Game Summary
The 1968 Liberty bowl kicked off on a cold and blustery day in front of 46,206 fans at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee on December 14, 1968. The record crowd (it was the largest in the 10-year history of the bowl to that point) consumed 20,000 hot dogs—so many that the stadium ran out by the third quarter.
In the first quarter of the game, it appeared that Virginia Tech would run away with an overwhelming victory. Tech received the ball to begin the game, and on the game's second play, Virginia Tech's Ken Edwards ran 58 yards on a trick play for the game's first touchdown. Mississippi fumbled the ball on its first offensive play and Virginia Tech recovered the turnover. Three plays later, Tech scored another touchdown on a seven-yard run by Terry Smoot. After stopping the Rebels with their defense, Tech appeared to have another chance to score when the Hokies' Ron Davidson returned an Ole Miss punt to the Rebels' 42-yard line. Despite the excellent field position, Tech was unable to score after Hokie quarterback Al Kinkaid was sacked for a 19-yard loss. Despite the setback, Tech was able to keep Ole Miss from scoring in the first quarter and tacked on a 29-yard field goal by kicker Jack Simcsak before time came to an end in the quarter. At the end of the quarter, Tech led 17–0.
In the second quarter, Mississippi came storming back. Following the field goal, Tech head coach Jerry Claiborne ordered an onside kick in an effort to gain another chance on offense and potentially build an insurmountable lead. Onside kicks, unlike an ordinary free kick, can be recovered by the kicking team—but only after the ball has traveled 10 yards. If the kicking team touches the ball before it has traveled 10 yards, the receiving team takes possession at the place the ball was touched. Unfortunately for Virginia Tech, Simsak's onside kick—though it surprised Ole Miss—did not travel the requisite 10 yards. Mississippi took over at the Virginia Tech 49-yard line, and many of the Ole Miss players were angered by what they considered to be an insult.
Mississippi quarterback Archie Manning used the good field position and his inspired offense proficiently following the kick, driving the Rebels down the field and connecting with Hank Shows on a 21-yard touchdown pass for Mississippi's first points just 30 seconds into the second quarter. By halftime, Manning had connected on another touchdown pass, this one a 23-yard strike to Leon Felts. Tech still held a 17–14 lead, but Mississippi had the momentum and would receive the ball to begin the second half.
Ole Miss wasted no time in scoring, as Steve Hindman turned the first play of the second half into a 79-yard for a touchdown. The Rebels now held a 21–17 lead, and Virginia Tech never threatened afterward. Ole Miss defender Bob Bailey intercepted a Virginia Tech pass at the beginning of the fourth quarter and returned it 70 yards for another Mississippi touchdown. The Rebels also added a pair of field goals to their score, and rolled to a 34–17 victory over Virginia Tech.
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