Game Name: | Grantland Rice Bowl |
Date Game Played: | December 14 |
Year Game Played: | 1968 |
Football Season: | 1968 |
Football Division: | NCAA College Division |
Stadium: | Horace Jones Field |
City: | Murfreesboro, Tennessee |
Attendance: | 2,500 |
Visitor School: | University of Akron |
Visitor Name Short: | Akron |
Visitor Nickname: | Zips |
Visitor Conference: | Independent |
Visitor Coach: | Gordon K. Larson |
Visitor Record: | 7–2–1 |
Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
Visitor 3Q: | 6 |
Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
Home School: | Louisiana Polytechnic Institute |
Home Name Short: | Louisiana Tech |
Home Nickname: | Bulldogs |
Home Conference: | Gulf States Conference |
Home Coach: | Maxie Lambright |
Home Record: | 8–2 |
Home 1Q: | 21 |
Home 2Q: | 0 |
Home 3Q: | 0 |
Home 4Q: | 12 |
Mvp: | Terry Bradshaw (QB, La. Tech) |
The 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl was an NCAA College Division game following the 1968 season, between the Akron Zips and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.[1] This was the last time that the Grantland Rice Bowl was played in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw was selected first in the 1970 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His teammates Larry Brewer and Tommy Spinks were also drafted. Bradshaw and Spinks are inductees of their university's athletic hall of fame, as is head coach Maxie Lambright.[2] Bradshaw is an inductee of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Akron squad has been designated a Team of Distinction by their university's sports hall of fame; head coach Gordon K. Larson was inducted to the hall in 1975, running back John "Jack" Beidleman was inducted in 1980, and quarterback Don Zwisler was inducted in 1981.[3]
Statistics | Akron | La. Tech |
---|---|---|
First Downs | 14 | 21 |
Total offense, yards | 196 | 347 |
Rushes-yards (net) | 54–118 | 36–86 |
Passing yards (net) | 78 | 261 |
Passes, Comp-Att-Int | 6–21–3 | 19–33–2 |
Time of Possession | ||
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Akron | Passing | Don Zwisler | |
Rushing | Ron Lemon | 18 car, 75 yds | |
Receiving | Dan Ruff | 4 rec, 56 yds | |
La. Tech | Passing | 19/33, 261 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT | |
Rushing | Terry Bradshaw | 12 car, 35 yds, 2 TD | |
Receiving | 12 rec, 167 yds, 1 TD |