It is official now, the No. 23 Liberty Flames are headed to the VRBO Fiesta Bowl to take on No. 8 Oregon on Monday, January 1. The Flames are 15-point underdogs against the PAC-12 runner-up.
Liberty’s 2023 schedule ended up featuring five teams that advanced to a bowl game. The Flames finished the regular season with a 6-0 record against those bowl teams. Liberty defeated Bowling Green, New Mexico State (twice), Jacksonville State, Western Kentucky, and Old Dominion.
Here’s a look at where those five teams will be playing this bowl season:
- Bowling Green (7-5) is headed to the Quick Lane Bowl to play Minnesota on Dec. 26
- New Mexico State (10-4) will play Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 16
- Jacksonville State (8-4) will play Louisiana in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 16
- Western Kentucky (7-5) will play Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl on Dec. 16
- Old Dominion (6-6) will play Western Kentucky in the Famous Toastery Bowl on Dec. 16
The six bowl teams faced in one regular season is just one off the school record for the most played in one year. Each of the last two seasons, in both 2021 and 2022, the Flames were 4-3 against bowl teams. In 2020, Liberty was 1-1 against bowl teams, and in the Flames’ first season as a full FBS member in 2019, Liberty played four bowl teams (Louisiana, Buffalo, BYU, and Virginia), going 1-3 in those games. In 2018, the Flames were 1-4 against bowl teams.
Liberty is now 17-14 against bowl teams since becoming an FBS member with 2023 being the third straight season the Flames posted a winning record in those games.
