| 2019 AutoZone Liberty Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 61st Liberty Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 31, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Malcolm Perry (QB, Navy)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Navy by 2[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Tra Blake (ACC)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 50,515 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$4,700,000[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN &ESPN Radio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | ESPN:Roy Philpott (play-by-play),Kelly Stouffer (analyst) andLauren Sisler (sideline) ESPN Radio:Bill Roth (play-by-play),Dustin Fox (analyst) andTaylor Davis (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||
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The2019 Liberty Bowl was acollege footballbowl game played on December 31, 2019, with kickoff at 3:45 p.m.EST (2:45 p.m. localCST) onESPN.[5] It was the 61st edition of theLiberty Bowl, and one of the2019–20 bowl games concluding the2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by automotive retailerAutoZone, the game was officially known as theAutoZone Liberty Bowl.
The game featured theNavy Midshipmen of theAmerican Athletic Conference (AAC) and theKansas State Wildcats of theBig 12 Conference. This was the first meeting between the two programs.[6]
Navy entered the game with a 10–2 record (7–1 in conference), ranked 21st in theAP Poll. The Midshipmen finished tied withMemphis atop the West Division of the AAC; the Tigers advanced to theAAC Championship Game due to their win over Navy in September. Navy faced two ranked FBS teams during the season, defeatingSMU and losing toNotre Dame.
Navy averaged 360.82 yards rushing per game during the regular season, 49 yards more than any other FBS team.[7] Their 10 regular season wins, including a December 14 victory in theArmy–Navy Game,[8] was a seven-win improvement over their2018 team that finished 3–10. This was Navy's second Liberty Bowl; their1981 team appeared in that season'sLiberty Bowl, losing toOhio State, 31–28.
Kansas State entered the game with an 8–4 record, having recorded three more wins than their2018 team. They were 5–4 in conference, finishing in a four-way tie for third place in the Big 12. The Wildcats defeated both ranked FBS teams they faced,Oklahoma andIowa State. Kansas State head coachChris Klieman previously ledNorth Dakota State to four FCS titles.[7]
During the regular season, the Wildcats allowed only 21.5 points per game and had the third-best passing defense based on passing yardage. Jordan Brown led the offense with 698 yards in only 10 games; as a team, they averaged 189 rushing yards per game.[9] This was Kansas State's second Liberty Bowl; their2015 team appeared in the2016 Liberty Bowl, losing toArkansas, 45–23.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 23 Navy | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Kansas State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
atLiberty Bowl Memorial Stadium •Memphis, Tennessee
| Game information |
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| Statistics | NAVY | KSU |
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| First downs | 19 | 10 |
| Plays–yards | 63–421 | 41–170 |
| Rushes–yards | 54–323 | 27–46 |
| Passing yards | 98 | 124 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 6–9–0 | 10–14–0 |
| Time of possession | 36:31 | 23:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | Passing | Malcolm Perry | 5/7, 57 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Malcolm Perry | 28 carries, 213 yards | |
| Receiving | Chance Warren | 1 reception, 41 yards | |
| Kansas State | Passing | Skylar Thompson | 10/14, 124 yards |
| Rushing | James Gilbert | 8 carries, 39 yards | |
| Receiving | Wykeen Gill | 2 receptions, 57 yards |