1998 Liberty Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1998 AXA
/Equitable
Liberty Bowl
, part of the 1998
bowl game
season, took place on December 31, 1998, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
in Memphis
, Tennessee
. The competing teams were the Tulane Green Wave
, representing the Conference USA
(C-USA) and the , representing the Western Athletic Conference
(WAC). Tulane won the game 41–27 to finish along with the Tennessee Volunteers
as the only undefeated Division I-A teams for the 1998 season.
at quarterback
and picked to finish tied for second place with East Carolina in the preseason conference rankings. Following their week two victory over SMU
, local media started to mention the Green Wave as a potential at-large opponent to play in the Sugar Bowl
as pert of the inaugural Bowl Championship Series
(BCS). Although Tulane finished the regular season with an 11–0 record, since they finished outside the sixth position in the final BCS standings, the Green Wave did not qualify for a BCS bowl game. Instead they were invited to the Liberty Bowl as C-USA champions. The appearance in the game marked Tulane's first bowl since the 1987 Independence Bowl
, and their third all-time appearance in the Liberty Bowl.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, on December 2 head coach Tommy Bowden
resigned as head coach to accept the same position at Clemson
. At that time offensive coordinator
Rich Rodriguez
was named interim head coach through at least the Liberty Bowl. Although Rodriguez was thought to be the top candidate for the coaching vacancy, on December 7 Tulane announced Georgia
offensive coordinator Chris Scelfo
as Tulane's new head coach. At the time of he announcement, officials also stated Scelfo would serve as head coach in the bowl game instead of Rodriguez, and that most of Bowden's staff would remain in place for the Liberty Bowl.
20–13. Prior to the championship game, the Cougars accepted a bid to play in the 40th Liberty Bowl. The appearance in the game marked BYU's first New Year's Eve bowl, and their first all-time appearance in the Liberty Bowl. In mid-December, BYU head coach LaVell Edwards
announced that starting running back
Ronney Jenkins
and defensive back
Heshimu Robertson would be suspended for the Liberty Bowl for violating the Brigham Young University Honor Code
.
missed the extra point
the Cougars took an early 6–0 lead. The Green Wave responded on the following drive with a 31-yard Brad Palazzo field goal to cut the lead in half. With BYU driving on the ensuing possession, Michael Jordan intercepted a Feterik pass and returned it 79 yards for touchdown. The return was the longest in the history on the Liberty Bowl and gave Tulane a 10–6 lead. In the second quarter, Shaun King
scored on a three-yard run and Palazzo hit a 23-yard field goal to give Tulane a 20–6 lead at the half. King continued the scoring in the third with a pair of touchdown passes to cap two 82-yard drives. The first came on a 60-yard pass to Kerwin Cook and the second on a 13-yard pass to Jamaican Dartez. With Tulane leading 34–6 entering the fourth quarter, BYU scored the first of three late touchdowns on a three-yard Aaron Cupp touchdown run. Tulane responded on the next drive with its final points of the game on a five-yard Toney Converse run to extend their lead to 41–13. The Cougars closed the contest with an 18-yard Cupp reception for a score and a three-yard Reno Mahe
touchdown run to bring the final score to 41–27. For his 276 yards passing, 109 yards rushing and three total touchdowns, Tulane quarterback
Shaun King was named the game's Most Valuable Player
.
AXA
AXA S.A. is a French global insurance group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. AXA is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries. The AXA group of companies engage in life, health and other forms of...
/Equitable
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, formerly The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, also known as The Equitable, was founded by Henry Baldwin Hyde in 1859. In 1991, AXA, a French insurance company, acquired majority control of The Equitable...
Liberty Bowl
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...
, part of the 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
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...
season, took place on December 31, 1998, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is a football stadium, located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team...
in Memphis
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....
, 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...
. The competing teams were the Tulane Green Wave
1998 Tulane Green Wave football team
The 1998 Tulane Green Wave football team represented Tulane University in the 1998 college football season. The Green Wave finished with a record of 12 wins and no losses, one of only two NCAA Division 1-A teams to complete the season undefeated, the other being the BCS champion Tennessee...
, representing the Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
(C-USA) and the , representing the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC). Tulane won the game 41–27 to finish along with the Tennessee Volunteers
1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Tennessee entered the 1998 season coming off an 11–2 record in 1997...
as the only undefeated Division I-A teams for the 1998 season.
Tulane
The 1998 Tulane squad entered the season with returning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Shaun KingShaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and picked to finish tied for second place with East Carolina in the preseason conference rankings. Following their week two victory over SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
, local media started to mention the Green Wave as a potential at-large opponent to play in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
as pert of the inaugural Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS). Although Tulane finished the regular season with an 11–0 record, since they finished outside the sixth position in the final BCS standings, the Green Wave did not qualify for a BCS bowl game. Instead they were invited to the Liberty Bowl as C-USA champions. The appearance in the game marked Tulane's first bowl since the 1987 Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
, and their third all-time appearance in the Liberty Bowl.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, on December 2 head coach Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden is an American football coach who served as the head coach at Clemson University from 1999 until October 13, 2008...
resigned as head coach to accept the same position at Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. At that time offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
was named interim head coach through at least the Liberty Bowl. Although Rodriguez was thought to be the top candidate for the coaching vacancy, on December 7 Tulane announced Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
offensive coordinator Chris Scelfo
Chris Scelfo
Chris Scelfo is an American football coach, currently serving as the tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons. He served as head coach at Tulane from 1998 to 2006, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and amassed a 37–57 record. Scelfo is the only Tulane head coach to have won two...
as Tulane's new head coach. At the time of he announcement, officials also stated Scelfo would serve as head coach in the bowl game instead of Rodriguez, and that most of Bowden's staff would remain in place for the Liberty Bowl.
BYU
After opening the season 2–3, BYU won seven consecutive games to earn a spot in the WAC Championship Game. In that contest, the Cougars lost to the Air ForceAir Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
20–13. Prior to the championship game, the Cougars accepted a bid to play in the 40th Liberty Bowl. The appearance in the game marked BYU's first New Year's Eve bowl, and their first all-time appearance in the Liberty Bowl. In mid-December, BYU head coach LaVell Edwards
LaVell Edwards
R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...
announced that starting running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Ronney Jenkins
Ronney Jenkins
Ronney Jenkins is an American football player from Los Angeles, California. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Ronney Jenkins is a relatively small football player, but he is noted for his tremendous speed.-High school career:...
and 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...
Heshimu Robertson would be suspended for the Liberty Bowl for violating the Brigham Young University Honor Code
Brigham Young University Honor Code
The Brigham Young University Honor Code is a set of standards by which students and faculty at Brigham Young University, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to live. The standards derive in many ways from codes of conduct of the LDS Church,...
.
Game summary
In a game ultimately dominated by Tulane, BYU scored the first points of the game. Early in the first, Kevin Feterik hit Ben Horton for an 11-yard touchdown reception, and after Owen PochmanOwen Pochman
Owen Pochman is a former National Football League punter and placekicker who played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers . Pochman is an alumnus of Brigham Young University.-References:...
missed the extra point
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
the Cougars took an early 6–0 lead. The Green Wave responded on the following drive with a 31-yard Brad Palazzo field goal to cut the lead in half. With BYU driving on the ensuing possession, Michael Jordan intercepted a Feterik pass and returned it 79 yards for touchdown. The return was the longest in the history on the Liberty Bowl and gave Tulane a 10–6 lead. In the second quarter, Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
scored on a three-yard run and Palazzo hit a 23-yard field goal to give Tulane a 20–6 lead at the half. King continued the scoring in the third with a pair of touchdown passes to cap two 82-yard drives. The first came on a 60-yard pass to Kerwin Cook and the second on a 13-yard pass to Jamaican Dartez. With Tulane leading 34–6 entering the fourth quarter, BYU scored the first of three late touchdowns on a three-yard Aaron Cupp touchdown run. Tulane responded on the next drive with its final points of the game on a five-yard Toney Converse run to extend their lead to 41–13. The Cougars closed the contest with an 18-yard Cupp reception for a score and a three-yard Reno Mahe
Reno Mahe
Sateki Reno Mahe, Jr. is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at BYU.-Early life:...
touchdown run to bring the final score to 41–27. For his 276 yards passing, 109 yards rushing and three total touchdowns, Tulane quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Shaun King was named the game's Most Valuable Player
Most 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...
.