2021 Liberty Flames football team
The 2021 Liberty Flames football team represented Liberty University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Hugh Freeze and played their home games at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Flames competed as an FBS independent. They finished the regular season 7–5.
2021 Liberty Flames football | |
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LendingTree Bowl champion | |
LendingTree Bowl, W 56–20 vs. Eastern Michigan | |
Conference | Independent |
2021 record | 8–5 |
Head coach |
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Co-offensive coordinator | Kent Austin (3rd season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | Maurice Harris (3rd season) |
Offensive scheme | Multiple |
Defensive coordinator | Scott Symons (3rd season) |
Co-defensive coordinator | Josh Aldridge (3rd season) |
Co-defensive coordinator | Jack Curtis (1st season) |
Base defense | 4–2–5 |
Home stadium | Williams Stadium (Capacity: 25,000) |
2021 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 8 Notre Dame | – | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 19 BYU | – | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Army | – | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Liberty | – | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Mexico State | – | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UMass | – | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UConn | – | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings from AP Poll |
The Flames received an invite to the LendingTree Bowl where they played Eastern Michigan, winning 56–20.
Previous season
In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Flames finished the 2020 season 10–1; the team's only loss was a one point loss at NC State. They received a bid to the Cure Bowl where they defeated no. 12 Coastal Carolina in overtime. They finished the season ranked no. 17 in the AP Poll and no. 18 in the Coaches Poll.[1][2] The 2020 team was the first to win ten games since 2008 and the first since the program joined the FBS in 2018.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | ||
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September 4 | 6:00 p.m. | Campbell | ESPN3 | W 48–7 | 15,834 | |||
September 11 | 7:00 p.m. | at Troy | ESPN+ | W 21–13 | 24,714 | |||
September 18 | 6:00 p.m | Old Dominion |
| ESPN3 | W 45–17 | 18,471 | ||
September 24 | 8:00 p.m. | at Syracuse | ACCN | L 21–24 | 29,942 | |||
October 2 | 7:00 p.m. | at UAB | CBSSN | W 36–12 | 37,167 | |||
October 9 | 3:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee![]() |
| ESPN3 | W 41–13 | 19,935 | ||
October 16 | 7:00 p.m. | at Louisiana–Monroe | ESPN+ | L 28–31 | 11,546 | |||
October 23 | 4:00 p.m. | at North Texas | ESPN+ | W 35–26 | 13,454 | |||
October 30 | 12:00 p.m. | UMass |
| ESPN3 | W 62–17 | 16,577 | ||
November 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Ole Miss | SECN | L 14–27 | 53,235 | |||
November 20 | 4:00 p.m. | Louisiana |
| ESPNU | L 14–42 | 15,564 | ||
November 27 | 12:00 p.m. | Army |
| ESPN+ | L 16–31 | 19,269 | ||
December 18 | 5:45 p.m. | vs. Eastern Michigan | ESPN | W 56–20 | 15,186 | |||
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Source[3]
Roster
2021 Liberty Flames football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Game summaries
Campbell
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Fighting Camels | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Flames | 14 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 48 |
Game information | ||
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at Troy
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Flames | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Trojans | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
Game information | ||
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Old Dominion
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Monarchs | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Flames | 14 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 45 |
at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Temperature: 86 °F (30 °C) • Weather: cloudy • Wind: SE 2 MPH
- Game attendance: 24,714
- Referee: Jeff Flanagan
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Emily Austen
- Box score
Game information | ||
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at Syracuse
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Flames | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Orange | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York
- Date: September 24
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (played indoors)
- Game attendance: 29,942
- Referee: Stuart Mullins
- TV announcers (ACCN): Drew Carter, Bobby Carpenter and Taylor Davis
- Box score
Game information | ||
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at UAB
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Flames | 0 | 3 | 21 | 12 | 36 |
Blazers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
- Date: October 2
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT / 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game attendance: 37,167
- Referee: Jonathan Noli
- TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan and Corey Chavous
- Box score
Game information | ||
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Middle Tennessee
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Blue Raiders | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
Flames | 14 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Temperature: 69 °F (21 °C) • Weather: cloudy • Wind: NE 6 MPH
- Game attendance: 19,935
- Referee: Duane Heydt
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Emily Austen
- Box score
Game information | ||
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at Louisiana–Monroe
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Flames | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
Warhawks | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | 31 |
at Malone Stadium, Monroe, Louisiana
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT / 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: N 13 MPH
- Game attendance: 11,546
- Referee: Marshall Lewis
- TV: ESPN+
- Box score
Game information | ||
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at North Texas
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Flames | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
Mean Green | 7 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 26 |
at Apogee Stadium, Denton, Texas
- Date: October 23
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT / 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Weather: sunny
- Game attendance: 13,454
- Referee: Joe Lehring
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Kyle Youmans and Hek’ma Harrison
- Box score
Game information | ||
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UMass
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Minutemen | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Flames | 21 | 20 | 7 | 14 | 62 |
at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Date: October 30
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Temperature: 58 °F (14 °C) • Weather: cloudy • Wind: SW 7 MPH
- Game attendance: 16,577
- Referee: Jerr Magallanes
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Emily Austen
- Box score
Game information | ||
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at No. 16 Ole Miss
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Flames | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
No. 16 Rebels | 10 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT / 11:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: sunny • Wind: 0 MPH
- Game attendance: 53,235
- Referee: Marc Curles
- TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister and Andraya Carter
- Box score
Game information | ||
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Louisiana
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
Flames | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Date: November 20
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Temperature: 48 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 3 MPH
- Game attendance: 15,564
- Referee: Wayne Winkler
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Kevin Brown and Hutson Mason
- Box score
Game information | ||
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Army
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Black Knights | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Flames | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
at Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Temperature: 44 °F (7 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 6 MPH
- Game attendance: 19,269
- Referee: Jeff Pumphrey
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Emily Austen
- Box score
Game information | ||
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vs. Eastern Michigan (LendingTree Bowl)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Eagles | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Flames | 13 | 20 | 16 | 7 | 56 |
at Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
- Date: December 18
- Game time: 5:45 p.m. EST / 4:45 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: overcast, humid • Wind: N 7 MPH
- Game attendance: 15,186
- Referee: Trennis Livingston
- TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich and Jalyn Johnson
- Box score
Game information | ||
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References
- "AP Top 25 Poll". AP.org. Associated Press. January 11, 2021.
- "Amway Coaches Poll: January 12, 2021". USAToday.com. January 12, 2021.
- "2021 Liberty Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.