2020 Cure Bowl

The 2020 Cure Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 26, 2020, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.[4] It was the 6th edition of the Cure Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by mortgage lender FBC Mortgage, the game was officially known as the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl. Liberty defeated Coastal Carolina in overtime, 37–34, to clam their second consecutive Cure Bowl victory.[5][6]

2020 FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl
6th Cure Bowl
Liberty Flames Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
(9–1) (11–0)
Independent Sun Belt
37 34
Head coach: 
Hugh Freeze		 Head coach: 
Jamey Chadwell
APCoachesCFP
2323NR
APCoachesCFP
91112
1234OT Total
Liberty 1437103 37
Coastal Carolina 0136150 34
DateDecember 26, 2020
Season2020
StadiumCamping World Stadium
LocationOrlando, Florida
MVPMalik Willis (QB, Liberty)[1]
FavoriteCoastal Carolina by 6.5[2]
RefereeRon Hudson (MAC)[3]
Attendance4,488
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
AnnouncersRoy Philpott (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst) and Alex Chappell (sideline)

Teams

Based on conference tie-ins, the Cure Bowl was expected to feature teams from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and the Sun Belt Conference.[7] The contest matched independent Liberty against Coastal Carolina of the Sun Belt. The two teams had previously met 14 times, with each program winning seven times.[8] They were due to play a regular season game in early December 2020, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within Liberty's program.[9]

Liberty Flames
Main article: 2020 Liberty Flames football team

Liberty entered the game with a 9–1 record, having only lost to NC State, and ranked 23rd in the AP Poll. This was Liberty's second bowl game in program history; after joining FBS in 2018, the Flames defeated Georgia Southern in the 2019 Cure Bowl.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Main article: 2020 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team

Coastal Carolina entered the game with an 11–0 record (8–0 in conference play) and ranked ninth in the AP Poll. The Chanticleers[lower-alpha 1] defeated two ranked teams during the regular season, Louisiana and BYU, giving each of those programs their only loss. The BYU game was a hurriedly scheduled substitute for the canceled Liberty game; it had been officially confirmed only two days before kickoff.[11] The Chanticleers were due to play a rematch with Louisiana in the Sun Belt Championship Game, but it was cancelled due to positive COVID-19 cases within Coastal Carolina's program.[12] This was the first-ever bowl game for the Coastal Carolina program, having joined FBS in 2017.

Game summary

This became the first game of the 2020–21 bowl season to go to overtime. Tied at 34–34, Liberty was poised to score a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. With a first-and-goal at Coastal Carolina's three-yard-line with 1:20 left to play, Liberty executed a running play designed not to score, to use up time on the clock. Coastal Carolina made no attempt to stop Liberty from scoring, so Liberty's ball carrier took a knee and lost two yards on the play. On second down, Liberty again appeared to try to stay out of the end zone, but as the Flames' running back approached the goal line, there was a fumble, which Coastal Carolina recovered. Coastal Carolina was not able to advance the ball significantly in the little time remaining, and the game went to overtime. Liberty had possession first in overtime; after running three plays that gained four yards, the Flames had a five-yard delay-of-game penalty, then successfully kicked a 44-yard field goal, to take a 37–34 lead. In Coastal Carolina's overtime possession, the Chanticleers had three incomplete passes, then attempted a 42-yard field goal that was blocked, leaving the final score at 37–34 for Liberty.[13][14][15]

2020 FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl
1 2 34OTTotal
Liberty 14 3 710337
No. 12 Coastal Carolina 0 13 615034

at Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Florida

  • Date: Saturday, December 26, 2020
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 43 °F (6 °C) • Wind: N 4 mph
  • Referee: Ron Hudson (MAC)
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst) and Alex Chappell (sideline)
  • ESPN game summary
Game information
First quarter
  • (6:59) LIB – Malik Willis 5 yard rush, Alex Barbir kick (Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:54; Liberty 7–0)
  • (0:06) LIB – Malik Willis 6 yard rush, Alex Barbir kick (Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 5:18; Liberty 14–0)
Second quarter
  • (6:00) CCU – Massimo Biscardi 21 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 6:11; Liberty 14–3)
  • (2:02) CCU – Isaiah Likely 25 yard pass from Grayson McCall, Massimo Biscardi kick (Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 2:02; Liberty 14–10)
  • (0:42) LIB – Alex Barbir 37 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 1:20; Liberty 17–10)
  • (0:00) CCU – Massimo Biscardi 33 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 0:42; Liberty 17–13)
Third quarter
  • (8:28) LIB – Malik Willis 10 yard rush, Alex Barbir kick (Drive: 1 play, 10 yards, 0:05; Liberty 24–13)
  • (4:36) CCU – Greg Latushko 43 yard pass from Grayson McCall, 2-point pass failed (Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:52; Liberty 24–19)
Fourth quarter
  • (13:22) LIB – Malik Willis 3 yard rush, Alex Barbir kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:14; Liberty 31–19)
  • (10:34) CCU – Grayson McCall 1 yard rush, Massimo Biscardi kick (Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:48; Liberty 31–26)
  • (5:03) LIB – Alex Barbir 32 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:31; Liberty 34–26)
  • (3:01) CCU – Greg Latushko 5 yard pass from Grayson McCall, 2-point rush good (Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 2:02; Tied 34–34)
Overtime
  • (OT) LIB – Alex Barbir 44 yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, –1 yard; Liberty 37–34)

Statistics
StatisticsLIBCCU
First downs2624
Plays–yards71–47565–483
Rushes–yards42–25533–165
Passing yards220318
Passing: Comp–Att–Int19–29–221–32–1
Time of possession30:4929:11
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
LibertyPassingMalik Willis19/29, 220 yards, 2 INT
RushingMalik Willis21 carries, 137 yards, 4 TD
ReceivingDJ Stubbs5 receptions, 68 yards
Coastal CarolinaPassingGrayson McCall21/32, 318 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
RushingGrayson McCall15 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJaivon Heiligh13 receptions, 178 yards

See also

Notes
  1. "Simply put, a chanticleer — pronounced SHON-ti-cleer — is a rooster."[10]

References
  1. @ASeaofRed (December 26, 2020). "Malik Willis is named MVP of the 2020 Cure Bowl" (Tweet). Retrieved December 26, 2020 – via Twitter.
  2. "ESPN Game Summary - Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina - December 26, 2020". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  3. Austro, Ben (December 23, 2020). "2020-21 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  4. "ESPN Events Reveals 13-Game College Football Bowl Schedule for 2020-21: Inaugural Launch of the Fenway Bowl Postponed". espnpressroom.com (Press release). October 30, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  5. Sordelett, Damien (December 27, 2020). "Liberty outlasts Coastal Carolina in overtime to claim Cure Bowl victory". The News & Advance. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  6. Blondin, Alan (December 26, 2020). "Perfection blocked: CCU's hopes of undefeated season spoiled by Liberty in thrilling bowl". The Sun News. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  7. "2020 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  8. "Liberty Flames vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football series history". winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  9. Domingo, Ida (December 4, 2020). "Liberty, Coastal Carolina game canceled after coronavirus concerns within football program". WSET-TV. MSN.com.
  10. Al-Khateeb, Zac (December 26, 2020). "Coastal Carolina's mascot, explained: What is a chanticleer chicken?". Sporting News. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  11. Dinich, Heather (December 3, 2020). "BYU needed quality football opponent, AD says, and Coastal Carolina fulfilled 'incredible opportunity'". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  12. "Sun Belt championship game canceled due to COVID issues". AL.com. December 18, 2020.
  13. Kercheval, Ben (December 27, 2020). "Cure Bowl score: Liberty blocks field goal in overtime to hand Coastal Carolina its first loss of the season". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  14. "Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina - Game Recap". ESPN.com. December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  15. "Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina - Play-By-Play". ESPN.com. December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
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