2024 Liberty Bowl
{{short description|Postseason college football bowl game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
| game_name = Liberty Bowl
| subheader = 66th Liberty Bowl
| title_sponsor = AutoZone
| image =
| caption =
| date_game_played = December 27
| year_game_played = 2024
| football_season = 2024
| stadium = Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
| city = Memphis, Tennessee
| visitor_school = Texas Tech University
| visitor_name_short = Texas Tech
| visitor_nickname = Red Raiders
| visitor_record = 8–4
| visitor_conference = Big 12
| visitor_rank_AP =
| visitor_rank_coaches =
| visitor_rank_CFP =
| visitor_coach = Joey McGuire
| visitor_1q = 3
| visitor_2q = 16
| visitor_3q = 0
| visitor_4q = 7
| home_school = University of Arkansas
| home_name_short = Arkansas
| home_nickname = Razorbacks
| home_record = 6–6
| home_conference = SEC
| home_rank_AP =
| home_rank_coaches =
| home_rank_CFP =
| home_coach = Sam Pittman
| home_1q = 21
| home_2q = 3
| home_3q = 10
| home_4q = 5
| MVP = Taylen Green (QB, Arkansas){{cite tweet |user=RazorbackComms |number=1872862461692715116 |title=Your 2024 @AZOLibertyBowl MVP: Arkansas QB Taylen Green |date=December 27, 2024 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}
| odds = Texas Tech by 3.5
| anthem =
| halftime =
| referee = Chris Coyte (Big Ten){{cite web|url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2024/12/2024-25-bowl-officiating-assignments/|title=2024-25 bowl officiating assignments|website=footballzebras.com|first=Ben|last=Austro|date=December 9, 2024|access-date=December 10, 2024}}
| attendance = 37,764
| payout =
| us_network = ESPN
ESPN Radio
| us_announcers = Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline) (ESPN)
Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Charles Arbuckle (analyst) (ESPN Radio)
| ratings =
| intl_network =
| intl_announcers =
| different_previous =
}}
The 2024 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2024, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium located in Memphis, Tennessee. The 66th annual Liberty Bowl game featured Texas Tech and Arkansas. The game began at approximately 6:05 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN.{{cite web |last1=Cobb |first1=David |title=2024-25 college football bowl schedule, games, dates, locations, kickoff times, TV channels |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2024-25-college-football-bowl-schedule-games-dates-locations-kickoff-times-tv-channels/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=30 June 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Kelley |first1=Kevin |title=College football bowl schedule for 2024-25 season released |url=https://fbschedules.com/college-football-bowl-schedule/ |website=FBSchedules.com |access-date=30 June 2024}} The Liberty Bowl was one of the 2024–25 bowl games concluding the 2024 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by automotive retailer AutoZone and was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Teams
Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders from the Big 12 Conference and the Arkansas Razorbacks from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This was the 38th meeting between the Red Raiders and Razorbacks; Arkansas led the series with a 29–8 record in their prior meetings.{{cite web |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/texas-tech/vs/arkansas |title=Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Arkansas Razorbacks football series history |website=winsipedia.com |accessdate=December 26, 2024}} It was the teams' first meeting since 2015. The teams were once conference mates in the Southwest Conference (SWC), which Arkansas left after the 1991 season, then dissolved after the 1995 season.
=Texas Tech Red Raiders=
{{main|2024 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team}}
Texas Tech made their second appearance in the Liberty Bowl, having won their only previous appearance in the 2021 edition. The Red Raiders, led by third-year head coach Joey McGuire, finished the regular season with an overall record of 8–4 with a Big 12 record of 6–3. On December 14, Texas Tech announced that starting quarterback Behren Morton would miss the game due to shoulder surgery.{{cite news |newspaper=Dallas Morning News |last=Apodaca |first=Justin |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-tech-red-raiders/2024/12/14/texas-tech-qb-behren-morton-set-to-miss-liberty-bowl-after-undergoing-shoulder-surgery/ |title=Texas Tech QB Behren Morton set to miss Liberty Bowl after undergoing shoulder surgery |date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=December 15, 2024}} True freshman Will Hammond was named the Red Raiders' starter for the bowl game.{{cite news |newspaper=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |last=Williams |first=Don |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/sports/college/red-raiders/2024/12/14/behren-morton-injury-update-texas-tech-football-shoulder-surgery/76993032007/ |title=Texas Tech football's Behren Morton has surgery, to miss Liberty Bowl |date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=December 15, 2024}}
=Arkansas Razorbacks=
{{main|2024 Arkansas Razorbacks football team}}
Arkansas made their seventh appearance in the Liberty Bowl, the most by any team to this point in time, having compiled a 3–3 record in prior appearances. The Razorbacks, led by fifth-year head coach Sam Pittman, finished the regular season with an overall record of 6–6 with a SEC record of 3–5.
Game summary
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle= background:#014282; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #D01623; text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|bg=#fff
|bg2=#eee
|title=2024 AutoZone Liberty Bowl
|date=Friday, December 27, 2024
|time=6:05 p.m. CST
|road=Texas Tech
|R1=3|R2=16|R3=0|R4=7
|home=Arkansas
|H1=21|H2=3|H3=10|H4=5
|stadium= Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium • Memphis, Tennessee
|attendance=37,764
|weather=Clear • Temperature: {{convert|57|F|C}} • Wind: {{convert|6|mph|kph|abbr=on}} south
|referee=Chris Coyte
|TV=ESPN
|TVAnnouncers=Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=401677092 Box score]
|scoring=
;First Quarter
- (11:28) ARK – Taylen Green 12 yard run, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 1:29; Arkansas 7–0)
- (8:19) TTU – Gino Garcia 37 yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:09; Arkansas 7–3)
- (7:14) ARK – Braylen Russell 1 yard run, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:05; Arkansas 14–3)
- (2:31) ARK – Dazmin James 94 yard pass from Taylen Green, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 3 plays, 96 yards, 1:23; Arkansas 21–3)
;Second Quarter
- (13:32) TTU – Team safety (Drive: 2 plays, -2 yards, 1:14; Arkansas 21–5)
- (11:15) TTU – J'Koby Williams 54 yard run, Gino Garcia kick (Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:17; Arkansas 21–12)
- (1:58) TTU – Jalin Conyers 2 yard run, Gino Garcia kick (Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 1:09; Arkansas 21–19)
- (0:00) ARK – Matthew Shipley 40 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 1:58; Arkansas 24–19)
;Third Quarter
- (10:52) ARK – Matthew Shipley 34 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:08; Arkansas 27–19)
- (7:07) ARK – Tyrell Reed Jr. 47 yard pass from Taylen Green, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:17; Arkansas 34–19)
;Fourth Quarter
- (14:21) ARK – Team safety (Drive: 2 plays, -2 yards, 0:28; Arkansas 36–19)
- (5:02) ARK – Matthew Shipley 43 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, -1 yards, 3:53; Arkansas 39–19)
- (3:06) TTU – Coy Eakin 15 yard pass from Will Hammond, Gino Garcia kick (Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 1:56; Arkansas 39–26)
}}
=Statistics=
{{AmFootballGameStatistics
| Float = left
| Visitor = Texas Tech Red Raiders
| VisitorDisplay = TTU
| Home = Arkansas Razorbacks
| HomeDisplay = ARK
| VisFirsts = 23
| VisPlaysYds = 57–497
| VisRushing = 37–217
| VisPassYds = 280
| VisPassing = 20–34–2
| VisTOP = 30:22
| HomeFirsts = 20
| HomePlaysYds = 56–559
| HomeRushing = 45–218
| HomePassYds = 341
| HomePassing = 11–21–0
| HomeTOP = 29:38
}}
{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers
| Float = right
| Visitor = Texas Tech Red Raiders
| VisitorDisplay = Texas Tech
| Home = Arkansas Razorbacks
| HomeDisplay = Arkansas
| VisPasser = Will Hammond
| VisPassStats = 20/34, 280 yards, TD, 2 INT
| VisRusher = J'Koby Williams
| VisRushStats = 15 carries, 123 yards, TD
| VisReceiver = Caleb Douglas
| VisReceivingStats = 5 receptions, 115 yards
| HomePasser = Taylen Green
| HomePassStats = 11/21, 341 yards, 2 TD
| HomeRusher = Taylen Green
| HomeRushStats = 15 carries, 81 yards, TD
| HomeReceiver = Dazmin James
| HomeReceivingStats = 3 receptions, 137 yards, TD
}}
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- Game statistics at [http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/index.html?id=560466 statbroadcast.com]
{{2024 bowl game navbox}}
{{Liberty Bowl navbox}}
{{Texas Tech Red Raiders bowl game navbox}}
{{Arkansas Razorbacks bowl game navbox}}
Category:2020s in Memphis, Tennessee