1968 Liberty Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1968 Liberty Bowl
was a post-season American college football
bowl game
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
and the Ole Miss Rebels
from the University of Mississippi
at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee
on December 14, 1968. The game was the final contest of the 1968 college football season
for both teams, and ended in a 34-17 victory for Mississippi.
Two years after a previous trip to the Liberty Bowl, Virginia Tech was again asked to travel to Memphis to play in a post-season bowl game. This time, the opponent was Mississippi
, which had amassed a 6–3–1 record during the regular season. The Hokies came into the game with a 7–3 record that included a loss to Tech's previous Liberty Bowl opponent, Miami.
The 1968 Liberty Bowl kicked off on January 14, 1968. As in the Hokies' previous appearance in the Liberty Bowl, Virginia Tech got off to a fast start. On the game's second play, Tech ran 58 yards for a touchdown, courtesy of a trick play. After Mississippi fumbled, Tech recovered and scored another quick touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, Tech added a field goal to the two touchdowns it had already earned, making the score 17–0 at the end of one quarter. From that point onward, however, almost nothing would go in Virginia Tech's favor. Tech 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 the Hokies 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.
Mike Widger
emerged as a major threat on defense for Tech. In the Hokies' win over No. 18 Florida State
in 1968, Widger intercepted two passes. Shortly after Liberty Bowl committee chairman Bud Dudley selected the Hokies to play in the Liberty Bowl, Widger was named a first-team Associated Press
All-America
n, marking him as one of the best players at his position in the country.
championships, the most recent of each coming in 1962. 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.
, 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.
In the first quarter of the game, it appeared that Virginia Tech would run away with an overwhelming victory. Tech received the ball to begin the game, and on the game's second play, Virginia Tech's Ken Edwards ran 58 yards on a trick play for the game's first touchdown
. Mississippi fumble
d the ball on its first offensive play and Virginia Tech recovered the turnover. Three plays later, Tech scored another touchdown on a seven-yard run by Terry Smoot. After stopping the Rebels with their defense, Tech appeared to have another chance to score when the Hokies' Ron Davidson returned an Ole Miss punt to the Rebels' 42-yard line. Despite the excellent field position, Tech was unable to score after Hokie quarterback Al Kinkaid was sacked
for a 19-yard loss. Despite the setback, Tech 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, Tech led 17–0.
In the second quarter, Mississippi came storming back. Following the field goal, Tech head coach Jerry Claiborne ordered an onside kick
in an effort to gain another chance on offense and potentially build an insurmountable lead. 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. Unfortunately for Virginia Tech, Simsak's onside kick—though it surprised Ole Miss—did not travel the requisite 10 yards. Mississippi took over at the Virginia Tech 49-yard line, and many of the Ole Miss players were angered by what they considered to be an insult.
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. Tech still held a 17–14 lead, but Mississippi had the momentum and would receive the ball to begin the second half.
Ole Miss wasted no time in scoring, as Stan Hindman turned the first play of the second half into a 79-yard for a touchdown. The Rebels now held a 21–17 lead, and Virginia Tech never threatened afterward. Ole Miss defender Bob Bailey intercepted a Virginia Tech 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 over Virginia Tech.
after he rushed the ball for 121 yards and a touchdown in addition to catching three passes for 32 yards. Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning finished the game with 141 passing yards and two touchdowns. Virginia Tech 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. Tech turned the ball over five times, committing three fumbles and throwing two interceptions to the Mississippi defense. Despite Tech's relative offensive success on the ground, the Hokies 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.
Although the Hokies had success on defense during the first quarter, Mississippi dominated the Hokies defensively for the rest of the game. Such was the defensive dominance of Mississippi in the last three quarters of the game that after Tech's field goal in the first quarter, the Hokies had 11 offensive possessions and crossed into Ole Miss territory just once.
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.
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 post-season American 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...
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
and the Ole Miss Rebels
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...
from the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
at Memphis Memorial Stadium in 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....
on December 14, 1968. The game was the final contest of the 1968 college football season
1968 college football season
In the 1968 college football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no...
for both teams, and ended in a 34-17 victory for Mississippi.
Two years after a previous trip to the Liberty Bowl, Virginia Tech was again asked to travel to Memphis to play in a post-season bowl game. This time, the opponent was Mississippi
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...
, which had amassed a 6–3–1 record during the regular season. The Hokies came into the game with a 7–3 record that included a loss to Tech's previous Liberty Bowl opponent, Miami.
The 1968 Liberty Bowl kicked off on January 14, 1968. As in the Hokies' previous appearance in the Liberty Bowl, Virginia Tech got off to a fast start. On the game's second play, Tech ran 58 yards for a touchdown, courtesy of a trick play. After Mississippi fumbled, Tech recovered and scored another quick touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, Tech added a field goal to the two touchdowns it had already earned, making the score 17–0 at the end of one quarter. From that point onward, however, almost nothing would go in Virginia Tech's favor. Tech 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...
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 the Hokies 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.
Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies, led by head coach Jerry Claibourne, amassed a 7–3 record during the regular season prior to the Liberty Bowl. The Hokies came into the 1968 season with high expectations. From 1963 to 1967, Virginia Tech was the 12th winningest major college football program, recording 36 wins, 13 losses, and one tie—putting the Hokies just behind Notre Dame in winning percentage. During the regular season, linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Mike Widger
Mike Widger
Michael John Widger is a former linebacker for the Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League from 1970-1978. He was a CFL All-Star four times and was a part of two Grey Cup victories for the Alouettes. He was a nominee for the TSN Top 50 CFL Players.-References:...
emerged as a major threat on defense for Tech. In the Hokies' win over No. 18 Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 1968, Widger intercepted two passes. Shortly after Liberty Bowl committee chairman Bud Dudley selected the Hokies to play in the Liberty Bowl, Widger was named a first-team 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...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, marking him as one of the best players at his position in the country.
Mississippi
The Ole Miss Rebels, led by head coach John Vaught, earned a regular-season record of 6–3–1 prior to the Liberty Bowl. 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 ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championships, the most recent of each coming in 1962. 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.
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 MemphisMemphis, 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....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
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.
In the first quarter of the game, it appeared that Virginia Tech would run away with an overwhelming victory. Tech received the ball to begin the game, and on the game's second play, Virginia Tech's Ken Edwards ran 58 yards on a trick play for the game's first touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. Mississippi fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
d the ball on its first offensive play and Virginia Tech recovered the turnover. Three plays later, Tech scored another touchdown on a seven-yard run by Terry Smoot. After stopping the Rebels with their defense, Tech appeared to have another chance to score when the Hokies' Ron Davidson returned an Ole Miss punt to the Rebels' 42-yard line. Despite the excellent field position, Tech was unable to score after Hokie quarterback Al Kinkaid was sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
for a 19-yard loss. Despite the setback, Tech 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, Tech led 17–0.
In the second quarter, Mississippi came storming back. Following the field goal, Tech head coach Jerry Claiborne ordered 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...
in an effort to gain another chance on offense and potentially build an insurmountable lead. 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. Unfortunately for Virginia Tech, Simsak's onside kick—though it surprised Ole Miss—did not travel the requisite 10 yards. Mississippi took over at the Virginia Tech 49-yard line, and many of the Ole Miss players were angered by what they considered to be an insult.
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. Tech still held a 17–14 lead, but Mississippi had the momentum and would receive the ball to begin the second half.
Ole Miss wasted no time in scoring, as Stan Hindman turned the first play of the second half into a 79-yard for a touchdown. The Rebels now held a 21–17 lead, and Virginia Tech never threatened afterward. Ole Miss defender Bob Bailey intercepted a Virginia Tech 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 over Virginia Tech.
Statistical summary
Mississippi's Steve Hindman was named the game's most valuable playerMost Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
after he rushed the ball for 121 yards and a touchdown in addition to catching three passes for 32 yards. Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning finished the game with 141 passing yards and two touchdowns. Virginia Tech 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. Tech turned the ball over five times, committing three fumbles and throwing two interceptions to the Mississippi defense. Despite Tech's relative offensive success on the ground, the Hokies 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.
Although the Hokies had success on defense during the first quarter, Mississippi dominated the Hokies defensively for the rest of the game. Such was the defensive dominance of Mississippi in the last three quarters of the game that after Tech's field goal in the first quarter, the Hokies had 11 offensive possessions and crossed into Ole Miss territory just once.
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
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
and offensive tackle Worthy McClure was named the game's most outstanding offensive lineman.