After helping Iowa State to its very first bowl game in 1971, George Amundson was back leading the Cyclones when they went to the 1972 Liberty Bowl just one year later. In that game, Iowa State lost an excruciatingly close game 31-30 to Georgia Tech in front of 50,021 fans in Memphis, Tennessee.

As the team’s quarterback in that game, George Amundson threw for 153 yards and rushed for another 78 yards in the one-point loss. 

Now, 40 years after that Liberty Bowl, Iowa State is headed back to Memphis, Tenn.

What are some of your key memories from the 1972 Liberty Bowl?

The one that stands out is at the very end; we had gone down and scored a touchdown. I looked up at the scoreboard, and it was 30-31; they were ahead, and we could kick an extra point and tie the game. But back then we didn’t have tiebreakers or any overtime.

We took a quick timeout, and I went over to [coach] Johnny Majors, and he looked at me and said ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘Well, lets run X.’ Whatever X was, it was my favorite play and let’s go for the win instead of a tie.

Of course we ran my favorite play, and of course I guess Georgia Tech knew it was my favorite play, too. 

They were sort of waiting there for us and I remember trying to hit Larry Marquardt in the back of the end zone and he was about 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6, and I threw it above him. So I guess I thought he was 10-foot tall. We ended up losing by one, darn it.

That was the second bowl in school history; you helped the team to its first in 1971. What is it like to see Iowa State going to bowl consistently again?

I think it’s so wonderful. It’s so special for the student athletes to be able to go to a city where you’re taken care of and treated awesome. Usually it’s in a warmer climate.

You get to do things that you really don’t get to do back at your home. Like last year going to the bowl game in New York City. How special was that for a lot of guys?

One of the biggest things that I didn’t pick up until I was much older was: ‘Gosh this is like another three or four more weeks of practice time that coaches can work on stuff not only for the bowl game but for a year or two to come.’ 

It’s just a big deal to get a chance to play in a bowl game.

[Athletic Director] Jamie Pollard mentioned he gave you a call after they found out; what was does that mean to you?

I would be a nontruth teller if I didn’t say I was pretty surprised and honored.

At our house with three girls and a wife — and of course the three girls are out of the house already — I never answer the telephone. 

I was here by myself, and I let it go to the answer-service thing, and I heard Jamie Pollard’s voice, so I quick picked up.

It was pretty special, and it really felt good for him to want to share that with an old-timer. He said he talked to Majors, and I was awfully excited for Iowa State.

Do you have any memories about the city and trip to Memphis?

I remember going to a concert there. Our favorite group for our little house on 820 Duff [in Ames] was Deep Purple, the group. I’ll be darned if we didn’t go to a concert with them in Memphis. The warmup group was Fleetwood Mac.

Of course we had a curfew, so the bus was leaving. Deep Purple just came on and of course our favorite song was “Smoke on the Water.” We were pretty much feeling awesome about being able to hear that group.