Liberty outlasts Coastal Carolina in Cure Bowl
Liberty ORLANDO, FLA. — endedCoastal Carolina’s perfect season with a blocked kick in overtime.
Elijah James blockedMassimo Biscardi’s 42-yard field goal attempt to give No. 23 Liberty a 37-34 victory over No. 9 Coastal Carolina in a wild finish Saturday night in theFBCMortgageCureBowl.
Liberty (10-1) took the lead on Alex Barbir’s 44-yardfield goal on the first extra possession.
Coastal Carolina (11-1) got a huge break in regulation when Liberty’s JoshuaMack fumbled inside the 1 with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Safety Alex Spillum recovered the fumble to end the long drive.
“I thought it was a touchdown but they called it a fumble,” said Liberty quarterbackMalikLewis, whoset several records in the game. “But the next opportunity we got, we took advantage of it.”
Willis ran for 137 yards and four touchdowns and completed 19 of 29 passes for 220 yards with two interceptions.
The Flames’ only loss came to North Carolina State on a blocked field goal.
“No question this is the best season Liberty University has ever had,” safety Javon Scruggs said.
Coastal Carolina overcame an early 14-0 deficit, and drove 72 yards to tie it in the fourth quarter. Grayson McCall ran in a 2-point conversion to make it 34-34 after throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Greg Latushko with 3:01 remaining
Coastal Carolina hadwon 12 straight.
McCall had a big game for Coastal Carolina, completing 21 of 32 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The red-shirt freshman also ran for 96 yards
No. 16 La.-Lafayette 31, UTSA 24
Louisiana-Lafayette’s seemingly comfortable 17-point lead over UTSA disappeared during the second half of the First Responder Bowl.
The R a g i n’ Ca j u n s responded with a time-consuming winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and a critical defensive stop in a finish reminiscent of their entire season.
Trey Ragas scored on a 1-yard plunge with 7:16 left and No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette drove 72 yards in 12 plays to beat UTSA 31-24 on Saturday at SMU’s Ford Stadium.
Louisiana-Lafayette (10-1) finishedwithdouble-digitwins for the second straight year after never previously doing so and came from behind to win six times this season. Napier said therewasnoneed for talk on Saturday after the 17-point lead disappeared.
UTSA offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. directed the Roadrunners after firstyear coach Jeff Traylor twice tested positive for COVID-19 thisweek and didn’t accompany the team
Georgia State 39, Western Kentucky 21
Georgia State’s second trip to Mobile this season was even more successful than its first.
The Panthers scored touchdowns on four consecutive first-half possessions Saturday in the LendingTree Bowl in a 39-21 victory overWestern Kentucky (5-7) at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. On Nov. 21 Georgia State (6-4) beat SunBeltConference rival South Alabama 31-14 across townatHancock Whitney Stadium.
Redshirt freshman Cornelius “Quad” Brown threw for 226 yards and three second-quarter touchdowns. DestinCoates added117yards and a touchdown rushing, part of a 227-yard day on the ground for Georgia State.