1979 Liberty Bowl

The 1979 Liberty Bowl was the 21st edition of the college football bowl game, held at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday, December 22. Part of the 1979–80 bowl game season, it matched the Tulane Green Wave and the Penn State Nittany Lions, both independents. In a game without a touchdown, Penn State won 9–6.

Penn State
The 1979 Penn State squad finished the regular season with a record of 7–4 and losses against Texas A&M, Nebraska, Miami and Pittsburgh. The appearance marked the third for Penn State in the Liberty Bowl, and the school's 18th overall bowl game.

Tulane
The 1979 Tulane squad finished the regular season with a record of 9–2 and losses against Rice and West Virginia. The appearance marked the second for Tulane in the Liberty Bowl, and the school's sixth overall bowl game.