1969 Liberty Bowl

American college football game December 2025 August 2023 Liberty Bowl 11th Liberty Bowl December 13 1969 1969 Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide 6–4 Bear Bryant SEC 0 19 14 0 University of Colorado Colorado Buffaloes 7–3 Eddie Crowder Big Eight 10 21 0 16 Bobby Anderson, Colorado TB Colorado by 1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YSxUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JzoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5306%2C5678912 Lawrence Daily Journal-World Kansas Associated Press Colorado favored to drop Alabama December 12, 1969 22 50,144 ABC Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson The 1969 Liberty Bowl, part of the 1969 bowl game season, took place on Saturday, December 13, at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The competing teams in the eleventh edition of the Liberty Bowl were the Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Colorado Buffaloes of the Big Eight Conference.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aRkfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C5wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7254%2C2430701 Tuscaloosa News Alabama Land Charles Offense big thing for Tide December 12, 1969 16 Favored by a point, Colorado won 47–33.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=axkfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C5wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5448%2C2563976 Buffaloes rumble past Tide, 47–33 Charles Land Tuscaloosa News Alabama 1 December 14, 1969 January 28, 2011https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cHozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4607%2C3272969 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Shearer Ed Anderson-powered Buffaloes beat Tide December 14, 1969 1B Teams Alabama 1969 Alabama Crimson Tide football team Alabama finished the regular season with losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn to compile a 6–4 record. Following their victory over Miami, the Crimson Tide accepted an invitation to play in the Liberty Bowl on November 17.Crimson Tide, Auburn to play in bowl games Charles Land Tuscaloosa News Alabama 1 November 17, 1969 The appearance marked the second for Alabama in the Liberty Bowl, and their 23rd overall bowl game. Colorado 1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team Colorado lost to Penn State, Oklahoma, and Nebraska to compile a 7–3 record in the regular season. Following their victory over Kansas State, the Buffaloes accepted an invitation to play in the Liberty Bowl on November 22.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RxksAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hsYEAAAAIBAJ&dq=alabama%20colorado%20liberty%20bowl&pg=3784%2C3187209 Colorado to face Tide in Liberty UPI The Florence Times Alabama 13 November 23, 1969 January 28, 2011 It was the first Liberty Bowl for Colorado and their fifth bowl appearance. Game summary The game kicked off shortly after 12:20 pm CST. During the coin toss, Colorado linebacker Bill Collins, who was Black, symbolically went out to midfield alone, where he was met by roughly 40 white members of Alabama's team, which had yet to be integrated.2025-08-05 A man at midfield: Bill Collins and a defining moment in CU football history https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/colorado-news/bill-collins-a-defining-moment-in-cu-football-history/73-7ec51bde-3ae0-4d77-bcef-1f352311bcf9 2026-05-12 KUSA.com en-USShanahan Tom 2020-10-21 Colorado’s Bill Collins, who stood up to Alabama’s segregated roster at the 1969 Liberty Bowl, passed away from cancer – Tom Shanahan Report https://tomshanahan.report/2025/08/13573/ 2026-05-12 en-USKing Tyler 2025-09-11 Story of late Bill Collins, Colorado’s first Black captain, lives on through Buffs’ family Buffs Gameday https://www.denvergazette.com/2025/09/11/colorado-football-bill-collins-first-black-captain-insider-special-13/ 2026-05-12 Denver Gazette en-US In a game dominated by both offenses, Colorado took a 10–0 first quarter lead. Ward Walsh scored first on a 13-yard touchdown run and Dave Haney connected on a 30-yard field goal for the Buffaloes. Early in the second quarter, Colorado extended their lead to 17–0 after a three-yard Bobby Anderson touchdown run. Alabama responded with touchdown runs of 31-yards from Scott Hunter and six-yards from George Ranager to cut the lead to 17–13. With less than three minutes remaining in the half, Walsh scored again on 15-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing drive, Alabama responded with a two-yard Johnny Musso touchdown run to make the score 24–19. However, the following kickoff was returned 91-yards by Steve Engel to give the Buffaloes a 31–19 lead at the half. In the third quarter, Alabama took their only lead of the game following a pair of Neb Hayden touchdown passes; the first came on a 55-yard reception by Griff Langston and the second on a ten-yard reception by Musso to give the Crimson Tide a 33–31 lead. Colorado then scored 16 fourth quarter points to seal the 47–33 victory with a pair of Anderson touchdown runs and a safety made when Bill Brundige and Herb Orvis sacked Hayden in the endzone. Alabama Colorado expand 1 11:36 Colorado RushTD Ward Walsh 13 good Dave Haney 0 7 1 4:54 Colorado FG 30 Dave Haney 0 10 2 12:38 Colorado RushTD Bobby Anderson 3 good Dave Haney 0 17 2 10:13 Alabama RushTD Scott Hunter 31 good Oran Buck 7 17 2 4:49 Alabama RushTD George Ranager 6 pass incomplete 13 17 2 2:38 Colorado RushTD Ward Walsh 15 good Dave Haney 13 24 2 1:01 Alabama RushTD Johnny Musso 2 run failed 19 24 2 0:46 Colorado Other Steve Engel 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Dave Haney kick good 19 31 3 13:39 Alabama RecTD Griff Langston Neb Hayden 55 good Oran Buck 26 31 3 7:47 Alabama RecTD Johnny Musso Neb Hayden 10 good Oran Buck 33 31 4 10:57 Colorado RushTD Bobby Anderson 2 good Dave Haney 33 38 4 2:48 Colorado SafetyTackle Neb Hayden Bill Brundige and Herb Orvis 33 40 4 0:45 Colorado RushTD Bobby Anderson 3 good Dave Haney 33 47 33 47 References 2 Category:1969–70 NCAA football bowl games 1969 1969 1969 Category:1969 in sports in Tennessee Category:December 1969 sports events in the United States