1976 Independence Bowl
| MVP | Terry McFarland (offense) Terry Clark (defense) |
|---|---|
The 1976 Independence Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the McNeese State Cowboys on December 13, 1976, at State Fair Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. McNeese State upset a heavily favored Tulsa 20–16. This was the first-ever edition of the Independence Bowl, which drew its name from the ongoing celebrations of the United States Bicentennial.[1][2]: 140
Background
Between 1976–1980 the Independence Bowl featured the Southland Conference champion against an at-large opponent, with the Southland team playing host.[3] McNeese State clinched the championship and spot in the bowl game after defeating Southwestern Louisiana 20–19 on November 20.[4] For the at-large opponent the bowl organizers initially pursued Rutgers, which was then 10–0 and would finish the season undefeated. Rutgers declined the invitation, feeling snubbed by more prestigious bowls.[5] Rebuffed, the organizers considered Tulsa, Cincinnati, Memphis State, Boston College, and Ball State before selecting Tulsa, co-champion of the Missouri Valley Conference.[6]
Prior to the game, coverage favored Tulsa over McNeese State due in large part to sixteen of McNeese State's players being unable to play in the bowl.[7] Ten players were declared ineligible because they had redshirted in their freshman year and were thus fifth-year seniors. At the time, NCAA rules prohibited such players from participating in postseason play. Six more players were suspended from the team for violating team and school rules.[8] The players were accused of having a girl in their dormitory room, which McNeese State then prohibited. Some newspaper accounts alleged that "sexual molestation" had occurred.[9] Even before the game was played F. A. Dry, Tulsa's head coach, had accepted the head coaching job at TCU, though he stayed on at Tulsa for the bowl game.[10]
Scoring summary
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References
- ^ "McNeese Upsets Tulsa In Independence Bowl". Argus-Press. December 14, 1976. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ^ Otto, David (2010). Insiders' Guide to Shreveport. Globe Pequot.
- ^ "About the Southland". Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ "Four make claim: Most bowl bids settled, who's No. 1?". Spokesman-Review. November 22, 1976. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ^ "Rutgers Votes to Skip Independence Bowl" in The Washington Post (23 November 1976). Page D6. (No further authorship information available).
- ^ "Rutgers win streak on line". St. Joseph News-Press. November 24, 1976. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ^ "McNeese wins despite problems". The Telegraph-Herald. December 14, 1976. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- ^ Bonnette, Louis (October 6, 2006). "Jim Murphy remembers the 1976 McNeese State football team". CBS Sports Network. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ^ "Six Gridders Accused of Molesting Girl". Youngstown Vindicator. December 4, 1976. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ^ "Dry Quits Tulsa Job". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 29, 1976. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ^ "2010 Media Guide" (PDF). Independence Bowl. 2010. Retrieved 2012-12-01.