| 1959 Liberty Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Inaugural Liberty Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 19, 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Philadelphia Municipal Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Jay Huffman (C, Penn State) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Penn State by 1[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 36,211 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Lindsey Nelson[2] Red Grange[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The1959 Liberty Bowl, part of the1959 bowl game season, took place on December 19, 1959, atPhiladelphia Municipal Stadium inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania. It was the inaugural edition of theLiberty Bowl. The competing teams were theAlabama Crimson Tide, representing theSoutheastern Conference (SEC), and thePenn State Nittany Lions, competing as afootball independent. In a game dominated by both defenses, Penn State was victorious in by a final score of 7–0. The game is notable as the first football game Alabama ever played against an integrated team.[3]
The 1959 Alabama squad finished the regular season with a 7–1–2 record and played in a bowl for the first time since the1954 Cotton Bowl Classic. This was the first bowl forBear Bryant as head coach of the Crimson Tide.[2]
AfterNavy turned down an offer, Alabama accepted a bid to play in the inaugural Liberty Bowl on November 30.[2] Alabama had been offered a spot in theBluegrass Bowl, scheduled to be played the same day as the Liberty Bowl, but turned down that invitation; the Bluegrass Bowl was subsequently canceled.[4]
After starting the season 7–0, Penn State dropped two of their final three games to finish the regular season with a record of 8–2. The Nittany Lions accepted a bid for the Liberty Bowl on November 23 with the other opponent identified as being eitherGeorgia,Georgia Tech,SMU orNavy.[5] Alabama was selected as the opponent after Navy turned down an offer.[2] The game marked the first bowl for Penn State since the1948 Cotton Bowl Classic.[2]
In a game dominated by both defenses, the only points were scored at the end of the second quarter by the Nittany Lions on afake field goal.[6] This lone touchdown was scored byRoger Kochman on a 17-yard reception fromGalen Hall with Sam Stellatella adding theextra point.[6]
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