1998 Liberty Bowl

August 2023 March 2026 Liberty Bowl 40th Liberty Bowl December 31 1998 1998 AXA/Equitable AXA Equitable Liberty Bowl logo.gif Brigham Young University BYU Cougars 9–4 LaVell Edwards WAC 6 0 0 21 Tulane University Tulane Green Wave 11–0 10 10 10 Chris Scelfo (interim) C-USA 10 10 14 7 bg Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee Shaun King, Tulane QB Doyle Jackson (SEC) 52,197 1,100,000 ESPN Rich Waltz, Rod Gilmore, Holly Rowe The 1998 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 1998, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 40th edition of the Liberty Bowl, the game matched the BYU Cougars of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Tulane Green Wave of Conference USA (C-USA). The game was sponsored by the Axa Equitable Life Insurance Company and was branded as the AXA/Equitable Liberty Bowl. Tulane won the game, 41–27, to finish—along with the Tennessee Volunteers—as the only undefeated Division I-A teams for the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season.No surprise: Vols No. 1; Tennessee unanimous pick; Tulane seventh Richard Rosenblatt The Associated Press The Advocate Baton Rouge, LA January 6, 1999 1D Teams BYU 1998 BYU Cougars football team 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 Air Force 20–13.Falcons find win even sweeter vs. BYU Jeff Call Deseret News Salt Lake City, UT December 6, 1998 D2 Prior to the championship game, the Cougars accepted a bid to play in the 40th Liberty Bowl.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0lJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=POwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5626%2C4729576 Liberty rings for BYU Jeff Call Deseret News Salt Lake City, UT November 25, 1998 D1 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CqgpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RewDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5419%2C611788 BYU suspends 2 key players Dirk Facer Deseret News Salt Lake City, UT December 17, 1998 January 17, 2010 D1 Tulane 1998 Tulane Green Wave football team The 1998 Tulane squad entered the season with returning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Shaun King at quarterback and picked to finish tied for second place with East Carolina in the preseason conference rankings.Wave's King picked to be tops on offense Trey Iles The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA July 23, 1998 D2 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 part of the inaugural Bowl Championship Series (BCS).If Wave finishes perfect, Sugar may call Ted Lewis The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA September 18, 1998 D1 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.Tulane to face BYU in Liberty The Associated Press The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA November 25, 1998 C1 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.Tulane already Liberty's top choice Trey Iles The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA November 21, 1998 D3 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.Bowden bows out, takes Clemson job Trey Iles The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA December 3, 1998 A1 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.Tulane surprises: It's coach Scelfo Trey Iles The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA December 8, 1998 A1 At the time of the 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.Tulane assistants will stay through Liberty Bowl game Mary Foster The Associated Press The Advocate Baton Rouge, LA December 9, 1998 2D 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 Pochman missed the extra point the Cougars took an early 6–0 lead.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GegRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TOwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=liberty%20bowl%20tulane&pg=3086%2C167146 King in Memphis: Green Wave QB drowns BYU Dirk Facer Deseret News Salt Lake City, UT January 1, 1999 January 17, 2010 D1Liberty Bowl statistics The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA January 1, 1999 D7 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.Jordan's interception breaks record Glenn Guilbeau The Advocate Baton Rouge, LA January 1, 1999 8D 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.Perfect. King, Tulane shred BYU for 12–0 record Trey Iles The Times-Picayune New Orleans, LA January 1, 1999 D1 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. BYU TU expand 1 8:49 BYU 7 65 2:50 RecTD Ben Horton Kevin Feterik 11 no good Owen Pochman 6 0 1 4:23 TU 11 56 4:26 FG 31 Brad Palazzo 6 3 1 1:35 TU IntTD Michael Jordan 79 good Brad Palazzo 6 10 2 10:18 TU 7 58 2:29 RushTD Shaun King 3 good Brad Palazzo 6 17 2 00:41 TU 10 45 4:09 FG 23 Brad Palazzo 6 20 3 13:48 TU 4 82 2:12 RecTD Kerwin Cook Shaun King 60 good Brad Palazzo 6 27 3 7:27 TU 11 82 2:12 RecTD Jamaican Dartez Shaun King 13 good Brad Palazzo 6 34 4 11:38 BYU 9 67 3:27 RushTD Aaron Cupp 3 good Owen Pochman 13 34 4 9:24 TU 6 76 2:14 RushTD Toney Converse 5 good Brad Palazzo 13 41 4 8:06 BYU 4 20 1:18 RecTD Aaron Cupp Kevin Feterik 18 good Owen Pochman 20 41 4 1:30 BYU RushTD Reno Mahe 3 good Owen Pochman 27 41 27 41 References 2 Liberty Bowl Category:Liberty Bowl Category:BYU Cougars football bowl games Category:Tulane Green Wave football bowl games Category:1998 in sports in Tennessee Category:December 1998 sports events in the United States