ST PETERSBURG BOWL

| BOWL HISTORY | 1963 LIBERTY BOWL
MISSISSIPPI STATE 16
NC STATE 12
December 21, 1963 • Philadelphia Stadium • Philadelphia, Penn.
Hot coffee froze on press box ledges between kickoff and halftime, but the action
on the field was warm enough to offset eight-degree temperatures and 17 mile-perhour
winds outside as coach Paul Davis’ Bulldogs took a 16-12 win over the North
Carolina State Wolfpack.
As the Bulldogs capped a 7-2-2 season before their first national television
audience (on NBC, with the legendary Lindsey Nelson providing play-by-play) at
Philadelphia Stadium, a blocked punt helped provide MSU’s margin of victory for
the second bowl game in a row.
In the first quarter, MSU end Bill McGuire blocked a Dave Houtz punt at the
N.C. State 26, and fellow end Tommy Inman scooped up the loose football and
ran it 11 yards for an MSU score. Justin Canale’s PAT made it 7-0. Quarterback
Sonny Fisher gave the Bulldogs a little more breathing room later in the period
as the Laurel, Miss., resident sprinted 3 yards for a second touchdown. Canale’s
extra-point kick failed, but the future pro football standout later redeemed himself.
He gave MSU a 16-0 second-quarter lead with a 43-yard field goal into the gusty
wind.
But North Carolina State made a bit of a comeback bid, aided by 122 yards on 11
penalties assessed against the aggressive Bulldogs. The Wolfpack scored the last two
touchdowns of the game, but both two-point conversion attempts failed.
Coach Davis and his team had heaters on the State bench and a Plexiglas canopy
to protect them from the frigid air.
“The defense did a good job all day, especially considering the conditions,” Davis
said. “We had a stronger line.”
Mississippi State 13 3 0 0 = 16
NC State 0 6 0 6 = 12
MSU — Inman 11 blocked-punt return (Canale kick)
MSU — Fisher 3 run (kick failed)
MSU — Canale 43 FG
NCSU — Rossi 1 run (pass failed)
NCSU — Barlow 5 pass from Rossi (pass failed)
MSU NCSU
First Downs 16 15
Rushing Yards 53-275 52-176
Passing Yards 28 58
Passes (C-A-I) 3-6-1 5-12-0
Total Offense 303 234
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-2
Penalties-Yards 11-122 3-25
Rushing: (MSU) Granger 13-94, Fisher 16-81 1TD, Burrell, 10-69, Hodges 8-21,
Sparks 4-18, Edwards 2-(-8); (NCSU) Rossi 18-67 1TD, Falzarano 12-42, Scarpati
7-22, Kazarsky 7-21, Clark 7-17, Houtz 1-7.
Passing: (MSU) Edwards 1-1-18-0; Fisher 2-5-10-1; (NCSU) Rossi 5-12-58-0 1TD.
Receiving: (MSU) Bland 2-17, Inman 1-11; (NCSU) Barlow 3-30 1TD, Clark 1-23,
Scarpati 1-5.
Attendance: 8,309
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