2020 Liberty Flames football team
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.
2020 Liberty Flames football | |
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Cure Bowl champion | |
Cure Bowl, W 37–34OT vs. Coastal Carolina | |
Conference | Independent |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 23 |
AP | No. 17 |
2020 record | 10–1 |
Head coach |
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Co-offensive coordinator | Kent Austin (2nd season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | Maurice Harris (2nd season) |
Defensive coordinator | Scott Symons (2nd season) |
Home stadium | Williams Stadium (Capacity: 25,000) |
2020 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 BYU | – | 11 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Liberty | – | 10 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Army | – | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UMass | – | 0 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Mexico State | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UConn† | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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]
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 19 | Noon | 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 | Noon | Louisiana–Monroe |
| ESPN2 | W 40–7 | 1,000 | |
October 17 | Noon | at Syracuse | ACCRSN | W 38–21 | 0 | ||
October 24 | 1:00 p.m. | Southern Miss |
| ESPN3 | W 56–35 | 1,000 | |
November 7 | Noon | at Virginia Tech | No. 25 | ACCN | W 38–35 | 1,000 | |
November 14 | Noon | 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 | Noon | 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 | ||
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Game summaries
at Western Kentucky
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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WKU −14.5 | 51.5[7] |
Statistics | Liberty | Western Kentucky |
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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 |
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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
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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LIB −7 | 59[8] |
Statistics | FIU | Liberty |
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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 |
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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
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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LIB −33 | 65[9] |
Statistics | North Alabama | Liberty |
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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 |
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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
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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LIB −17 | 63.5[10] |
Statistics | Louisiana–Monroe | Liberty |
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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 |
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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
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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LIB −3.5 | 53[11] |
Statistics | Liberty | Syracuse |
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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 |
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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
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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LIB −14 | 59.5[12] |
Statistics | Southern Miss | Liberty |
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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 |
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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
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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VT −17 | 67.5[13] |
Statistics | Liberty | Virginia Tech |
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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 |
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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 | Tre Turner | 6 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD |
Western Carolina
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Western Carolina | Liberty |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession | ||
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Western Carolina | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Liberty | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
at NC State
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Liberty | NC State |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession | ||
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Liberty | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
NC State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
at Coastal Carolina
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Statistics | Liberty | Coastal Carolina |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession | ||
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Liberty | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Coastal Carolina | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
References
- "MEAC suspends all fall sports for indefinite period". ESPN.com. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- "ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports". TheACC.com. July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "ACC Unveils 2020 Football Schedule". TheACC.com. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- Domingo, Ida (December 4, 2020). "Liberty, Coastal Carolina game canceled after coronavirus concerns within football progra". WSET-TV. MSN.com.
- "2020 Liberty Flames Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- "2020 Season Football Schedule". Liberty Flames. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- "Liberty Flames vs WKU Hilltoppers". Odds Shark. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "FIU Panthers vs Liberty Flames". Odds Shark. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- "North Alabama Lions vs Liberty Flames". Odds Shark. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs Liberty Flames". Odds Shark. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- "Liberty Flames vs Syracuse Orange". Odds Shark. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- "Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs Liberty Flames". Odds Shark. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- "Liberty Flames vs Virginia Tech". Odds Shark. Retrieved 7 November 2020.