| Game Name: | Liberty Bowl |
| Subheader: | 38th Liberty Bowl |
| Title Sponsor: | St. Jude |
| Date Game Played: | December 27 |
| Year Game Played: | 1996 |
| Football Season: | 1996 |
| Stadium: | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| City: | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Visitor School: | University of Houston |
| Visitor Name Short: | Houston |
| Visitor Nickname: | Cougars |
| Visitor Record: | 7–4 |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | NR |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 25 |
| Visitor Rank Bowlalliance: | NR |
| Visitor Coach: | Kim Helton |
| Visitor Conference: | C-USA |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 3 |
| Home School: | Syracuse University |
| Home Name Short: | Syracuse |
| Home Nickname: | Orangemen |
| Home Record: | 8–3 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 23 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 23 |
| Home Rank Bowlalliance: | 23 |
| Home Coach: | Paul Pasqualoni |
| Home Conference: | Big East |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 9 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 14 |
| Mvp: | Malcolm Thomas, Syracuse RB |
| Attendance: | 49,163 |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers: | Craig Bolerjack and Rod Gilmore |
The 1996 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 1996, in Memphis, Tennessee. The 38th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it matched the Houston Cougars and the Syracuse Orangemen.
Syracuse, who had finished as co-champion of the Big East Conference (alongside Virginia Tech and Miami, who went to the Orange and Carquest Bowls, respectively), was invited to play in the Liberty Bowl, their first Liberty Bowl since 1961. This was their fifth bowl game in the decade, and 8th in the past 10 seasons.[1] As for Houston, they had finished as co-champion of Conference USA (along with Southern Miss) in the inaugural year of the conference. This was their first bowl game since 1988.
The game found two future first rounders and Super Bowl participants: Syracuse's Donovan McNabb and Houston's Antowain Smith. Although only completing four of ten pass attempts, McNabb rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Smith rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, as well as receiving for 44 yards and a touchdown. Orangemen running back Malcolm Thomas ran for 201 yards and a touchdown earning MVP honors.[2] [3]
| Statistics | Houston | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 13 | 25 |
| Rushing yards | 124 | 396 |
| Passing yards | 217 | 76 |
| Passing (C–A–I) | 14–28–1 | 4–10–0 |
| Total offense | 341 | 472 |
| Return yards | 148 | 80 |
| Punts–average | 3–35.0 | 4–42.5 |
| Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Third-down conversions | 3–11 | 9–15 |
| Penalties–yards | 5–30 | 5–41 |
| Time of possession | 21:59 | 38:01 |