This Week in College Football History

Courtesy of the National Football Foundation

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Featured Moment: Dec. 13, 1969

On Dec. 13, 1969, Hall of Fame-destined tailbacks Bobby Anderson of Colorado (left) and Johnny Musso of Alabama waged battle in the Liberty Bowl Classic in Memphis. Anderson was named Most Valuable Player after the Buffaloes prevailed 47-33 on the strength of a strong fourth quarter.

(Image courtesy of the National Football Foundation)

This report courtesy of the National Football Foundation.

Published by Bonesville on Dec. 8, 2013

FEATURED MOMENT

DEC. 13, 1969: The 1969 Liberty Bowl Classic in Memphis proved to be a matchup of the tailbacks between College Football Hall of Famers Bobby Anderson of Colorado and Johnny Musso of Alabama. Scoring twice in the fourth, Anderson helped push the Buffs to a 47-33 defeat of the Crimson Tide and Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant. By the end of the game, Anderson, a consensus All-American, had rushed 35 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns, earning Liberty Bowl MVP honors. The game marked Alabama’s second appearance in the Liberty Bowl Classic. The Buffs, making their first appearance in the Liberty Bowl, finished No. 16 in the final AP Poll of 1969.

OTHER NOTABLE DATES

DEC. 9, 1961: In the first Gotham Bowl, Baylor upset Hall of Fame coach John Ralston’s No. 10 Utah State in New York’s Polo Grounds. Baylor’s Ronnie Bull and 2013 Hall of Fame inductee and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Don Trull stood out as the offensive stars, with Trull throwing for 116 yards and a 38-yard touchdown pass to Tom Plumb. The Bears won 24-9 against an Aggie team that was led by Hall of Famer and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Merlin Olsen. The final Gotham Bowl was played a year later in Yankee Stadium, with Nebraska beating Miami (FL) 36-34.

DEC. 10, 1966: Morgan State defeated West Chester State (PA) 14-6 in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando. College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Lanier earned MVP honors, and Hall of Fame coach Earl Banks led Morgan State to its second consecutive bowl game appearance. During the 13 seasons that Banks coached the Bears, he led the team to a 31-game win streak, three unbeaten regular seasons, four CIAA titles and four bowl games.

DEC. 11, 1982: In the first live college football game televised by ESPN, the 1982 Independence Bowl was undoubtedly a game of firsts. Wisconsin’s 14-3 win marked the Badgers’ first postseason win in school history, and the game marked the first time in program history that the Kansas State Wildcats had played in the postseason. Wisconsin quarterback Randy Wright threw for two touchdowns, including connecting with wide receiver Tim Stracka on an 87-yard strike. The Badger defense held Kansas State to 192 yards and a single field goal.

DEC. 12, 1985: At the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, Hall of Famer Bo Jackson was awarded the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,786 yards on the season and scoring 17 touchdowns. The 1985 election remains the closest of all Heisman Trophy votes as only 45 points separated Jackson and the runner-up, Hall of Fame quarterback Chuck Long (Iowa). The second Auburn player to win the award, Jackson ended his career with 4,303 rushing yards, a school record he holds to this day. A two-time consensus All-American, Jackson was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. During his four seasons at Auburn, the program went 37-12 with wins in the ’82 Tangerine Bowl, ’83 Sugar Bowl and ’84 Liberty Bowl.

DEC. 14, 1995: Taking place at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, NV, the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl between No. 25 Toledo and Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault’s Nevada would be the first NCAA Division I game to ever go into overtime. The overtime rules had gone into effect for the first time in Division I-A during the 1995 bowl season before their regular season implementation in 1996. A 22-yard field goal in overtime gave the Wolf Pack their first lead of the game. However, a two-yard rushing touchdown by Toledo ended the game, and the undefeated Rockets claimed a 40-37 victory over Nevada. Toledo closed out the year at No. 24 in the final AP poll. This would mark just the third Top 25 finish in the program’s history.

DEC. 15, 2001: The Georgetown (KY) Tigers defeated the Sioux Falls (SD) Cougars 49-27 to win the 2001 NAIA championship in Savannah, TN. National Scholar-Athlete quarterback Eddie Eviston was named NAIA Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. He continues to hold school records for all-time passing yards (9,282), touchdown passes (83) and career completion percentage (60.9). Elected into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2013, Eviston returned to his alma mater earlier this year to become an assistant football coach for the Tigers.

The Bonesville staff contributed to this report.


12/14/2013 06:44 AM