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 |
| 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) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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.
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[1]
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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Camels | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Flames | 14 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 48 |
| Game information | ||
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At Troy
| Period | 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
| Period | 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
| Period | 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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Period | 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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Period | 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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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