AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL
CINCINNATI BEARCATS vs. VANDERBILT COMMODORES
VISIT BOWL CENTRAL
Saturday, Dec. 31 ï 3:30 p.m.
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
(61,008/FieldTurf)
Memphis, Tenn.
Television
ABC -
WATCH LIVE
Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley and Quint Kessenich
National Radio
ESPN Radio
Pam Ward, Dan Hawkins and Chris Rix
SiriusXM Channel 84
Cincinnati Radio
WLW-AM 700 (flagship)
Bowl Information Contact
Harold Graeter
(901) 795-7700, hgraeter@libertybowl.org
THE GAME
The AutoZone Liberty Bowl traces its roots to Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, where the game was played from 1959-63. After the 1964 game was played in Atlantic City, N.J., the bowl moved to its permanent home in Memphis in 1965 and has been at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium since. This yearís game will be the 53rd edition of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, though it will be the first appearance in the game for Cincinnati and Vanderbilt. BIG EAST teams have made two appearances in the Liberty Bowl, with Syracuse defeating Houston in 1996 and Pittsburgh falling to Southern Mississippi in 1997. Since the Southeastern Conference partnered with the Liberty Bowl in 2006, the SEC representative has won four of the last five games. Cincinnati and Vanderbilt have met seven times previously, with the Commodores holding a 4-3 series lead. The schools havenít met since 1980.
CURRENT BIG EAST SCHOOLS IN THE
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL
12-16-61 Syracuse 15, Miami (Fla.) 14
12-19-64 Utah 32, West Virginia 6
12-28-93 Louisville 18, Michigan State 7
12-27-96 SYRACUSE 30, Houston 17
12-31-97 Southern Mississippi 41, PITTSBURGH 7
12-29-00 Colorado State 22, Louisville 17
12-31-01 Louisville 28, Brigham Young 10
12-31-04 Louisville 44, Boise State 40
CINCINNATI (9-3)
Head Coach
Butch Jones (Ferris State í90)
13-11, second season at Cincinnati
40-23, fifth season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Cincinnati won a share of its third BIG EAST title in the past four years by closing the regular season with two straight wins. The Bearcats, who went 4-8 last season, are back in the postseason following a one-year absence from a bowl game. Cincinnati is making its 13th bowl appearance and is 6-6 in its previous 12 postseason games. The Bearcatsí last bowl game was a 51-24 loss to Florida in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 1, 2010. Cincinnati has dropped two straight bowl games, with the last postseason win coming Dec. 22, 2007, against Southern Mississippi in the PapaJohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. Cincinnati had won six of its first seven games, but dropped two straight upon losing starting QB Zach Collaros to injury against West Virginia. Collaros has returned to the practice field after suffering a fractured ankle and could be cleared to play against Vanderbilt. If Collaros, an All-BIG EAST Second Team pick is not able to start, QB Munchie Legaux would be the projected starter. RB Isaiah Pead was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year after he rushed for 1,110 yards and a BIG EAST-leading 11 touchdowns. DT Derek Wolfe, an AP Second Team All-America selection, shared the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honor with Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene. Wolfe leads the BIG EAST with 19.5 tackles for loss to go with 9.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. The Bearcats rank sixth nationally in rushing defense (93.7 ypg) and lead the nation in tackles for loss (8.9 per game) and sacks (3.6 per game). OG Randy Martinez, LB JK Schaffer, S Drew Frey and P Pat OíDonnell all earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors. OT Alex Hoffman joined Collaros on the Second Team.
2011 RESULTS
September
3 Austin Peay W 72-10
10 at Tennessee L 23-45
17 Akron W 59-14
22 North Carolina State W 44-14
October
1 at Miami (Ohio) W 27-0
15 LOUISVILLE W 25-16
22 at USF W 37-34
November
5 at PITTSBURGH W 26-23
12 WEST VIRGINIA L 21-24
19 at RUTGERS L 3-20
26 at SYRACUSE W 30-13
December
3 CONNECTICUT W 35-27
31 vs. Vanderbilt 3:30 p.m.
BIG EAST games in CAPS
VANDERBILT (6-6)
Head Coach
James Franklin (East Stroudsburg í95)
6-6, first season
NOTES
Vanderbilt won two of its last three games to become bowl-eligible and reach the postseason for the fifth time in school history. The Commodores are 2-1-1 all-time in bowl games and will play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl for the first time. Vanderbilt had gone 2-10 in consecutive seasons before getting to six wins in the first year under head coach James Franklin. Vanderbilt last played in a bowl game in 2008, when the Commodores defeated Boston College in the Music City Bowl. Prior to that, Vanderbilt had not been to a bowl game since 1982. The Commodores are 4-0 in nonconference games, including a 24-21 win against Connecticut in Nashville Sept.10. Vanderbilt was 2-6 in conference, finishing fourth in the SEC East. A win against Cincinnati would give the Commodores seven wins for just the second time since 1982 and just their third winning season since 1976. Vanderbilt ranked 94th in total defense last season, but finished the 2011 regular season ranked 19th nationally (324.6 ypg). RB Zac Stacy set Vanderbiltís single-season rushing record with 1,346 yards and 13 touchdowns on his way to All-SEC Second Team honors. The Commodores had three players chosen to the All-SEC Second Team on defense. LB Chris Marve, a native of Memphis, had a team high 84 tackles to go with seven tackles for loss and an interception. CB Casey Hayward had a team-high five interceptions with 14 passes defended. DE Tim Fugger ranked eighth in the SEC in both sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (12.5). QB Larry Smith threw for 1,262 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 248 yards and four TDs. QB Jared Funk saw action in eight games and threw five touchdown passes. The top receiver is TE Brandon Barden, who had 34 receptions for 425 yards and three TDs.
2011 RESULTS
September
3 Elon W 45-14
10 Connecticut W 24-21
17 MISSISSIPPI W 30-7
24 at SOUTH CAROLINA L 3-21
October
8 at ALABAMA L 0-34
15 GEORGIA L 28-33
22 Army W 44-21
29 ARKANSAS L 28-31
November
5 at FLORIDA L 21-26
12 KENTUCKY W 38-8
19 at TENNESSEE L ot 21-27
26 at Wake Forest W 41-7
December
31 vs. Cincinnati 3:30 p.m.
*Southeastern Conference games in CAPS
