Liberty WR Gabe Henderson reacts to the Flames’ last second loss to Coastal on October 19th
As was announced Sunday, Liberty has missed the playoffs. After finishing 8-4, winners of 5 straight including the season finale crushing of #16 Charleston Southern 56-14, the Flames have come up short of the FCS playoffs. Liberty is still seeking the program’s first ever FCS playoff appearance.
This season the Flames came up 1 win short of advancing to the playoffs. Whether it was a win over Coastal to clinch the Big South’s auto-bid or picking up a notable out of conference victory, Liberty again falls short. When thinking back on how close they were on several different occasions, it is very frustrating and heartbreaking. The Flames were up 42-23 late in the 3rd quarter over #3 Coastal Carolina, but, as we all know, were unable to hang on. Or what about the Old Dominion game? Liberty led 17-7 with the ball and less than 5 minutes to play, but we know how that ended. Remember back to the first game of the season when the Flames led FBS member Kent State 10-7 in the 4th quarter? The Golden Flashes would go on to score the final 10 points of the game to win 17-10. One more made play in any of these games, and Liberty is still playing football this season.
This is nothing new. For 6 consecutive seasons Liberty has come up 1 win short of the playoffs. In 2008, it was a 31-28 loss on the road to Presbyterian. Liberty finished that season 10-2, but experts pointed to that one bad loss. In 2009, the Flames were 8-2 going into the season finale at Stony Brook. With a win, Liberty would be assured of an at-large bid at 9-2, but Stony Brook scored in the waning seconds to steal the game 36-33. In 2010, the Big South finally had secured an auto-bid to the playoffs to the conference champion. But the Flames lost to Coastal Carolina in the next to last game of the season giving the Chants the automatic bid. In 2011, Liberty returned to Long Island to take on Stony Brook with the victor to be awarded the Big South auto-bid. The Flames would come up short again in a 41-31 loss. Last season, a win over Coastal would have given the Flames the Big South auto-bid, but Liberty again came up short as Coastal won 36-12 in a rain-soaked afternoon.
Another season, another game short.
Hopefully next years schedule will eliminate any debate about hard,easy games. I think the coaching staff has finally arrived. We have learned how to win instead of just competing.
I hope you are correct…but those were two terrible displays –Old Dominion, Coastal…
Need to do a better job of coaching, both in preparations, and game day and particularly 4th quater.
Bryan,
How do you make that argument given that the Flames led late in every noteable loss this season and failed to win. This season is a demonstration of that failure – not evidence that they have learned to overcome it. Had they closed out at least one of those wins this season, it would possibly be a different story.