When Liberty runs out of the tunnel and onto the grass field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on New Year’s Day to take on the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, there will be few that expect the Flames to even compete with the Pac-12 runner-up, much less win the game.
As has been the case all season, the Flames aren’t worried about what those outside of the locker room have to say, they are content playing for their brothers inside of that locker room.
“There’s a lot of doubt,” said Liberty first year head coach Jamey Chadwell. “We’re not mute. We know what people are saying. More than anything, instead of trying to prove people wrong, I think it’s more of proving ourselves right.”
Liberty is in its fifth year as a fully bowl-eligible program and is making its fifth straight bowl game appearance. The Flames earned victory in each of their first three bowl games and holds a 3-1 overall bowl record.
Monday’s test against Oregon is something unlike anything this Liberty program has ever seen before.
The Ducks are the best team Liberty has ever faced. Not just this season, but in 51 years as a football program. They are bigger, faster, stronger, and deeper than anything the Flames have seen.
Despite having not played a Power Five team on the schedule this season, Liberty is not new to playing foes from the top conferences in college football. Just last year the Flames defeated Arkansas on the road, rolled over BYU at home, and came within a converted two-point conversion at top 25 Wake Forest from another P5 win. Still, those teams aren’t as talented as Oregon.
“Speed and length is the biggest thing that we’ve not seen,” Chadwell said of the Ducks. “From every position they can really run. At all positions they are big and long. You can’t replicate that the way they run compared to what we’re trying to do. It’s hard to replicate that.”
What Chadwell and the Liberty coaching staff have focused on over the past several weeks since learning of their bowl destination is practicing and preparing the way they have been all year long. The coaching staff has drawn up what they think is the best game plan to give the team its best chance to win, just like they have done 13 previous times this season.
It won’t be the first time this year’s Liberty team has been counted out. The Flames were not the preseason favorite to win Conference USA in its first year in the league. Many expected them to falter at some point down the stretch, ruining their unblemished record. That didn’t happen and this team is just one win, one monumental victory, away from having a storybook ending to a storybook season.
“We know the challenge,” Chadwell said of what stands in front of his team. “We know how good they are. We turn on the video and know we are going to have to play well. I expect us to. I expect us to go out and compete like we always have and play for all four quarters, or whatever it takes, play our best game and put ourselves in position to win.”
Coaches: Jamey Chadwell, 1st season at Liberty, 13-0 (112-57 overall); Dan Lanning, 2nd season at Oregon, 21-5 (21-5 overall).
Quick slant: This is the first ever meeting in the series…Liberty is one of three teams (also Appalachian State and Marshall) to become bowl eligible in each of its first five seasons after transitioning from the FCS to FBS. The Flames are 3-1 in bowl games, winning the 2019 Cure Bowl, 2020 Cure Bowl and 2021 LendingTree Bowl titles.
About #23 Liberty (13-0, 8-0 CUSA): The Flames have posted a .500 or better record for 18 consecutive years (including 2023), going 141-71 since the start of the 2006 season. …This year, Liberty has played only two games which have been decided by seven points or fewer, a 21-16 win over Sam Houston on Oct. 5 and a 42-35 victory over Middle Tennessee on Oct. 17. The Flames lead all FBS schools, with 11 wins of 10 or more points this season. …In its first year in Conference USA, Liberty posted a perfect 8-0 conference record. The Flames won their first FBS conference title, defeating fellow league newcomer New Mexico State 49-35 in the CUSA Championship Game at home. …Liberty leads the nation in passes intercepted with 21. …Liberty QB Kaidon Salter holds program single-season records for both passing TDs (31) and TDs responsible for (43). … The Flames rank No. 1 nationally in rushing offense (302.9 ypg).
About #8 Oregon (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12): The Ducks are making their fourth appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, 14th in a New Year’s Six bowl and 37th overall in a bowl game. Oregon is 2-1 all-time in
the Fiesta Bowl, with wins over Colorado (Jan. 1, 2002) and Kansas State (Jan. 3, 2013). …Oregon is No. 2 nationally with a +26.84 scoring differential, and is one of seven teams in the top 15 for both scoring offense (2nd, 44.2 PPG) and scoring defense (11th, 17.3 PPG). The Ducks are one of just four teams (Georgia, SMU, Texas) in the top 25 for both total offense (2nd, 526.6 YPG) and total defense (22nd, 320.3 YPG), and one of nine in the top 30 for both rushing defense (12th, 97.54 YPG) and rushing offense (29th, 183.85 YPG). …The Ducks have been the best FBS team early in games, leading the nation with a +16.38 scoring differential in the first half and a +9.46 scoring differential in the second quarter.
3 things to watch
Liberty needs to play a clean game. The Flames are greater than a two touchdown underdog in this game, as many are not giving the unbeaten CUSA champs much of a chance to knock off the high scoring Ducks. In order for Liberty to enter the fourth quarter with a chance to spring the upset, the Flames need to play close to a perfect game. The Flames must win the turnover battle and limit turnovers in inopportune moments. Do that and score touchdowns when in the red zone and Liberty can make things interesting.
Two of the top offenses in the country. The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl features two of the top offenses in the country. Liberty leads the nation in rushing offense (302.9), while Oregon ins second in passing offense (342.8). Oregon (526.6) and Liberty (514.9) are second and third, respectively, in total offense. Oregon is second in the nation in scoring offense at 44.2 points per game while Liberty is fifth, averaging 40.8 points per game.
Flames need to come up with stops in critical positions. Oregon is going to score points. They may score a lot of points. The Flames struggled at times on defense throughout the season, but they have always got the needed stop to help the team win. That will be crucial for Liberty in this one. The Flames must get stops in big moments to help give the offense a puncher’s chance to keep things close.
Where: State Farm Stadium
When: 1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local)
TV: ESPN (Bob Wischusen, Robert Griffin III, Kris Budden)
Weather: The roof will be closed at State Farm Stadium
Favorite: Oregon 17.5 points
Oregon doesn’t need any help from the referees… the referees are so 1 sided. Let the kids play. If only we weren’t a Christian conservative school. (Thankful we are- just we get attacked because of that)
Jonathan you are exactly right. It needs to be said: this was the worst officiated game I have ever witnessed, across all sports, ever. Period.
My understanding this was an SEC crew. You would expect them to call a fair fight. Instead, we had a kick-catch interference, PI against us never called, PI for them all day long, an Oregon “interception” that hit the ground, targeting on our QB (not called), 180-facemask, Cooley’s helmet ripped-off, holds galore by Ducks O-line never called, etc. and the list goes on.
Not in any way suggesting this was a deliberate attempt to have the final score much greater than it would have been had we been afforded a fair fight, but you have to wonder. It completely took away all momentum in the 1st and 2nd quarters and demoralized our guys the rest of the way. What a shame.
With that said, I am ever grateful for every last player and coach on this team on our campus. What a tremendous season! Praise God! Not just the fruits of a perfect season and championship, but the representation by these young men of our university the entire time.
Take a bow, gentlemen, and enjoy the off season!
You deserve it!!