17 30 25 NR 23 23 Champion Syracuse Orange football | NR 25 23 23 Houston 7 Date 27 December 1996 | |
Location Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee, United States Stadium Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium People also search for 1995 Liberty Bowl, 1991 Liberty Bowl | ||
The 1996 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Houston Cougars and the Syracuse Orangemen.
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Background
Syracuse, who had finished as co-champion of the Big East Conference (alongside Virginia Tech and Miami, who went to the Carquest and Orange Bowl, respectively), was invited to play in the Liberty Bowl, their first Liberty Bowl since 1961. This was their fifth bowl game in the decade, and 8th in the past 10 seasons. As for Houston, they had finished as co-champion of Conference USA (along with Southern Miss) in the inaugural year of the conference. This was their first bowl game since 1988.
Game summary
The game found two future first rounders and Super Bowl participants: Syracuse's Donovan McNabb and Houston's Antowain Smith. Although only completing four of ten pass attempts, McNabb rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Smith rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, as well as receiving for 44 yards and a touchdown. Orangemen running back Malcolm Thomas ran for 201 yards and a touchdown earning MVP honors.