Liberty Football Had A Season For The Ages in 2020

Liberty kicker Alex Barbir breathed a sigh of relief – he would have another chance. His field goal attempt had just been blocked and returned for a touchdown in the dying seconds of a historic matchup against Virginia Tech, but he knew he had heard a call for a timeout. 

In a mistake that would define the game, Tech’s coach Justin Fuente had called a timeout to try to ice Barbir, but instead his decision called back a crucial defensive play. Barbir lined up another field goal attempt – then duly blasted it through the uprights, sealing an historic 38-35 win for the Flames. Fine margins indeed. 

In many ways, those fine margins would sum up Liberty’s 2020 football season. Last-minute fumbles, field goals made, missed and blocked, COVID-19 cancellations – this season had it all, and it ended with a place in Liberty’s history books. But when Freeze first announced that Malik Willis would have the starting quarterback spot going into the season opener against Western Kentucky, all those milestones were barely imaginable. 

Throughout summer training, Freeze discussed the battle in practice between Willis, transfer quarterback Chris Ferguson and redshirt freshman Johnathan Bennett for the position. It barely took one game, however for Willis to demonstrate the position was his to lose. He rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns against WKU in his Liberty debut, highlighting the advantages he would bring on the ground compared to Liberty’s offensive threats last season that often relied on the graduated duo of quarterback Buckshot Calvert and receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden (now playing for the Washington Football Team) connecting through the air. 

In a season that saw Liberty take down two ACC teams, win a ranked rivalry matchup in the Cure Bowl against Coastal and ultimately finish the season ranked in the top 25 for the first time ever, Willis spearheaded the Flames in almost every category. He passed for 2,260 yards, rushed for 944 more (leading the team in rushing yards), threw 20 touchdowns and ran in another 14 to leave no doubt regarding the wisdom of Freeze’s initial decision. 

But even with Willis’ explosive performances, a season defined by the uncertainty of COVID-19 meant Liberty’s success still often rode on a knife edge – and that didn’t just mean moments like Barbir’s dramatic field goal at Lane Stadium. Only two games into the season, Willis injured his elbow in a game against Florida International, and with Chris Ferguson in as his replacement in the next game against North Alabama, Liberty’s defense stepped up – then when Willis returned, the special teams unit took over, scoring 28 points against University of Louisiana-Monroe to take Liberty to a
4-0 record. 

With the Flames racking up wins left and right, national polls started to notice the wave Liberty was riding. Liberty’s 2019 season had ended with a bowl win in only its second full year in FBS football – but this was different. 

First, Syracuse fell to the Flames and Liberty had its first ACC win in school history. Then Liberty beat Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium thanks to that late field goal drama – the Flames first win over the Hokies in program history. Coming into Nov. 21’s game against NC State, Liberty was 8-0 for the first time in school history, Hugh Freeze had signed a contract extension, and Liberty was ranked No. 21 on the AP Top 25 list. 

Everything seemed to be tipping Liberty’s way, and then, just like that, it tipped away. Barbir’s field goal – and a chance to beat N.C. State with seconds on the clock – was blocked, and the Flames trudged off the field at Carter-Finley Stadium with their only loss of the season. They had lost by one point.   

Less than two weeks later, Liberty’s last game of the season, a ranked matchup against a Coastal Carolina team that was taking the FBS by storm, was canceled due to COVID-19 infections in the Liberty squad. 

Liberty had had a historic season, but it was over. A bowl appearance was possible, but with a limited amount of bowls available, the loss to N.C. State was a potential blow to Liberty’s chances. Then an announcement came. 

No. 23 Liberty was going back to the Cure Bowl – against No. 12-ranked Coastal Carolina – for Liberty’s first ranked matchup in school history. If Liberty’s first appearance in the 2019 Cure Bowl stood as a milestone for the team’s progress, the 2020 Cure Bowl was the moment where the Flames would cement their place on the national stage – but it was close. 

Once again, the pieces very nearly didn’t come together on Dec. 26. Running back Joshua Mack fumbled almost on top of the goal line with a Flames win in his sights as time expired, and only an overtime field goal by Barbir and a dramatic field goal block by Flames defensive tackle Elijah James combined to finally give the Flames the win. 

In a way, Barbir’s story arc defined the big moments of Liberty’s season. From starting the year as a walk-on and struggling to establish a rhythm to kicking the winner in the Cure Bowl, Barbir found his place in the team as Liberty found its place on the national stage. Sometimes, like in the Virginia Tech game, things seemed over – and then out of nowhere, Barbir and the rest of the team found a way through. 

Success was never guaranteed in a year like 2020 – but in the end, the margins just added up. 

John Nekrasov is the Sports Editor. Follow him on Twitter at @john_nekrasov.