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Liberty Bowl 1963
Mississippi State 16 North Carolina State 12
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A frozen turnout of 8,300 spectators watched the two Southern teams perform on a bitter 22 degree day made even colder by a biting 15 miles per hour wind whipping through the 102,000 seat Philadelphia Stadium.
The Bulldogs of Mississippi State, a late season blossoming national power, suffered 122 yards in penalties, most of them 15-yard assessments that stymied scoring bids. A penalty for a foul on a free ball after a punt helped North Carolina State maintain a drive that resulted in its first touchdown.
The Mississippians ripped to a 13-0 lead in the first period when Bill McGuire, junior end, blocked Dave Houtz' punt, and end Tommy Inman picked up the loose ball and raced 11 yards into the end zone.
Later in the quarter, the Bulldogs drove 47 yards on seven plays with quarterback Sonny Fisher running the final three.
In the second period, Mississippi State, which finished fourth in its conference, although defeating several of the nation's ranking teams, drove to the Wolfpack 25, but had to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Justin Canale, a 214-pound junior guard.
Trailing 16-0, North Carolina State, co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, got a big break when it punted and Mississippi State was penalized 15 yards for clipping while the ball was in the air. The penalty enabled the Wolfpack to maintain possession and continue a drive that led to their first TD, a one yard quarterback sneak by Jim Rossi, who was voted the outstanding back in the game.
Mississippi State appeared headed for another score early in the third period, but on a 14-yard burst for a first down to NCS seven by Odell Burrell, the Bulldogs were penalized 15 yards for a personal foul and four plays later. Canale was low and wide with a field goal attempt from the 18.
The Wolfpack, selected for the bowl on the basis of its fine 8-2 regular season, tried desperately to pull the game out in the final period. Pete Falzarano short circuited a Mississippi State drive by intercepting a pass and returning 26 yards to the Bulldogs' 47.
It took nine plays for the ACC team to go the distance, with Rossi passing five yards for the TD to Ray Barlow, a 201-pound junior end who caught only seven passes all season, but four of them for TD’s. A pass for a two-point conversion failed.
Reminiscent of the recent Army-Navy game, NCS tried an onsides kick, but it failed to go the required 10-yards and Mississippi State took over at the Wolfpack 49. NCS did get the ball back with less than a minute to play, but desperation passes couldn't get the job done.
Note: Thirty-eight pickets from two civil rights groups marched for 50 minutes around Philadelphia Stadium Saturday, protesting the participation of Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl football game. There were no incidents.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People supplied 30 pickets and the student non-violent coordinating committee had eight representatives in the line. Pickets carried signs saying "Discrimination Isn't Sport." They sang freedom songs.
Cecil Moore, head of the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP, called off the march less than. an hour after it began. He said he acted because of the sparse attendance of 8,309 spectators at the game and bitter cold weather.
Moore said the demonstration was aimed only at Mississippi State which “has a decided program of segregation."
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MVP Odell Burrell (#44) is stopped by NC State defense. |
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Bill McGuire (#87) blocks Dave Houtz' punt, which is returned for a touchdown by Tommy Inman (below) in the first period. |
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Attendance- 8,309
Scoring Summary
First Quarter MSU- Inman 11yard return of blocked punt (Canale kick) MSU- Fisher 3 run (Kick failed)
Second Quarter MSU- FG Canale 43 NCSU- Rossi 1 run (Kick failed)
Fourth Quarter NCSU- Ray Barlow 5 yard pass from Rossi (Conversion failed)
Individual Statistics
Rushing MSU- Granger 13-94, Fisher 16-81, Burrell, 10-69, Hodges 8-21, Sparks 4-18 NCSU- Rossi 18-67, Falzarano 12-42, Scarpati 7-22, Kazarsky 7-21, Clark 7-17, Houtz 1-7
Passing MSU- Edwards 1-1-18, Fisher 2-5-10 NCSU- Rossi 5-12-58
Receiving MSU- Bland 2-17, Inman 1-11 NCSU- Barlow 3-30, Clark 1-23, Scarpati 1-5
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PHILADELPHIA
(AP)-Mississippi State, its offensive power thwarted time and again by
major penalties, needed a touchdown and a blocked punt of a 41 yard
field goal to turn back a determined North Carolina State team 16-12
Saturday in the fifth annual and possibly last Liberty Bowl football
game.
