1964 Liberty Bowl

American college football game December 2025 August 2023 1964 Liberty Bowl 6th Liberty Bowl 1964 Utah Redskins University of Utah West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia University 8–2 NR 14 WAC 7–3 SoCon Ray Nagel Gene Corum 3 16 6 7 0 0 6 0 December 19 Atlantic City Convention Hall Atlantic City, New Jersey Ernest "Pokey" Allen (QB, Utah) Gerald Hogan 6,059 The 1964 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 19, 1964, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall (now known as Boardwalk Hall) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was the sixth edition of the Liberty Bowl, and featured the Utah Redskins and the West Virginia Mountaineers. This was the first major bowl game ever played indoors and the first indoor American football game broadcast nationwide in the United States.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UstaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5X8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5065%2C5070027 Deseret News Salt Lake City Miller Hack Indoor bowl game: novel December 19, 1964 A5 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tnVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8QQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2636%2C4685955 Ocala Star-Banner Florida Utah rolls, 32-6 Associated Press Nissenson Herschel December 20, 1964 26 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VYgtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dpwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4100%2C3150807 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Green Russ Utah bombs West Virginia in Liberty Bowl December 20, 1964 61 It was played at a temperature of 60 F 0, in a venue that, earlier in the same year, had already hosted the Boardwalk Bowl (a small college bowl game), the Miss America pageant, the 1964 Democratic National Convention that nominated Lyndon B. Johnson for President, and one of The Beatles' largest concerts during their first American tour. Background The venue had been shifted to Atlantic City after the bowl was played for its initial five years outdoors in Philadelphia Municipal Stadium (later John F. Kennedy Stadium), often in temperatures below freezing. The inaugural Liberty Bowl in 1959 saw Penn State beat Alabama by a score of 7–0 in front of 38,000 fans. But it was downhill from there, and fewer than 10,000 were in attendance to watch the 1963 edition between Mississippi State and NC State, with the organizers taking a loss of $40,000. The frigid temperatures at year's end in the Northeast led to the game being called the "Deep Freeze Bowl". Bud Dudley, organizer of the Liberty Bowl, was ready for a change and was receptive to an offer (including a $25,000 guarantee) from a group of Atlantic City businessmen who were trying to help revive the then-fading Jersey Shore resort. The 1964 Liberty Bowl was the first major bowl game ever played indoors.Staff. "Who Won", Time (magazine), December 25, 1964. Accessed September 4, 2008. "At the Atlantic City Convention Hall, site of last August's Democratic National Convention, Utah trounced West Virginia 32–6 in the Liberty Bowl—first indoor bowl game ever. The temperature was a pleasantly cool 60°, and Utah Halfback Ron Coleman was red-hot: he gained 154 yds on 15 carries, including a 53-yd. touchdown burst." Artificial turf was not in use yet, and the playing surface was a 4 in cm mid -thick grass surface with two inches of burlap underneath it on top of concrete. Artificial lights were installed and kept running all day long to keep the grass growing. The organizers spent $16,000 on all of the field preparations for the game.Antonik, John. "Unique Game" https://web.archive.org/web/20110526231839/http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?section=8032 2011-05-26 , MSN Sports, June 22, 2005. Accessed September 4, 2008. To squeeze the game onto the floor of the convention hall, the end zones at each side of the field were shortened to eight yards in depth from the regulation ten.Morris, Ron. "A year indoors enriches Liberty's tradition.", The State (newspaper), December 27, 2006. Accessed September 4, 2008. In the 1964 postseason, the Liberty Bowl was one of just eight major bowl games.Kragthorpe, Kurt. "Liberty has come a long way since '64", The Salt Lake Tribune, December 21, 2003. Accessed September 4, 2008. "This was 1964, when only four college football bowl games were staged — outside of the four traditional New Year's Day games." The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) agreed to broadcast the game nationally and brought Paul Christman, Curt Gowdy, and Jim McKay to announce the game, paying $95,000 for the rights to broadcast the first nationwide telecast of an indoor football game.Adams, Val. "A TV 'FIRST' DUE: INDOOR FOOTBALL; Liberty Bowl Game Moved to Hall in Atlantic City", The New York Times, March 21, 1964. Accessed September 4, 2008. Game summary thumb|Liberty Bowl at the Atlantic City Convention Center in 1964 The Utah Redskins (8–2) faced the West Virginia Mountaineers (7–3). West Virginia's regular season record included a 28–27 upset over the Sugar Bowl-bound Syracuse Orangemen in their final regular game of the season. West Virginia featured running back Dick Leftridge and Utah's offense featured All-American Roy Jefferson. Utah used their speed and dominated West Virginia from start to finish and won 32–6.White Jr., Gordon S. "UTAH TEAM BEATS W. VIRGINIA, 32-6", The New York Times, December 20, 1964. Accessed September 4, 2008. Utah Halfback Ron Coleman gained 154 yards on 15 carries, scoring a touchdown on a 53-yard run. Utah quarterback (and safety) Pokey Allen was named the game's outstanding player.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VXxfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3i8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6262%2C3334872 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Captain Pokey Allen named most valuable December 20, 1964 11https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UstaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5X8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3108%2C5051660 Deseret News Salt Lake City Miller Hack Utes scalp W.Va., 32-6 in Liberty Bowl December 19, 1964 1A This was the last edition of the Liberty Bowl played in the Northeastern United States; it moved to Memphis, Tennessee, for the 1965 edition, where it has remained. Scoring summary Utah WVU 1 Utah 50 FG 29 Roy Jefferson 3 0 2 Utah 45 RushTD Pokey Allen 11 good Roy Jefferson 10 0 2 Utah FG 32 Roy Jefferson 13 0 2 Utah 68 RushTD Ron Coleman 53 pass failed 19 0 3 Utah 80 RushTD Andy Ireland 47 run failed 25 0 3 0:10 WVU 67 RecTD Milt Clegg Allen McCune 15 pass failed 25 6 4 Utah RecTD Bill Morley Dick Groth 33 good Jerry Pullman 32 6 32 6 https://www.newspapers.com/image/63236253/?terms=liberty Utes Crush West Virginia, 32-6 UPI United Press International subscription The Lincoln Star Lincoln, Nebraska newspapers.com December 20, 1964 February 24, 2017https://www.newspapers.com/image/163832978/?terms=liberty Utah Romps To 32-6 Win Over W. Va. Hershel Nissenson AP subscription Arizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona newspapers.com December 20, 1964 February 24, 2017https://www.newspapers.com/image/237687392/?terms=lowery TV Rosters UPI United Press International subscription Hartford Courant Hartford, Connecticut newspapers.com December 13, 1964 February 24, 2017 References 2 Further reading https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUhzI-JwBIU https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/wUhzI-JwBIU 2021-12-21 live U of U - Jerry Robinson - punter for the Liberty bowl 1964. First indoor football game. Dee Gardner YouTube May 3, 2016 February 24, 2017 (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocs7M4XzNjo https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Ocs7M4XzNjo 2021-12-21 live Utah's 1964 Liberty Bowl team, Crimson Club Hall of Fame The Salt Lake Tribune YouTube September 5, 2014 February 24, 2017 (video) Liberty Bowl Category:Liberty Bowl Category:Utah Utes football bowl games Category:West Virginia Mountaineers football bowl games Category:Sports competitions in Atlantic City, New Jersey Liberty Bowl Category:December 1964 sports events in the United States