1963 Liberty Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1963 Liberty Bowl
was a college football
bowl game
played at Philadelphia Stadium
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
between the and the 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 next year's game, the 1964 Liberty Bowl
, as the first college bowl game ever played indoors, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall (now known as Boardwalk Hall
) in Atlantic City, New Jersey
.
The game was played at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
and was broadcast by NBC
. Led by head coach Paul E. Davis
, Mississippi State came into the game with a 6-2-2 record, losing to both Memphis State University
and the University of Alabama
, but defeating bowl-bound teams from Auburn University
and Louisiana State University
and tying Ole Miss
, earning the Bulldogs a pick as the favorite to win the game by the Associated Press
. The NC State Wolfpack entered the game with a record of 8-2, under head coach Earle Edwards
.
Mississippi State's Bill McGuire blocked a punt by North Carolina State's Dave Houtz, which was recovered by the Bulldogs' Tommy Inman at the 11-yard line and returned for a touchdown to give Mississippi State a 7-0 lead six minutes into the first quarter. NC State was forced to punt on their next possession from their own 15-yard line, with Mississippi State taking over on the NC State 47-yard-line. On the eighth play of the drive, quarterback Sonny Fisher scored on a wide left-end roll out from the 3-yard-line to give the Bulldogs a 13–0 lead after the extra point
attempt failed. Mississippi State took possession on the NC State 49-yard-line after another short punt and Justin Canale kicked a 43-yard field goal
at the start of the second quarter that just cleared the crossbar, giving the Bulldogs a 16–0 lead, and the last points the team would score in the game. North Carolina State scored on a quarterback sneak
by Jim Rossi in the second period, but with the two-point conversion
failing, the Wolfpack trailed 13–6 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, the final score of the game came on a four-yard pass from Rossi to Ray Barlow; The score was 16–12 after the two-point conversion failed again. NC State attempted an onside kick
which went to the Bulldogs after the Wolfpack was called for touching the ball before it had traveled ten yards, and Mississippi State was able to hold on to the margin of victory.
The Bulldogs' Hoyle Granger
, who later played professionally for the Houston Oilers, led all players with 94 yards rushing. Ode Burrell
of Mississippi State, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
but also played for the Oilers in the American Football League
, rushed for 69 yards and was voted the game's most valuable player. The Wolfpack's Rossi was 5 for 12 on passing and gained 67 yards on the ground, earning recognition as the game's outstanding back.
beat Alabama
by a score of 7-0 in front of 38,000 fans. But it was downhill from there, and fewer than 10,000 were in attendance to watch the 1963 game between Mississippi State University
and North Carolina State
, with the organizers taking a loss of $40,000. The frigid temperatures at year-end in the Northeast led to the game being called the "Deep Freeze Bowl". Bud Dudley, organizer of the Liberty Bowl, was ready for a change and he was receptive to an offer from a group of Atlantic City businessmen who were trying to help revive the fading Jersey Shore
resort that included a $25,000 guarantee.
The 1964 Liberty Bowl
between West Virginia University
and the University of Utah
was the first major bowl game ever played indoors, with a comfortable temperature of 60 °F (15.6 °C). The 1964 Liberty Bowl would be the last played in the Northeastern United States; the game was moved to Memphis, Tennessee
in 1965 and has continued to play in Memphis since then.
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
was a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played at Philadelphia Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
between the and the before a crowd of 8,309 fans in brutally cold weather. Coach Paul E. Davis
Paul E. Davis
Paul E. Davis was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1962 to 1966, compiling a record of 20–28–2.-Playing career:...
led Mississippi State to victory, but the significant dropoff in attendance from prior games led organizers to relocate the next year's game, the 1964 Liberty Bowl
1964 Liberty Bowl
The 1964 Liberty Bowl was the first major college football bowl game ever played indoors, the first broadcast nationwide in the United States and the only one ever played in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
, as the first college bowl game ever played indoors, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall (now known as Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
) in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.
The game
The two teams from the South played in bitter cold weather, with a temperature of 22 °F (-5.6 °C) at the kickoff, dropping to 15 °F (-9.4 °C) by the end of the game. 8,309 fans were in attendance, 8,000 fewer than the lowest previous attendance at a Liberty Bowl and a marked drop off from the 100,000 who attended the Army–Navy Game two weeks earlier in the 102,000-capacity stadium.The game was played at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
and was broadcast by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Led by head coach Paul E. Davis
Paul E. Davis
Paul E. Davis was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1962 to 1966, compiling a record of 20–28–2.-Playing career:...
, Mississippi State came into the game with a 6-2-2 record, losing to both Memphis State University
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
and the University of Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, but defeating bowl-bound teams from Auburn University
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
and Louisiana State University
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
and tying Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
, earning the Bulldogs a pick as the favorite to win the game by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. The NC State Wolfpack entered the game with a record of 8-2, under head coach Earle Edwards
Earle Edwards
-External links:...
.
Mississippi State's Bill McGuire blocked a punt by North Carolina State's Dave Houtz, which was recovered by the Bulldogs' Tommy Inman at the 11-yard line and returned for a touchdown to give Mississippi State a 7-0 lead six minutes into the first quarter. NC State was forced to punt on their next possession from their own 15-yard line, with Mississippi State taking over on the NC State 47-yard-line. On the eighth play of the drive, quarterback Sonny Fisher scored on a wide left-end roll out from the 3-yard-line to give the Bulldogs a 13–0 lead after the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempt failed. Mississippi State took possession on the NC State 49-yard-line after another short punt and Justin Canale kicked a 43-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
at the start of the second quarter that just cleared the crossbar, giving the Bulldogs a 16–0 lead, and the last points the team would score in the game. North Carolina State scored on a quarterback sneak
Quarterback sneak
A quarterback sneak is a play in Canadian and American football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward...
by Jim Rossi in the second period, but with the two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
failing, the Wolfpack trailed 13–6 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, the final score of the game came on a four-yard pass from Rossi to Ray Barlow; The score was 16–12 after the two-point conversion failed again. NC State attempted an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
which went to the Bulldogs after the Wolfpack was called for touching the ball before it had traveled ten yards, and Mississippi State was able to hold on to the margin of victory.
The Bulldogs' Hoyle Granger
Hoyle Granger
Hoyle John Granger is a former collegiate and professional American football player in the United States. He played his college football at Mississippi State. He was the first pick in the fifth round of the 1966 American Football League draft, by the Houston Oilers...
, who later played professionally for the Houston Oilers, led all players with 94 yards rushing. Ode Burrell
Ode Burrell
Ode Burrell, Jr. was an American college and professional football player. A halfback, he played college football at Mississippi State University, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Houston Oilers from 1964 through 1969. He was an American Football League All-Star...
of Mississippi State, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
but also played for the Oilers in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, rushed for 69 yards and was voted the game's most valuable player. The Wolfpack's Rossi was 5 for 12 on passing and gained 67 yards on the ground, earning recognition as the game's outstanding back.
The move to Atlantic City
The venue had been shifted to Atlantic City after the bowl was played for its initial five years outdoors in Philadelphia Stadium, often in temperatures below freezing. The inaugural Liberty Bowl in 1959 saw Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
beat Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
by a score of 7-0 in front of 38,000 fans. But it was downhill from there, and fewer than 10,000 were in attendance to watch the 1963 game between Mississippi State University
Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. They participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference under the mascot Bulldogs and the school colors of maroon and white...
and North Carolina State
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
, with the organizers taking a loss of $40,000. The frigid temperatures at year-end in the Northeast led to the game being called the "Deep Freeze Bowl". Bud Dudley, organizer of the Liberty Bowl, was ready for a change and he was receptive to an offer from a group of Atlantic City businessmen who were trying to help revive the fading Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
resort that included a $25,000 guarantee.
The 1964 Liberty Bowl
1964 Liberty Bowl
The 1964 Liberty Bowl was the first major college football bowl game ever played indoors, the first broadcast nationwide in the United States and the only one ever played in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
between West Virginia University
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
and the University of Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
was the first major bowl game ever played indoors, with a comfortable temperature of 60 °F (15.6 °C). The 1964 Liberty Bowl would be the last played in the Northeastern United States; the game was moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 1965 and has continued to play in Memphis since then.