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The Liberty Flames had the Cure Bowl won, then literally gave it away, and came back to win it in overtime in a memorable finish for the 37-34 win over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the best game of the 2020 bowl season so far.
Liberty took the ball over with 3:01 remaining and drove the length of the field with the score tied 34-34. Liberty had first and goal inside the 5-yard line, and Coastal Carolina was out of timeouts so head coach Hugh Freeze decided to kill the balance of the clock and kick a field goal to win.
But Liberty set fire to the plan when tight end Jerome Jackson tried to push running back Joshua Mack into the end zone.
Instead of just kneeling, Liberty tries to run the ball....the RB tries to stop from getting in and one of his players pushes him from behind and causes him to fumble
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) December 27, 2020
Bizarre pic.twitter.com/tysAqfjfQq
It sent the game to overtime instead, where neither team was able to get a first down. Liberty’s Alex Barbir made his 44-yard field goal, but Coastal’s Massimo Biscardi had his attempt blocked from 42 yards despite being one of the most reliable kickers in the country in 2020.
Flames quarterback Malik Willis was red hot, posting four rushing touchdowns and gaining 137 yards on 21 carries. He was 19-29 for 220 yards as a passer, but threw two interceptions. LU averaged 6.7 yards per play and 6.1 yards per rush on the evening.
Chanticleers redshirt freshman Grayson McCall was also terrific, going 21-32 for 318 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. He ran for 96 yards on 15 carries and added a touchdown on the ground as well.