2020 Liberty Flames football team
American college football season
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The 2020 Liberty Flames football team represented Liberty University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Hugh Freeze and played their home games at Williams Stadium. The Flames competed as an FBS independent.
ConferenceIndependent
CoachesNo. 18
APNo. 17
Record10–1
| 2020 Liberty Flames football | |
|---|---|
| |
Cure Bowl champion | |
Cure Bowl, W 37–34OT vs. Coastal Carolina | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 18 |
| AP | No. 17 |
| Record | 10–1 |
| Head coach |
|
| Co-offensive coordinators |
|
| Offensive scheme | Multiple |
| Defensive coordinator | Scott Symons (2nd season) |
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | Williams Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 11 BYU | – | 11 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Liberty | – | 10 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army | – | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UMass | – | 0 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings from AP Poll. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
Liberty had games scheduled against Bowling Green, North Carolina A&T, UConn, and UMass, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] These games were partially replaced with new match-ups announced with Coastal Carolina and North Alabama. The games against NC State and Syracuse were rescheduled for different days for the 2020 season.[3]
Because of an increased number of COVID-19 cases within the football program, Liberty University's medical staff decided to pause its football team's activities and cancel the game with Coastal Carolina in Conway, South Carolina, scheduled for December 5.[4] Ironically, the two teams were selected to play in the Cure Bowl at season's end, a match-up that Liberty won.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 19 | 12:00 p.m. | at Western Kentucky | ESPNU | W 30–24 | 4,276 | ||
| September 26 | 1:00 p.m. | FIU | ESPNU | W 36–34 | 1,000 | ||
| October 3 | 1:00 p.m. | North Alabama |
| ESPN3 | W 28–7 | 1,000 | |
| October 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe |
| ESPN2 | W 40–7 | 1,000 | |
| October 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at Syracuse | ACCRSN | W 38–21 | 0 (Behind closed doors) | ||
| October 24 | 1:00 p.m. | Southern Miss |
| ESPN3 | W 56–35 | 1,000 | |
| November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | No. 25 | ACCN | W 38–35 | 1,000 | |
| November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Western Carolina | No. 22 |
| ESPNU | W 58–14 | 1,000 |
| November 21 | 7:30 p.m. | at NC State | No. 21 | ACCRSN | L 14–15 | 4,032 | |
| November 27 | 12:00 p.m. | UMass |
| ESPN3 | W 45–0 | ||
| 2:00 p.m. | at No. 18 Coastal Carolina | ESPNU | No contest[4] | _ | |||
| December 26 | 7:30 p.m. | vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina | ESPN | W 37–34 OT | 4,488 | ||
| |||||||
Rankings
In week 5, Liberty received votes in the Coaches Poll for the first time in program history and the following week, they received votes in the AP Poll for the first time. In week 9, they were nationally ranked for the first time, when they were ranked at No. 25 in the AP Poll. They would spend 8 total weeks in the rankings, finishing at No. 17.
Game summaries
At Western Kentucky
Liberty at Western Kentucky
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Flames | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: September 19, 2020
- Location: Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
Bowling Green, KY - Game start: 12:02 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 14 minutes
- Game attendance: 4,276
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NE 9 MPH
- Referee: Joe Lehring
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play–by–play) and Rocky Boiman (analyst)
| 1 | 11:27 | LIB | Malik Willis 4-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (5 plays, 52 yards, 2:02) | LIB 7–0 |
| 05:21 | LIB | Alex Barbir 24-yard field goal (14 plays, 70 yards, 4:36) | LIB 10–0 | |
| 2 | 14:56 | WKU | Brayden Narveson 43-yard field goal (11 plays, 47 yards, 5:25) | LIB 10–3 |
| 10:15 | LIB | Malik Willis 4-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (11 plays, 65 yards, 4:41) | LIB 17–3 | |
| 06:15 | WKU | Mitchell Tinsley 6-yard pass from Tyrrell Pigrome (Brayden Narveson kick) (8 plays, 88 yards, 4:00) | LIB 17–10 | |
| 3 | 10:56 | LIB | Dalvin Smith 24-yard pass from Tyrrell Pigrome (Brayden Narveson kick) (7 plays, 79 yards, 3:00) | TIE 17–17 |
| 01:33 | LIB | Shedro Louis 29-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (4 plays, 85 yards, 1:43) | LIB 24–17 | |
| 4 | 11:43 | LIB | Malik Willis 18-yard rush (Alex Barbir PAT failed) (6 plays, 57 yards, 3:17) | LIB 30–17 |
| 03:04 | WKU | Craig Burt Jr. 24-yard pass from Tyrrell Pigrome (Brayden Narveson kick) (9 plays, 87 yards, 3:41) | LIB 30–24 | |
| Statistics | Liberty | Western Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 27 | 19 |
| Total yards | 487 | 291 |
| Rushing yards | 354 | 110 |
| Passing yards | 133 | 181 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 34:59 | 25:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 13/21, 133 yards |
| Rushing | Malik Willis | 21 carries, 168 yards, 3 TDs | |
| Receiving | CJ Yarbrough | 2 receptions, 53 yards | |
| Western Kentucky | Passing | Tyrrell Pigrome | 18/25, 181 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Tyrrell Pigrome | 14 carries, 74 yards | |
| Receiving | Mitchell Tinsley | 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD |
FIU
Florida International at Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 14 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 34 |
| • Flames | 14 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 36 |
- Date: September 26, 2020
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 1:05 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes
- Game attendance: 1,000
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: 3 E MPH
- Referee: Riley Johnson
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Matt Warner (play–by–play), Joe Jauch (analyst), and Emily Austen (sideline reporter)
| 1 | 14:51 | FIU | Lexington Joseph 100-yard kickoff returned (Chase Gabriel kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:09) | FIU 7–0 |
| 12:40 | LIB | Noah Fritch 24-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 2:11) | TIE 7–7 | |
| 05:20 | LIB | Peyton Pickett 2-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (10 plays, 57 yards, 5:51) | LIB 14–7 | |
| 02:16 | FIU | D'Vonte Price 30-yard rush (Chase Gabriel kick) (8 plays, 82 yards, 3:04) | TIE 14–14 | |
| 3 | 12:26 | LIB | Alex Barbir 27-yard field goal (6 plays, 66 yards, 2:34) | LIB 17–14 |
| 08:37 | LIB | DJ Stubbs 14-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (6 plays, 61 yards, 2:23) | LIB 24–14 | |
| 08:02 | FIU | D'Vonte Price 65-yard rush (Chase Gabriel kick) (2 plays, 79 yards, 0:35) | LIB 24–21 | |
| 04:35 | LIB | Alex Barbir 21-yard field goal (9 plays, 72 yards, 3:27) | LIB 27–21 | |
| 01:42 | FIU | Bryce Singelton 45-yard pass from Stone Norton (Chase Gabriel kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 2:53) | FIU 28–27 | |
| 4 | 12:27 | LIB | Joshua Mack 2-yard rush (two-point conversion rush attempt failed) (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:15) | LIB 33–28 |
| 06:32 | LIB | Alex Barbir 27-yard field goal (7 plays, 73 yards, 3:12) | LIB 36–28 | |
| 04:30 | FIU | D'Vonte Price 6-yard pass from Stone Norton (two-point conversion pass attempt failed) (4 plays, 33 yards, 2:02) | LIB 36–34 | |
| Statistics | FIU | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 31 |
| Total yards | 304 | 527 |
| Rushing yards | 168 | 219 |
| Passing yards | 136 | 308 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 22:39 | 37:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIU | Passing | Stone Norton | 9/13, 120 yards, 2 TDs |
| Rushing | D'Vonte Price | 13 carries, 148 yards, 2 TDs | |
| Receiving | Bryce Singleton | 2 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD | |
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 24/30, 285 yards, 2 TDs |
| Rushing | Joshua Mack | 13 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | DJ Stubbs | 8 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD |
North Alabama
North Alabama at Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Flames | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: October 3, 2020
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 1:05 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2 hours and 53 minutes
- Game attendance: 1,000
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 7 E MPH
- Referee: Duane Heydt
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Warner (play–by–play), Joe Jauch (analyst), and Emily Austen (sideline reporter)
| 2 | 06:12 | LIB | Demario Douglas 7-yard pass from Chris Ferguson (Alex Barbir kick) (6 plays, 40 yards, 2:09) | LIB 7–0 |
| 3 | 13:16 | LIB | DJ Stubbs 12-yard pass from Chris Ferguson (Alex Barbir kick) (6 plays, 72 yards, 1:44) | LIB 14–0 |
| 05:37 | LIB | Brody Brumm 2-yard pass from Chris Ferguson (Alex Barbir kick) (13 plays, 51 yards, 5:49) | LIB 21–0 | |
| 4 | 14:23 | LIB | Chris Barrett 5-yard pass from Johnathan Bennett (Alex Barbir kick) (8 plays, 69 yards, 2:43) | LIB 28–0 |
| 05:49 | UNA | Parker Driggers 5-yard rush (Sam Contorno kick) (3 plays, 12 yards, 1:30) | LIB 28–7 | |
| Statistics | North Alabama | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 22 |
| Total yards | 247 | 357 |
| Rushing yards | 63 | 250 |
| Passing yards | 184 | 107 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 32:10 | 27:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Alabama | Passing | Rett Files | 15/24, 156 yards, 2 INTs |
| Rushing | Parker Driggers | 7 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Andre Little | 1 reception, 47 yards | |
| Liberty | Passing | Chris Ferguson | 12/21, 64 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Joshua Mack | 16 carries, 130 yards | |
| Receiving | CJ Yarbrough | 2 receptions, 43 yards |
Louisiana–Monroe
Louisiana–Monroe at Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Flames | 14 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 40 |
- Date: October 10, 2020
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 11:02 a.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 10 minutes
- Game attendance:
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Rainy • Wind: SW 5 MPH
- Referee: Jeff Heaser
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Couzens (play–by–play), Jay Walker (analyst), and Taylor Davis (sideline reporter)
| 1 | 10:01 | LIB | Peytton Pickett 15-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (4 plays, 24 yards, 1:41) | LIB 7–0 |
| 06:11 | LIB | Malik Willis 6-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (7 plays, 41 yards, 2:58) | LIB 14–0 | |
| 2 | 03:56 | LIB | Treon Sibley 0-yard fumble returned (Alex Barbir kick) (4 plays, −5 yards, 1:51) | LIB 21–0 |
| 01:46 | LIB | Alex Barbir 42-yard field goal (4 plays, −2 yards, 1:13) | LIB 24–0 | |
| 3 | 11:07 | LIB | Chancellor Smith 0-yard return of blocked punt (Alex Barbir kick) (3 plays, 7 yards, 1:12) | LIB 31–0 |
| 4 | 12:45 | LIB | Alex Barbir 30-yard field goal (15 plays, 87 yards, 6:28) | LIB 34–0 |
| 10:27 | LIB | Demario Douglas 73-yard punt returned (Alex Barbir PAT failed) (3 plays, 8 yards, 2:18) | LIB 40–0 | |
| 03:34 | ULM | Kadyn Roach 15-yard pass from Jeremy Hunt (Davis Hughes kick) (8 plays, 58 yards, 3:17) | LIB 40–7 | |
| Statistics | Louisiana–Monroe | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 10 | 20 |
| Total yards | 198 | 400 |
| Rushing yards | 78 | 180 |
| Passing yards | 120 | 220 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:49 | 32:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana–Monroe | Passing | Colby Suits | 13/29, 78 yards, 2 INTs |
| Rushing | Josh Johnson | 13 carries, 51 yards | |
| Receiving | Josh Pederson | 2 receptions, 21 yards | |
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 11/29, 177 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Malik Willis | 13 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | DJ Stubbs | 2 receptions, 69 yards |
At Syracuse
Liberty at Syracuse
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Flames | 14 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
| Orange | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
- Date: October 17, 2020
- Location: Carrier Dome
Syracuse, NY - Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 8 minutes
- Game attendance: 0
- Game weather: Indoors
- Referee: J. Magallanes
- TV announcers (ACCRSN): Evan Lepler (play–by–play), Charles Arbuckle (analyst), Abby Labar (sideline reporter)
| 1 | 08:32 | SYR | Taj Harris 17 Yd pass from Rex Culpepper (Andre Szmyt Kick) (9 plays, 61 yards, 3:55) | SYR 0–7 |
| 08:14 | LIB | Shedro Louis 75 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:18) | TIE 7–7 | |
| 00:28 | LIB | Malik Willis 4 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (11 plays, 88 yards, 5:11) | LIB 14–7 | |
| 2 | 09:21 | SYR | Aaron Hackett 12 Yd pass from Rex Culpepper (Andre Szmyt Kick) (3 plays, 36 yards, 1:06) | TIE 14–14 |
| 07:49 | LIB | Shedro Louis 52 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (3 plays, 78 yards, 1:32) | LIB 21–14 | |
| 3 | 12:55 | LIB | DJ Stubbs 36 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (4 plays, 78 yards, 2:05) | LIB 28–14 |
| 02:58 | LIB | Peytton Pickett 16 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (7 plays, 59 yards, 3:47) | LIB 35–14 | |
| 4 | 08:45 | SYR | Anthony Queeley 21 Yd pass from Rex Culpepper (Andre Szmyt Kick) (7 plays, 65 yards, 2:16) | LIB 35–21 |
| 05:20 | LIB | Alex Barbir 20 Yd Field Goal (7 plays, 44 yards, 3:25) | LIB 38–21 | |
| Statistics | Liberty | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 19 |
| Total yards | 520 | 308 |
| Rushing yards | 338 | 97 |
| Passing yards | 182 | 211 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 36:24 | 23:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 16/20, 182 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Shedro Louis | 10 carries, 170 yards, 2 TDs | |
| Receiving | DJ Stubbs | 4 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD | |
| Syracuse | Passing | Rex Culpepper | 19/40, 211 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Sean Tucker | 21 carries, 111 yards | |
| Receiving | Taj Harris | 9 receptions, 96 yards, 1 TD |
Southern Miss
Southern Mississippi at Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Eagles | 7 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 35 |
| • Flames | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
- Date: October 24, 2020
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutes
- Game attendance: 1,000
- Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 5 MPH
- Referee: Billy Williams
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Warner (play–by–play), Joe Jauch (analyst), Emily Austen (sideline reporter)
| 1 | 12:00 | USM | Tate Whatley 10 Yd Run (Briggs Bourgeois Kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 3:00) | USM 7–0 |
| 11:14 | LIB | Kevin Shaa 39 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (3 plays, 65 yards, 0:46) | TIE 7–7 | |
| 01:21 | LIB | Demario Douglas 12 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (12 plays, 88 yards, 6:15) | LIB 7–14 | |
| 2 | 08:41 | LIB | Kevin Shaa 11 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (13 plays, 83 yards, 6:08) | LIB 7–21 |
| 05:46 | LIB | Chris Barrett 18 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (4 plays, 35 yards, 1:24) | LIB 7–28 | |
| 00:15 | LIB | Johnny Huntley 10 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (6 plays, 44 yards, 3:51) | LIB 7–35 | |
| 3 | 14:21 | USM | Tate Whatley 16 Yd Run (Briggs Bourgeois Kick) (1 play, 16 yards, 0:07) | LIB 14–35 |
| 11:05 | USM | Tate Whatley 1 Yd Run (Briggs Bourgeois Kick) (8 plays, 35 yards, 3:16) | LIB 21–35 | |
| 03:27 | USM | Tate Whatley 4 Yd Run (Briggs Bourgeois Kick) (13 plays, 94 yards, 4:34) | LIB 28–35 | |
| 01:32 | LIB | CJ Daniels 42 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:55) | LIB 28–42 | |
| 4 | 07:22 | LIB | Malik Willis 38 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (1 play, 38 yards, 0:10) | LIB 28–49 |
| 01:27 | LIB | Joshua Mack 1 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (7 plays, 63 yards, 4:07) | LIB 28–56 | |
| 00:18 | USM | Jason Brownlee 17 Yd pass from Tate Whatley (Briggs Bourgeois Kick) (5 plays, 67 yards, 1:09) | LIB 35–56 | |
| Statistics | Southern Miss | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 25 |
| Total yards | 416 | 537 |
| Rushing yards | 215 | 192 |
| Passing yards | 201 | 345 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 27:37 | 32:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss | Passing | Tate Whatley | 15/26, 188 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Tate Whatley | 12 carries, 52 yards, 4 TDs | |
| Receiving | Jason Brownlee | 5 receptions, 114, 1 TD | |
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 24/31, 345, 6 TDs |
| Rushing | Malik Willis | 12 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Demario Douglas | 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD |
At Virginia Tech
Liberty at Virginia Tech
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 25 Flames | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 38 |
| Hokies | 3 | 17 | 0 | 15 | 35 |
- Date: November 7, 2020
- Location: Lane Stadium
Blacksburg, VA - Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 22 minutes
- Game attendance: 1,000
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Clear, nice • Wind: W 1 MPH
- Referee: Stuart Mullins
- TV announcers (ACCN): Chris Cotter (play–by–play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline reporter)
| 1 | 09:46 | LIB | CJ Yarbrough 32 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 5:14) | LIB 7–0 |
| 04:40 | VT | Brian Johnson 41 Yd Field Goal (6 plays, 33 yards, 2:21) | LIB 7–3 | |
| 2 | 12:11 | LIB | Jerome Jackson 2 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (14 plays, 80 yards, 7:25) | LIB 14–3 |
| 08:48 | VT | Nick Gallo 3 Yd pass from Hendon Hooker (Brian Johnson Kick) (7 plays, 65 yards, 3:23) | LIB 14–10 | |
| 04:36 | VT | Hendon Hooker 12 Yd Run (Brian Johnson Kick) (2 plays, 30 yards, 1:11) | VT 14–17 | |
| 00:01 | VT | Brian Johnson 18 Yd Field Goal (12 plays, 90 yards, 1:45) | LIB 14–20 | |
| 3 | 12:55 | LIB | Malik Willis 19 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (11 plays, 95 yards, 6:31) | LIB 21–20 |
| 4 | 10:29 | LIB | Johnny Huntley 5 Yd pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir Kick) (1 play, 6 yards, 0:04) | LIB 28–20 |
| 05:46 | VT | Kaleb Smith 9 Yd pass from Hendon Hooker (Hendon Hooker Pass to Raheem Blackshear for Two-Point Conversion) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:43) | TIE 28–28 | |
| 01:41 | LIB | Peytton Pickett 9 Yd Run (Alex Barbir Kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:05) | LIB 35–28 | |
| 00:52 | VT | Tré Turner 12 Yd pass from Hendon Hooker (Brian Johnson Kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 0:49) | TIE 35–35 | |
| 00:01 | LIB | Alex Barbir 51 Yd Field Goal (9 plays, 42 yards, 0:51) | LIB 38–35 | |
| Statistics | Liberty | Virginia Tech |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 29 | 24 |
| Total yards | 466 | 418 |
| Rushing yards | 249 | 201 |
| Passing yards | 217 | 217 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 37:27 | 22:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 20/30, 217 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Malik Willis | 19 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | CJ Yarbrough | 5 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD | |
| Virginia Tech | Passing | Hendon Hooker | 20/27, 217 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Hendon Hooker | 20 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tré Turner | 6 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD |
The game featured a wild finish as Liberty got into field goal range with 8 seconds left to go in a 35–35 tie. Facing a 4th and 6 at the Virginia Tech 41-yard line, disaster appeared to strike when Liberty 59-yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Virginia Tech's Jermaine Waller with no time remaining. However, Virginia Tech had called a timeout to try to Icing the kicker before the play. Liberty then decided to go for it on fourth down, and got an 8-yard pass completion for a first down after Virginia Tech mistakenly thought that Flames would try a Hail Mary and went to a prevent defense. With 5 seconds remaining, the Flames converted a 51-yard field goal to win the game.[7]
Western Carolina
Western Carolina at Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catamounts | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • Flames | 7 | 21 | 14 | 16 | 58 |
- Date: November 14, 2020
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 12:02 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes
- Game attendance: 1,000
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 5 MPH
- Referee: Riley Johnson
- Television network: ESPN3
| 1 | 6:47 | LIB | Joshua Mack 1-yard run (Alex Barbir kick) (12 plays, 66 yards, 5:10) | LIB 7–0 |
| 2 | 14:13 | LIB | Johnny Huntley 44-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (7 plays, 91 yards, 2:37) | LIB 14–0 |
| 12:09 | WCU | Clayton Bardall 9-yard pass from Will Jones (Richard McCollum kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 2:04) | LIB 14–7 | |
| 9:50 | LIB | Malik Willis 11-yard run (Alex Barbir kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:19) | LIB 21–7 | |
| 4:13 | LIB | CJ Daniels 40-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (6 plays, 62 yards, 3:15) | LIB 28–7 | |
| 3 | 13:47 | LIB | Malik Willis 43-yard run (Alex Barbir kick) (3 plays, 49 yards, 1:04) | LIB 35–7 |
| 10:49 | LIB | Kevin Shaa 83-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (1 play, 68 yards, 0:30) | LIB 42–7 | |
| 3:12 | WCU | Mark Wright 3-yard run (Richard McCollum kick) (11 plays, 57 yards, 4:41) | LIB 42–14 | |
| 4 | 14:49 | LIB | CJ Daniels 56-yard pass from Chris Ferguson (6 plays, 83 yards, 3:15) | LIB 48–14 |
| 12:49 | LIB | Peytton Pickett 34-yard run (Jason Stricker kick) (2 plays, 35 yards, 0:34) | LIB 55–14 | |
| 6:09 | LIB | Alex Barbir 54-yard field goal (7 plays, 2 yards, 4:37) | LIB 58–14 | |
| Statistics | Western Carolina | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 21 |
| Total yards | 282 | 633 |
| Rushing yards | 142 | 254 |
| Passing yards | 140 | 379 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 30:44 | 29:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina | Passing | Will Jones | 7/13, 74 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Donnavan Spencer | 12 carries, 79 yards | |
| Receiving | Owen Cosenke | 5 receptions, 56 yards | |
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 14/19, 306 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Malik Willis | 8 carries, 97 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Kevin Shaa | 2 receptions, 137 yards, TD |
At NC State
Liberty at NC State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flames | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • Wolfpack | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
- Date: November 21, 2020
- Location: Carter–Finley Stadium
Raleigh, NC - Game start: 7:35 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
- Game attendance: 4,032
- Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C) • Weather: Party Cloudy • Wind: Calm MPH
- Referee: Jeff Flanagan
- TV announcers (ACCRSN): Tom Werme, James Bates, Kelly Crull
| 2 | 6:56 | NCSU | Zonovan Knights 19-yard run (Christopher Dunn kick) (6 plays, 59 yards, 2:42) | NCSU 7–0 |
| 0:19 | LIB | Noah Frith 12-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (10 plays, 84 yards, 2:13) | TIED 7–7 | |
| 3 | 7:11 | LIB | Jerome Jackson 6-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (6 plays, 53 yards, 2:24) | LIB 14–7 |
| 3:34 | NCSU | Isaiah Moore 3-yard safety (1 play, –3 yards, 0:08) | LIB 14–9 | |
| 4 | 6:53 | NCSU | Zonovan Knight 4-yard run (2 point conversion failed) (6 plays, 26 yards, 1:53) | NCST 15–14 |
| Statistics | Liberty | NC State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 19 |
| Total yards | 279 | 321 |
| Rushing yards | 107 | 167 |
| Passing yards | 172 | 154 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 29:42 | 30:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 13/32, 171 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Joshua Mack | 12 carries, 49 yards | |
| Receiving | Noah Frith | 4 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD | |
| NC State | Passing | Bailey Hockman | 14/27, 154 yards |
| Rushing | Zonovan Knight | 14 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Emeka Emezie | 1 reception, 55 yards |
UMass
Massachusetts at Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutemen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Flames | 14 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 45 |
- Date: November 27, 2020
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 12:05 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2 hours and 55 minutes
- Game attendance: 250
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind: E 4 MPH
- Referee: Riley Johnson
- Television network: ESPN3
| 1 | 6:38 | LIB | Kevin Shaa 31-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 2:28) | LIB 7–0 |
| 1:12 | LIB | Joshua Mack 59-yard run (2 plays, 72 yards, 0:28) | LIB 14–0 | |
| 2 | 10:39 | LIB | Michael Bollinger 13-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (5 plays, 76 yards, 1:52) | LIB 21–0 |
| 4:41 | LIB | Demario Douglas 41-yard pass from Malik Willis (Alex Barbir kick) (7 plays, 80 yards, 4:30) | LIB 28–0 | |
| 0:02 | LIB | Alex Barbir 24-yard field goal (7 plays, 55 yards, 0:37) | LIB 31–0 | |
| 3 | 6:14 | LIB | Malik Willis 54-yard run (Alex Barbir kick) (5 plays, 67 yards, 1:27) | LIB 38–0 |
| 0:26 | LIB | Peytton Pickett 16-yard run (Alex Barbir kick) (3 plays, 41 yards, 1:35) | LIB 45–0 | |
| Statistics | UMass | Liberty |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 12 | 31 |
| Total yards | 227 | 629 |
| Rushing yards | 55 | 378 |
| Passing yards | 172 | 251 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 25:50 | 34:10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UMass | Passing | Garret Dzuro | 9/22, 172 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Cam Roberson | 5 carries, 17 yards | |
| Receiving | Samuel Emilus | 4 receptions, 82 yards | |
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 16/24, 223 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Peytton Pickett | 10 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | DeMario Douglas | 4 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD |
Vs. Coastal Carolina (Cure Bowl)
Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Flames | 14 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
| No. 12 Chanticleers | 0 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 34 |
- Date: December 26, 2020
- Location: Camping World Stadium
Orlando, FL - Game start: 7:35 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 49 minutes
- Game attendance: 4,488
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C) • Weather: Frosty • Wind: Calm
- Referee: Ron Hudson
- TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play–by–play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), and Alex Chappell (sideline reporter)
| 1 | 06:59 | LIB | Malik Willis 5-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (10 plays, 64 yards, 4:54) | LIB 7–0 |
| 00:06 | LIB | Malik Willis 6-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (9 plays, 68 yards, 5:18) | LIB 14–0 | |
| 2 | 06:00 | CCU | Massimo Biscardi 21-yard field goal (12 plays, 66 yards, 6:11) | LIB 14–3 |
| 02:02 | CCU | Isaiah Likely 25-yard pass from Grayson McCall (Massimo Biscardi kick) (4 plays, 62 yards, 2:02) | LIB 14–10 | |
| 00:42 | LIB | Alex Barbir 37-yard field goal (7 plays, 40 yards, 1:20) | LIB 17–10 | |
| 00:00 | CCU | Massimo Biscardi 33-yard field goal (7 plays, 50 yards, 0:42) | LIB 17–13 | |
| 3 | 08:28 | LIB | Malik Willis 10-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (1 play, 10 yards, 0:05) | LIB 24–13 |
| 04:36 | CCU | Greg Latushko 43-yard pass from Grayson McCall (Grayson McCall two-point conversion pass attempt failed) (7 plays, 80 yards, 3:52) | LIB 24–19 | |
| 4 | 13:22 | LIB | Malik Willis 3-yard rush (Alex Barbir kick) (11 plays, 75 yards, 6:14) | LIB 31–19 |
| 10:34 | CCU | Grayson McCall 1-yard rush (Massimo Biscardi kick) (5 plays, 77 yards, 2:48) | LIB 31–26 | |
| 05:03 | LIB | Alex Barbir 32-yard field goal (10 plays, 61 yards, 5:31) | LIB 34–26 | |
| 03:01 | CCU | Greg Latushko 5-yard pass from Grayson McCall (Grayson McCall two-point conversion rush) (6 plays, 72 yards, 2:02) | TIE 34–34 | |
| 1OT | LIB | Alex Barbir 44-yard field goal (4 plays, -1 yards) | LIB 37–34 | |
| Statistics | Liberty | Coastal Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 24 |
| Total yards | 475 | 483 |
| Rushing yards | 255 | 165 |
| Passing yards | 220 | 318 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 30:49 | 29:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | Malik Willis | 19/29, 220 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Malik Willis | 21 carries, 137 yards, 4 TD | |
| Receiving | DJ Stubbs | 5 receptions, 68 yards | |
| Coastal Carolina | Passing | Grayson McCall | 21/32, 318 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Grayson McCall | 15 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Jaivon Heiligh | 13 receptions, 178 yards |