1966 Liberty Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1966 Liberty Bowl
was a post-season American college football
bowl game
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
and the Miami Hurricanes
at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee
on December 10, 1966. The game was the final contest of the 1966 college football season
for both teams, and ended in a 14–7 victory for the Miami Hurricanes. A then-record 39,101 tickets were sold for the game, but due to 36-degree temperatures at game time, only 25,012 spectators attended. The game marked just the second time that Virginia Tech had played in a bowl game since the creation of the team in 1892. The game also marked the second time in each school's history that the two teams had faced each other. The previous meeting, held in 1953, ended in a 26–0 shutout victory for the Hurricanes. Current Virginia Tech head football coach and then-player Frank Beamer
participated in the game as a backup cornerback
for the Hokies.
safety Frank Loria, who caught three interceptions and returned three punts for touchdowns as a junior during the 1966 season. In addition, Virginia Tech defensive end
George Foussekis was named to the Associated Press second-team All-America team, and helped keep the Hurricanes' offense in check for most of the game.
On offense, fullback
Tommy Groom served as the third of the Hokies' three team captains during the game. Virginia Tech was coached by Jerry Claiborne
, who was in his sixth year as head coach of the Hokies. Under Claiborne, Virginia Tech had amassed a strong 8-1-1 record with wins over Kentucky
, Florida State
, and Virginia
and a 70–12 blowout win over traditional rival VMI
in the final game of the season. The Hokies' sole loss came in the first game of the season against Tulane
, and Virginia Tech drew a 13–13 tie against West Virginia
.
. The Hurricanes were led on the field by three-time All-America
n lineback Ted Hendricks, who would later go on to a Hall of Fame career in the National Football League
. Off the field, the Hurricanes were coached by Charlie Tate
, who would head the Hurricanes football team until 1970.
. On the opposite side of the ball, Miami set bowl game records for fewest rushing yards allowed and fewest first downs allowed. The Hokies got the first big break of the game after blocking Miami's first punt of the game. Taking over at the Miami 21-yard line, it took Virginia Tech just five plays to march into the end zone
for an early 7–0 lead. Virginia Tech and Miami battled to a stalemate for the rest of the first half, and Tech went into halftime still clinging to a 7–0 lead.
In the second half, Tech's fortune turned. Late in the third quarter, the Virginia Tech defense stopped Miami's offense for yet another time, but instead of receiving the punt cleanly, the Hokies committed a roughing the kicker penalty that allowed Miami to retain possession of the ball with a first down. A few plays later, Miami scored its first touchdown of the game. In the fourth quarter Miami finally took the lead on a 10-play, 70-yard drive. The Hokies were unable to answer the Hurricanes' score, and Miami won the 1966 Liberty Bowl, 14–7.
after catching five passes for 77 yards—accounting for nearly half of Miami's total offensive output. Miami earned just three rushing first downs during the game, setting a Liberty Bowl record that has yet to be broken.
Each team had two players pass the ball. Tech's Tommy Stafford finished the game having completed four 13 passes for 59 yards and one interception. Several times during the game, the Hokies had also played with Barker passing the ball. He finished having completed two of his three passes for 13 yards. On the Miami side of the ball, Miller completed nine of 26 passes for 99 yards and Olivo completed one pass for nine yards.
On the ground, Virginia Tech's Tommy Francisco led all runners with 21 carries
for 55 yards. Backing up Francisco was Tech's Sal Garcia, who finished with three carries for 15 yards. Miami's leading rusher was McGee, who carried the ball 12 times for 36 yards. Backing up McGee was Acuff, who finished with six carries for 25 yards.
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 Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
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 10, 1966. The game was the final contest of the 1966 college football season
1966 college football season
The 1966 college football season was marked by controversy as the year of "The Tie", a November 19 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Neither team participated in a post-season bowl game. At the same time, 1966 was the first year that the professional football...
for both teams, and ended in a 14–7 victory for the Miami Hurricanes. A then-record 39,101 tickets were sold for the game, but due to 36-degree temperatures at game time, only 25,012 spectators attended. The game marked just the second time that Virginia Tech had played in a bowl game since the creation of the team in 1892. The game also marked the second time in each school's history that the two teams had faced each other. The previous meeting, held in 1953, ended in a 26–0 shutout victory for the Hurricanes. Current Virginia Tech head football coach and then-player Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer served as the head coach at Murray State University...
participated in the game as a backup cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies were led on defense by All-AmericaAll-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...
safety Frank Loria, who caught three interceptions and returned three punts for touchdowns as a junior during the 1966 season. In addition, Virginia Tech defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
George Foussekis was named to the Associated Press second-team All-America team, and helped keep the Hurricanes' offense in check for most of the game.
On offense, fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Tommy Groom served as the third of the Hokies' three team captains during the game. Virginia Tech was coached by Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8...
, who was in his sixth year as head coach of the Hokies. Under Claiborne, Virginia Tech had amassed a strong 8-1-1 record with wins over Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
, 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...
, and Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and a 70–12 blowout win over traditional rival VMI
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
in the final game of the season. The Hokies' sole loss came in the first game of the season against Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
, and Virginia Tech drew a 13–13 tie against West Virginia
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...
.
Miami
The ninth-ranked Hurricanes boasted a 7–2–1 regular-season record, including wins over Southern California and FloridaFlorida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. The Hurricanes were led on the field by three-time 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 lineback Ted Hendricks, who would later go on to a Hall of Fame career in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Off the field, the Hurricanes were coached by Charlie Tate
Charlie Tate
Charles William "Charlie" Tate was an American college football player and coach. Tate served as the head coach of the University of Miami for six seasons during the 1960s and two games during the 1970 season....
, who would head the Hurricanes football team until 1970.
Game summary
The game kicked off in frigid 36 °F (2.2 °C) weather, and from the beginning, defense dominated. In the first half, Tech held Miami to just 16 yards of total offenseTotal offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
. On the opposite side of the ball, Miami set bowl game records for fewest rushing yards allowed and fewest first downs allowed. The Hokies got the first big break of the game after blocking Miami's first punt of the game. Taking over at the Miami 21-yard line, it took Virginia Tech just five plays to march into the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
for an early 7–0 lead. Virginia Tech and Miami battled to a stalemate for the rest of the first half, and Tech went into halftime still clinging to a 7–0 lead.
In the second half, Tech's fortune turned. Late in the third quarter, the Virginia Tech defense stopped Miami's offense for yet another time, but instead of receiving the punt cleanly, the Hokies committed a roughing the kicker penalty that allowed Miami to retain possession of the ball with a first down. A few plays later, Miami scored its first touchdown of the game. In the fourth quarter Miami finally took the lead on a 10-play, 70-yard drive. The Hokies were unable to answer the Hurricanes' score, and Miami won the 1966 Liberty Bowl, 14–7.
Statistical summary
Miami's Jimmy Cox 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 catching five passes for 77 yards—accounting for nearly half of Miami's total offensive output. Miami earned just three rushing first downs during the game, setting a Liberty Bowl record that has yet to be broken.
Each team had two players pass the ball. Tech's Tommy Stafford finished the game having completed four 13 passes for 59 yards and one interception. Several times during the game, the Hokies had also played with Barker passing the ball. He finished having completed two of his three passes for 13 yards. On the Miami side of the ball, Miller completed nine of 26 passes for 99 yards and Olivo completed one pass for nine yards.
On the ground, Virginia Tech's Tommy Francisco led all runners with 21 carries
Carry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
for 55 yards. Backing up Francisco was Tech's Sal Garcia, who finished with three carries for 15 yards. Miami's leading rusher was McGee, who carried the ball 12 times for 36 yards. Backing up McGee was Acuff, who finished with six carries for 25 yards.