Liberty: 2020 Cure Bowl Champions

Liberty's only loss of the season came on a blocked field goal against NC State back on Nov. 21. In the Cure Bowl against No. 12 Coastal Carolina, the Flames got that kick back by blocking a field goal of their own in overtime to outlast the previously-unbeaten Chanticleers 37-34. The special teams play ended what was easily the most entertaining game of college football's postseason to date. 

It was also arguably the strangest. After hopping out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, Liberty spent most of the game trying to keep Coastal at arm's length. With the clock in the fourth quarter winding down, it looked like it might be able to do just that. Quarterback Malik Willis had a career-best four rushing touchdowns to go along with 137 yards on 21 carries and the Chanticleers had no answer for him. But Coastal Carolina was able to force a late fourth quarter field goal and then tie the game at 34-34 on its ensuing possession. Still, the Flames had three minutes to win the game in regulation, and the offense moved the ball down to Coastal's 3-yard line within six plays. 

That's when things got strange. With Coastal Carolina out of timeouts, Liberty was content to let as much clock run as possible before scoring in order to hold the ball last. In that case, it would have been fine to play for the field goal -- which, at that spot is an extra point -- by kneeling on the ball. Instead, Willis handed the ball off to running back Joshua Mack twice. The first was a two-yard loss and the second was, inexplicably, a fumble recovered by the Chanticleers. 

Liberty had two options: play for the field goal by kneeling, or try to score the touchdown and trust its defense. It did neither of those things and an uncertain Mack had the ball stripped. 

Overtime ended up being just as dramatic. After kicking a field goal on its first possession, Liberty forced Coastal Carolina into a quick three-and-out to set up a field goal attempt, which was blocked to seal the win for the Flames. 

Liberty finishes the year 10-1, capping off its first 10-win season as a FBS member and arguably its best season ever. Coastal Carolina drops to 11-1, and though this is a disappointing end for the Chants, it's still part of an unforgettable season as well. 

Georgia State: 2020 LendingTree Bowl Champions

Cornelius “Quad” Brown was right at home back in his native state on Saturday.

The redshirt freshman from Calera passed for three touchdowns as Georgia State rolled past Western Kentucky 39-21 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. Brown outshined Hilltoppers senior quarterback Tyrell Pigrome of Pinson, who ran for an early touchdown but later threw his first two interceptions of the year.

“After that first interception, I knew we’d get to rolling,” Brown said. “… The guys picked me up. They made sure I didn’t hang my head. They never lost in confidence in me. Our (offensive coordinator) continued to call the game wide-open. I knew guys would make plays. I knew if I did my job distributing the football, somehow, some way, we’d break open. And that’s what we were able to do.”

Georgia State (6-4) scored on four consecutive possessions in the second quarter, two of them set up by interceptions of Pigrome, who came into the game having not been picked off in 264 attempts this season. Antarious Lane and Jontrey Hunter both victimized Pigrome Saturday, each of them on diving grabs in the red zone.

After Pigrome’s 2-yard run put WKU (5-7) up 7-0 at the 4:02 mark of the first quarter, the Georgia State scoring barrage began. Destin Coates’ 11-yard run tied it 7-7 with eight seconds left in the first period.

The Panthers followed that up with three straight Brown touchdown passes in the second quarter, 26 yards to Sam Pinckney, five yards to Jamari Thrash and eight yards to Cornelius McCoy. Noel Ruiz’s extra point was blocked after the final touchdown, making it 27-7 at the half.

Georgia State went three-and-out on its first possession and Brown threw an interception on the second, leading to a tense conversation with Panthers head coach Shawn Elliott.

“I told him ‘you can’t win the game on one play,’” Elliott said. “And he settled down after that. On the third drive we started clicking. Our receivers and our backs and our offensive line — the supporting cast around Quad — had to play well, and they did. They push hard every single day but Quad had an exceptional night. I’m really, really proud of him.”

Western Kentucky pulled with 27-14 on Gaej Walker’s 2-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, but a pair of Ruiz field goals — 45 and 29 yards — pushed it back to a three-score game at 33-14.

Georgia State’s last touchdown came with 5:13 left, when back-up quarterback Mikele Colasurdo hit Cadarrius Thompson on a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Hilltoppers then added C.J. Jones’ 2-yard run in the final three minutes to reach the final score.

Brown ended the game 15 of 29 for 226 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, and also added 40 yards rushing. Coates rushed for 117 yards and a score on 23 carries, keying a 227-yard rushing day for the Panthers.

Pigrome, a former Clay-Chalkville standout, had the early rushing touchdown but few highlights otherwise. He was 17 of 33 for 180 yards and two interceptions passing, and was also sacked three times.

“Hats off to Georgia State, they just flat out out-played us tonight,” Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton said. “I thought there were a couple of things early in the game we did a good job of, but penalties cost us at critical times. They did all the right things. They beat us hands-down.”

Georgia State finishes with a winning record in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program’s 11-year history. Western Kentucky ends with a losing record for the third time in four years.

Louisiana-Lafayette: 2020 First Responder Bowl Champions

(UL ATHLETICS PRESS RELEASE) – For the second consecutive season, Louisiana Football emerged victorious in its bowl game after it defeated UTSA, 31-24, to claim the 2020 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl title on Saturday afternoon at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

 

Powered by a stellar performance from the game’s Most Valuable Player, Elijah Mitchell, the No. 19-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns (10-1, 7-1 Sun Belt) locked up their second-straight 10-win season.

 

Mitchell racked up 127 rushing yards on 19 carries and added a touchdown as part of his MVP performance. The yardage total set the program record for the most rushing yards in a bowl game and was the fourth-most rushing yards in the bowl’s history.

 

Fellow running back Trey Ragas was also impressive in the win with 98 rushing yards on 14 attempts and his 10th rushing score of the year.

 

Through the air, quarterback Levi Lewis finished the game with 146 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Jalen Williams and Kyren Lacy. Lewis now sits at third in program history for career passing yards, while Lacy led all Louisiana receivers with four catches for 38 yards.

 

Defensively, Lorenzo McCaskill tied the program record for the most tackles in a bowl game with 11 against the Roadrunners, his fourth double-digit tackle performance of the season. Ferrod Gardner had another huge day, recording eight tackles, 1.0 sack and a fumble recovery.

 

Safety Percy Butler notched the team’s other turnover with an interception early in the game, the team’s 16th of the season. With the pick, the team matched its 2009 total of 16 picks.

 

Louisiana opened the scoring on Saturday when Lewis found Williams for the 15-yard score to cap off an eight-play, 68-yard drive on its opening possession. After Kenneth Almendares added a field goal, UTSA answered when Frank Harris scored from 11 yards out with 4:33 remaining in the half.

 

Lewis led the Ragin’ Cajuns down the field right before the break, slinging a pass to Lacy in the back of the end zone to put Louisiana up 17-7 at halftime.

 

It was a dream start to the second half when Gardner scooped up a UTSA fumble, setting up the offense on the Roadrunner three yard line. Mitchell answered on the first play, pounding his way into the end zone from three yards out to extend the lead to 24-7.

 

UTSA took advantage of turnover and a costly Louisiana penalty on back-to-back drives, scoring two passing touchdowns to pull within 24-21 with 4:09 to play in the third quarter.

 

After the Roadrunners tied things up with a 20-yard field goal, the Ragin’ Cajuns put together a 12-play, 72-yard drive that was capped off by a powerful one-yard touchdown run by Ragas to push Louisiana back in front 31-24.

 

Louisiana’s defense came up big at the end of the contest, making a critical stop on fourth down to turn the ball back over to the offense, which successfully milked the clock to secure the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl title.

2020 New Mexico Bowl: Gimme All Your Warriors.

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