Falling in the Fiesta: No. 8 Oregon Ducks fly past No. 23 Liberty in Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, 45-6

No game in Liberty Athletics history was more anticipated than the No. 23 Flames taking on the No. 8 Oregon Ducks in the 2023 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. From the moment Liberty’s name appeared next to Oregon’s on the afternoon of Dec. 3, all that was talked about was the unparalleled opportunity for Liberty to taste the experience of a New Year’s Six Bowl Game.  

However, when it came to game time, the 13-0 Flames knew that a Ducks team stacked with NFL-caliber talent awaited. The Pac-12 runners-up laid down an impressive 45-6 performance at State Farm Stadium that resulted in Liberty’s first loss under its first-year Head Coach Jamey Chadwell.  

“I’m not going to let today, and our team is not going to let today, diminish what they were able to accomplish over 13 weeks,” Chadwell said. “Our chance was to play our best game. We had a couple of turnovers and dropped passes and penalties. We didn’t play our best game. We needed to have a chance today.”  

The looming question entering the Fiesta Bowl was whether Liberty’s touted offense could produce similar explosiveness against an opponent like Oregon. After a loss of three on the Flames’ initial play of the game, Willy Korn and Newland Isaac’s offense surged down the field in chunks, highlighted by a 33-yard rush from graduate running back Aaron Bedgood that was extended an extra 15 by a late hit from Oregon.  

Just four plays later, sophomore quarterback Kaidon Salter dropped back and worked through his progressions before firing a 17-yard pass to senior tight end Bentley Hanshaw for the touchdown. Kicker Nick Brown couldn’t come up with the point after, giving the Flames a 6-0 advantage.  

The energy-inducing touchdown, however, was the only one the Flames would see on the day.  

As Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and the nation’s No. 1 passing attack took the field, a 40-yard strike to Tez Johnson Jr. had the Flames’ defense on its heels. The unit quickly recovered, forcing the Ducks to a field goal try after Liberty defensive tackle Bryce Dixon swatted Nix’s pass attempt to the ground on third and seven.  

A short-lived Flames offensive drive set up the Ducks with prime field position, but Liberty’s defense did not relent. The team managed to create confusion in the secondary and force a pair of incompletions from Nix.  

But after holding and false start penalties hampered Liberty’s offensive efforts, Oregon began to wear on the Flames’ defensive corps. Ducks’ running back Bucky Irving found room up the middle, bursting and evading defenders for a gain of 44. Nix then flushed to his right and found wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr., who tip-toed in the back of the end zone to steal the lead, 10-6.  

Oregon had found its rhythm on the ground and, soon after, its playmakers in the receiving game stepped up. Johnson Jr. made himself available up the middle for Nix on the team’s ensuing offensive drive for a 16-yard reception, creating space for receiver Terrance Ferguson to snag a touchdown pass just plays later to extend the Oregon lead to 17-6. Johnson Jr. finished the day with 172 yards, 134 of which came after the catch.  

Costly penalties plagued the Liberty offense, which hardly breached midfield for the remainder of the half. The nation-leading run game was stymied, picking up a mere 168 ground yards on the day, a season-low.  

“The challenge was that (Oregon is) big in the box,” Chadwell said. “Secondly, when you get behind, you get away from it. You’re not able to really grind on people and some of those things. There’s a combination of that. But they were the best defense we played and you had to really scheme them up to make some things happen.” 

After its opening drive touchdown, Salter and his offense gained 104 yards as opposed to the Ducks’ 368 in the first half. Oregon followed up the Ferguson touchdown with scoring plays to tight end Kaydon Sadiq and wide receiver Traeshon Holden, leading to a 31-6 figure to end the half.  

The second frame began with a 7-play, 75-yard Ducks drive that saw Johnson snag another one of Nix’s touchdown passes — Nix’s fifth of the game. The Ducks’ offense then took advantage of a Liberty turnover on downs to notch one more touchdown, manufacturing a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Irving punching the ball in the end zone and bringing the game to a final of 45-6.   

As Liberty players embraced postgame, no heads were found hanging. The team was engulfed in support from fans who made the trip to cheer on the Conference USA Champions. 

“It just shows how much love that our fans mean to us,” Salter said. “They love us win or lose and that’s shown right there. Just walking off the field, hearing my name and all the screams, knowing that we just lost, that just brought me more cheer. I never had my head down after the game.” 

Aside from the evident support, there were moments of recognition. Junior wide receiver CJ Daniels’ 79 receiving yards against the Ducks pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, an achievement he had been long seeking.  

“With CJ, he’s like my man in the back pocket,” Salter said. “When I know that I’m in trouble and things like that, I can go to CJ and I can trust him to make the plays that need to be made … I knew it was his goal to be a 1000-yard receiver. We made that happen today.” 

As the seniors exited the field, they knew their final time in a football game was played on one of college football’s greatest stages. For sixth-year linebacker Tyren Dupree, who led the team with eight tackles on the day and 123 on the season, the emotions were a mix of pride and excitement for the program’s future. 

“I just told (the team) in the locker room … I was like, do not have your heads down,” Dupree said. “This is not the last time you guys are going to be here. We’ve done this in the short amount of time that we’ve been an FBS program. I’m so excited to see what God and (Chadwell) has to bring to this university.” 

And as the team glances back on its remarkable 2023 season, it won’t be the singular loss that defines Liberty’s year. In the eyes of Chadwell, the feat of taking a new program and conference membership with an over 50% roster turnover is a testament to the people who achieved the goal alongside the 46-year-old coach.    

“Just congrats and hats off to these coaches, hats off to the teammates that bought in. It doesn’t (happen) without everyone buying in and trusting,” Chadwell said. “We will be back in this. The reason why is because today, we saw how far away we are. And with the guys that are returning and the guys we’re bringing in, this will be our benchmark. We’re shooting for the College Football Playoff … I hope future recruits and people know that we’re heading in a great direction.” 

 

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X