| 2010 Auto Zone Liberty Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 51st Liberty Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 2, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee | |||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Ryan Mallett (QB Arkansas) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Tom DeJoseph (ACC) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Eddie Money | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 62,742 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$1,700,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 3.8[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
The 2010 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 2, 2010. The 51st edition of the Liberty Bowl matched the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against the East Carolina Pirates, the Conference USA Champion.[2][3] With sponsorship from AutoZone, the game was officially the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Arkansas won, 20–17, in the first Liberty Bowl to go into overtime.
The game marked Arkansas' fourth appearance in the bowl and first since 1987. East Carolina also made its fourth appearance in the game. The Pirates had played in the 2009 edition, a 25–19 loss to Kentucky. Arkansas entered the game with a 7–5 record. East Carolina entered the game with a 9–4 record. It was the first ever meeting between the two football programs.