowl

Last updated

1968 Liberty Bowl
10th Liberty Bowl
OldLiberty Bowl logo.jpg
Ole Miss Rebels VPI Gobblers
(6–3–1)(7–3)
SEC Independent
3417
Head coach: 
Johnny Vaught 		Head coach: 
Jerry Claiborne
1234Total
Ole Miss01471334
VPI1700017
DateDecember 14, 1968
Season 1968
Stadium Memphis Memorial Stadium
Location Memphis, Tennessee
MVP RB Steve Hindman (Ole Miss)
Referee Carl Deane (ACC;
split crew: ACC, SEC)
Attendance46,206
United States TV coverage
Network ABC
Liberty Bowl
 < 1967   1969 > 

The 1968 Liberty Bowl was an American college football postseason bowl game between the VPI Gobblers (now the Virginia Tech Hokies) [lower-alpha 1] and the Ole Miss Rebels of the University of Mississippi. The 10th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it was played at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 14, 1968. The game was the final contest of the 1968 NCAA University Division football season for both teams, and ended in a 34–17 victory for Mississippi.

Contents

Two years after their appearance in the 1966 Liberty Bowl, VPI was again asked to travel to Memphis for a post-season bowl game. This time, the opponent was Mississippi, who had amassed a 6–3–1 record during the regular season. VPI came into the game with a 7–3 record that included a loss to their previous Liberty Bowl opponent, the Miami Hurricanes.

As in VPI's previous appearance in the Liberty Bowl, the team got off to a fast start. On the game's second play, VPI ran 58 yards for a touchdown, courtesy of a trick play. After Mississippi fumbled, VPI recovered and scored another quick touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, VPI added a field goal to the two touchdowns it had already earned, making the score 17–0. From that point onward, however, almost nothing would go in VPI's favor. They attempted an onside kick following the field goal, but were unable to successfully recover the ball. With good field position following the kick, Mississippi quarterback Archie Manning orchestrated a 49-yard drive for the Rebels' first points of the game.

Mississippi scored another touchdown before halftime, and VPI clung to a 17–14 lead at the beginning of the second half. That three-point lead quickly evaporated, however, as 21 seconds into the third quarter, Mississippi's Steve Hindman ran for 79 yards and a touchdown to give Mississippi a 21–17 lead. Ole Miss added 13 more points before the game ended and earned the victory, 34–17.

Teams

VPI

The VPI Gobblers (today's Virginia Tech Hokies), led by head coach Jerry Claiborne, [1] amassed a 7–3 record during the regular season prior to the Liberty Bowl. [2] VPI came into the 1968 season with high expectations. From 1963 to 1967, they were the 12th winningest major college football program, recording 36 wins, 13 losses, and one tie—putting VPI just behind Notre Dame in winning percentage. [3] During the regular season, linebacker Mike Widger emerged as a major threat on defense. In the team's win over No. 18 Florida State in 1968, Widger intercepted two passes. Shortly after Liberty Bowl committee chairman Bud Dudley selected VPI to play in the Liberty Bowl, Widger was named a first-team Associated Press All-American, marking him as one of the best players at his position in the country. [4]

Mississippi

The Ole Miss Rebels, led by head coach Johnny Vaught, [1] earned a regular-season record of 6–3–1 prior to the Liberty Bowl. [5] Vaught remains the all-time leader in wins at Ole Miss, and at the time of Mississippi's selection for the 1968 Liberty Bowl, he had already led the Rebels to three national championships and six Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships, the most recent of each coming in 1962. [6] On the field, Ole Miss featured star quarterback Archie Manning, who despite being just a sophomore, was already making a name for himself and would later go on to set records for passing yardage and passing touchdowns for Ole Miss, en route to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in Mississippi history. [7]

Game summary

The 1968 Liberty bowl kicked off on a cold and blustery day in front of 46,206 fans at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 14, 1968. The record crowd (it was the largest in the 10-year history of the bowl to that point) consumed 20,000 hot dogs—so many that the stadium ran out by the third quarter. [4]

In the first quarter of the game, it appeared that VPI would run away with an overwhelming victory. VPI received the ball to begin the game, and on the game's second play, Ken Edwards ran 58 yards on a trick play for the game's first touchdown. [8] Mississippi fumbled the ball on its first offensive play and VPI recovered the turnover. Three plays later, VPI scored another touchdown on a seven-yard run by Terry Smoot. After stopping the Rebels with their defense, VPI appeared to have another chance to score when Ron Davidson returned an Ole Miss punt to the Rebels' 42-yard line. Despite the excellent field position, VPI was unable to score after quarterback Al Kincaid was sacked for a 19-yard loss. [9] Despite the setback, VPI was able to keep Ole Miss from scoring in the first quarter and tacked on a 29-yard field goal by kicker Jack Simcsak before time came to an end in the quarter. At the end of the quarter, VPI led, 17–0. [8]

In the second quarter, Mississippi came storming back. Following the field goal, VPI head coach Jerry Claiborne ordered an onside kick in an effort to gain another chance on offense and potentially build an insurmountable lead. [4] Onside kicks, unlike an ordinary free kick, can be recovered by the kicking team—but only after the ball has traveled 10 yards. If the kicking team touches the ball before it has traveled 10 yards, the receiving team takes possession at the place the ball was touched. [10] Unfortunately for VPI, Simsak's onside kick—though it surprised Ole Miss—did not travel the requisite 10 yards. Mississippi took over at the VPI 49-yard line, and many of the Ole Miss players were angered by what they considered to be an insult. [4]

Mississippi quarterback Archie Manning used the good field position and his inspired offense proficiently following the kick, driving the Rebels down the field and connecting with Hank Shows on a 21-yard touchdown pass for Mississippi's first points, just 30 seconds into the second quarter. By halftime, Manning had connected on another touchdown pass, this one a 23-yard strike to Leon Felts. VPI still held a 17–14 lead, but Mississippi had the momentum and would receive the ball to begin the second half. [8]

Ole Miss wasted no time in scoring, as Steve Hindman turned the first play of the second half into a 79-yard run for a touchdown. [9] The Rebels now held a 21–17 lead, and VPI never threatened afterward. [11] Ole Miss defender Bob Bailey intercepted a pass at the beginning of the fourth quarter and returned it 70 yards for another Mississippi touchdown. The Rebels also added a pair of field goals to their score, and rolled to a 34–17 victory. [8]

Statistics

Statistical Comparison [8]
UMVPI
1st downs714
Total yards326332
Passing yards1412
Rushing yards185330
Penalties4–3012–120
Turnovers35

Mississippi's Steve Hindman was named the game's most valuable player [12] after he rushed the ball for 121 yards and a touchdown in addition to catching three passes for 32 yards. [8] Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning finished the game with 141 passing yards and two touchdowns. [4] VPI was led on offense by Ken Edwards, who finished with 119 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Terry Smoot, who finished with 91 rushing yards and a touchdown. [8] VPI turned the ball over five times, committing three fumbles and throwing two interceptions. [4] Despite VPI's relative offensive success on the ground, they were completely inept through the air, completing just one pass for two net passing yards. Both marks remain Liberty Bowl records for the fewest passes and fewest passing yards gained by a team. [13]

Although VPI had success on defense during the first quarter, Mississippi dominated defensively for the rest of the game. Such was the defensive dominance of Mississippi in the last three quarters of the game that after VPI's field goal in the first quarter, VPI had 11 offensive possessions and crossed into Ole Miss territory just once. [9]

In addition to Steve Hindman's selection as the game's MVP, Mississippi had two other players recognized for their achievements in the game: Robert Bailey was named the game's most outstanding defensive back and offensive tackle Worthy McClure was named the game's most outstanding offensive lineman. [14]

Notes

  1. ↑ VPI became Virginia Tech in 1970, and the team's nickname became Hokies in 1981.

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egg Bowl</span> American college football rivalry

The Egg Bowl is the name given to the Mississippi State–Ole Miss football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played annually between Southeastern Conference members Mississippi State University and Ole Miss.

The 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks on January 3, 2008, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by three points, but in a game dominated by defensive and special teams play, Kansas defeated Virginia Tech 24–21. The game was part of the 2007–08 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the concluding game of the season for both teams. This 74th edition of the Orange Bowl was televised in the United States on Fox and was watched by more than eight million viewers.

The 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 39th edition of the game previously known as the Peach Bowl. Georgia represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the competition. The game was the final game of the 2006 football season for each team and resulted in a 31–24 Georgia victory, even though spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win by three points. In exchange for the right to pick the first ACC team after the Bowl Championship Series selections, bowl representatives paid US$3.25 million to the ACC, while the SEC, whose fifth team was selected, received $2.4 million. The combined $5.65 million payout was the seventh-largest among all college football bowl games, and the fourth-largest non-BCS bowl game payout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Sugar Bowl</span>

The 2005 Sugar Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Auburn Tigers at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 3, 2005. It was the 71st edition of the annual Sugar Bowl football contest. Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the contest, while Auburn represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In a defensive struggle, Auburn earned a 16–13 victory despite a late-game rally by Virginia Tech.

The 1947 Sun Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the VPI Gobblers of the Southern Conference (SoCon) and the independent Cincinnati Bearcats. It took place on January 1, 1947, at Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas. Cincinnati won, 18–6, in cold and icy conditions that led to a scoreless first half and three blocked extra points by VPI. The game was the first NCAA-sanctioned post-season football contest for Cincinnati, and was the first bowl game in VPI history. The 1947 game was also the 13th edition of the Sun Bowl, which had been played every year since 1935. In exchange for their participation in the event, each team received $9,438.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Liberty Bowl</span>

The 1966 Liberty Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the VPI Gobblers and the Miami Hurricanes, both independent programs. The eighth edition of the Liberty Bowl, it was played on December 10, 1966, at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The game was the final contest of the 1966 NCAA University Division football season for both teams, and ended in a 14–7 victory for Miami. A then-record 39,101 tickets were sold for the game, but due to 36 °F (2 °C) temperatures at game time, only 25,012 spectators attended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team</span> American college football season

The 2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Houston Nutt, who served his first season in the position and replaced Ed Orgeron, who was fired after accumulating a 10–25 record at Ole Miss from 2005 to 2007. The Rebels played their seven home games in 2008 at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.

The 2006 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, on January 2, 2006. The game was the final contest of the 2005 football season for each team and resulted in a 35–24 Virginia Tech victory. Louisville represented the Big East Conference, and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Peach Bowl (January)</span>

The 1980 (season) Peach Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Hurricanes from the University of Miami and the Gobblers from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on January 2, 1981. The game was the final contest of the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 20–10 victory for Miami. Another game by the same name followed the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season and was played in December, 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Gator Bowl</span>

The 1994 Gator Bowl was an American college football bowl game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on December 30, 1994. The game was the final contest of the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 45–23 victory for Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas–Ole Miss football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Arkansas–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Arkansas Razorbacks football team of the University of Arkansas and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. The teams first met in 1908, and have played each other every year since 1981. Arkansas leads the series, which includes two wins by Ole Miss in postseason bowl games, the 1963 and 1970 Sugar Bowls.

The 1968 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 74th overall and 35th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 11th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished season with eight wins and three losses and with a loss against Missouri in the Gator Bowl.

The 1969 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 75th overall and 36th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 12th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with six wins and five losses and with a loss against Colorado in the Liberty Bowl.

The 1963 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 21, 1963. The fifth edition of the Liberty Bowl was played between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the North Carolina State Wolfpack before a crowd of 8,309 fans in brutally cold weather. Coach Paul E. Davis led Mississippi State to victory, but the significant dropoff in attendance from prior games led organizers to relocate the 1964 edition of the bowl to the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as the first college bowl game ever played indoors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team</span> American college football season

The 2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Dan Mullen, who was in fifth season with Mississippi State in the 2013 season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team</span> American college football season

The 2014 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by seventh-year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic was the twentieth edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, January 2. Part of the 1955–56 bowl game season, it matched the sixth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs of the Southwest Conference (SWC) and the #10 Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Underdog Ole Miss rallied to win by a point, 14–13.

The 1971 Gator Bowl (January) was a college football postseason bowl game between the unranked Ole Miss Rebels and the 10th-ranked Auburn Tigers, both of the Southeastern Conference. It was played in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 2, 1971, the day after the major bowl games.

The 1941 VPI Gobblers football team was an American football team that represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in Southern Conference during the 1941 college football season. In their first season under head coach Jimmy Kitts, the Gobblers compiled a 6–4 record, tied for fifth place in the conference, and were outscored by a total of 120 to 112.

References

  1. 1 2 Coaches Archived 2008-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Libertybowl.org, Accessed July 9, 2008.
  2. ↑ Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules: 1968-1969 Archived 2008-10-03 at the Wayback Machine Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed February 20, 2008.
  3. ↑ Lazenby, pgs. 106-107.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lazenby, p. 109.
  5. ↑ 2007 Ole Miss Media Guide [ permanent dead link ] Mississippi Athletics Department, olemisssports.com. Page 179. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  6. ↑ Remembering Coach Vaught: The Legend ... The Coach ... The Man Archived 2008-10-08 at the Wayback Machine Mississippi Athletics Department, OleMisssports.com. October 2, 2006. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  7. ↑ History of Rebel Football Archived 2008-10-08 at the Wayback Machine "Archie Manning," Mississippi Athletics Department, OleMisssports.com. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1968 Liberty Bowl Archived 2008-05-30 at the Wayback Machine Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 Tandler, p. 112
  10. ↑ 2007 NCAA Football rulebook Archived 2008-06-24 at the Wayback Machine The NCAA, NCAA.org. Accessed July 9, 2008.
  11. ↑ 2007 Ole Miss Media Guide [ permanent dead link ] Mississippi Athletics Department, olemisssports.com. Page 169. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  12. ↑ Most Valuable Players Archived 2007-08-11 at the Wayback Machine Libertybowl.org, Accessed July 9, 2008.
  13. ↑ Team Records Archived 2009-12-27 at the Wayback Machine Libertybowl.org, Accessed July 9, 2008.
  14. ↑ Rebel Football Bowl History [ permanent dead link ] "Outstanding Player Awards," Mississippi Athletic Department, OleMissSports.com. Accessed July 10, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.