Offense B-

Liberty’s offense was good, but not great on Saturday.  They moved the ball on the ground and through the air, but were unable to score in the 4th quarter with the game on the line.  The defense did give them a chance in the second half, but they responded by turning the ball over twice, a fumble by Desmond Rice on Liberty’s own 5 yard line  and an interception by Josh Woodrum. Of course, the weather could be to blame for some of the offense’s troubles in the 2nd half. But if you’re tempted to blame the rain, remember that Richmond’s offense played through the same conditions turnover free.

 Defense: C

I almost gave the defense a D, but they did play one good half of football.  The first half was not it.  Liberty gave up 23 points before halftime, allowing Jacobi Green and company to run all over them.  By the time they got their act together, it was too little too late.  They gave up just one touchdown in the second half, but were unable to come up with a big play to set the offense up with a short field.

 Special Teams: D

Special teams had a bad day, having two field goal attempts blocked on back to back drives in the 3rd quarter.  If the Flames had put those 6 points on the board, the game could have turned out very differently, with Liberty playing for a chance to take the lead or tie late in the 4th quarter.  Instead, it was a  two possession game for the majority of the second half, putting too much pressure on the offense in less than optimal conditions. Also, Grant Bowden muffed a snap on a punt.

 Overall: C-

Mistakes are what cost Liberty this game.  The fumble on their own 5 yard line turned into an easy touchdown for Richmond.  The two blocked field goal attempts lost them another 6 points, potentially.  Without those mistakes, Liberty could have figured out a way to win the game.