| Year Game Played: | 1998 |
| Title Sponsor: | Sanford |
| Game Name: | Independence Bowl |
| Subheader: | Bowl Game |
| Football Season: | 1998 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Texas Tech |
| Visitor Nickname: | Red Raiders |
| Home Name Short: | Ole Miss |
| Home Nickname: | Rebels |
| Visitor Record: | 7–4 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big 12 |
| Home Record: | 6–5 |
| Home Conference: | SEC |
| Visitor Coach: | Spike Dykes |
| Home Coach: | David Cutcliffe (interim) |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 8 |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 21 |
| Date Game Played: | December 28 |
| Stadium: | Independence Stadium |
| City: | Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Mvp: | QB Romaro Miller DL Kendrick Clancy |
| Referee: | Gordon Riese (Pac-10) |
| Attendance: | 46,682 |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers Link: | List of announcers of major college bowl games |
| Us Announcers: | Dave Barnett, Bill Curry and Dave Ryan |
The 1998 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
The Rebels had plummeted to fourth in the SEC West after losing their last three games, including one to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Tuberville left the team prior to the bowl game for Auburn, leaving the coaching duties to David Cutcliffe, hired on December 2. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders were third in the Big 12 South Division after losing four of their last five games. This was the first Independence Bowl for both teams since 1986, which Mississippi won, 20-17. This was the first Independence Bowl featuring a Big 12 team, and the first to be sponsored by Sanford, a leading manufacturer and marketer of writing instruments.
The Rebels returned to the Independence Bowl the following year. The Red Raiders wouldn't return to the Independence Bowl until 2023.
In an adjacent development, Tuberville would end up coaching Texas Tech from 2010−12.
| Statistics | Ole Miss | Texas Tech |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 18 |
| Rushing yards | 139 | 82 |
| Passing yards | 216 | 203 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 2 |
| Total yards | 355 | 285 |
| Fumbles–lost | 3–2 | 2–1 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–86 | 5–55 |
| Punts–average | 5–32.4 | 6–30.8 |