FLAMES END SEASON WITH HOME LOSING STREAK

After winning 15 straight at home dating back to the 2019 season opener, the longest such win streak in program history, Liberty now ends the season losing consecutive home games for the first since 2017. The Flames lost to St. Francis (PA) and Kennesaw State that season, and Liberty ends the 2021 campaign with losses to No. 21 Louisiana and Army.

Liberty had won each of its last 12 home games against unranked FBS opponents prior to its loss to Army. The Flames had lost to ranked Louisiana and Syracuse in its last two home games. The last unranked team to win at Williams Stadium prior to the Black Knights was North Texas on Sept. 22, 2008.

Dating back to the road game at Ole Miss, Liberty has now dropped three straight games overall. This is Liberty’s first three-game losing streak since Nov. 2018 when the Flames lost to UMass, Virginia, and Auburn under previous head coach Turner Gill. The Flames are now 6-4 under Coach Freeze in games following a loss.

FLAMES FINISH 2/7 ON 4TH DOWNS

We discussed it in our game story, but the biggest story of the game was Liberty’s decision to repeatedly go for it on 4th down and not being able to convert. The Flames finished the game just 2 for 7 on 4th downs, having five drives end in a turnover on downs. It led to a number of short fields for Army and they took full advantage, scoring on the first four drives of the game off the Flames’ turnover on downs.

“Probably shouldn’t have gone for it on 4th down that first time, but I just knew our possessions were probably going to be limited in the game,” Freeze said.

“When you play with them, if you give them short fields, you’re either going to stop them or hopefully they score in lesser amounts of times unlike that first drive of the second half. It’s not so much about field position as you’re playing them as it is can we stop them or not. Truthfully, had it not been for those two explosive passes I’m not sure how many points they would have had in the first half because I thought we did a decent job against the run game, even on the short fields.”

QUESTIONABLE DECISION TO GO FOR 2

Liberty had cut the lead to two possessions at 31-16 following a Malik Willis rushing touchdown late in the third quarter. The Flames elected to go for two to try to cut the lead to 13 going into the final quarter. Freeze was asked about his decision following the game.

“I don’t like it, wouldn’t do it again,” he said. “It was 100% go. I never was committed to it in my mind. Analytics said, it tries to put you in a position to win the game in regulation instead of overtime. After we didn’t make the two point conversion, it didn’t feel like the right thing. I told (Kyle DeArmon) in there, I want analytics to explain that a little more to me, but ultimately it’s my call. I still wish we had a chance for it to matter or not.”

GAME GOT CHIPPY AT THE END

Following Liberty’s final possession of the game as Malik Willis was intercepted, the two teams got into a little bit of a shoving and shouting match. Liberty center Thomas Sargeant was called for a personal foul for unnecessary roughness and Willis was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty for taking his helmet off. Willis and a couple Army players had some words for one another and exchanged some shoves for one another.

“I didn’t see any of that,” Freeze said. “Malik Willis has done so much for this program. It’s frustrating to all of us when you don’t win. It would probably be frustrating to you if you were struggling at something that you really want to do well at. That’s one thing you don’t have to question about Malik is how much he cares and how hard he plays. I wish he would play within himself some when pressure is on him like it is, and he doesn’t throw off his back foot some. We’re all frustrated. I’m frustrated too.”