Here are our quick-hit notes following Liberty’s season opening 24-0 loss to #22 Syracuse:

  • Liberty had plenty of opportunities in the first quarter, twice moving the ball deep into Syracuse territory but the Flames were unable to get any points on those two drives. On the first, Alex Probert missed a 45-yard field goal. The kick had plenty of distance, but was wide right. On the 2nd drive into Orange territory, the Flames reached the 3 yard line before Joshua Mack fumbled and Syracuse recovered. It will be almost impossible for Liberty to defeat a top 25 Power Five team with numerous missed opportunities like that.
  • Wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden was the best player on the field. He had 103 receiving yards in the first quarter including a 56 yard reception where he drug multiple Syracuse defenders several yards. AGG finished the game with 6 receptions for 119 yards as he begins a senior campaign that he will hope to turn several NFL scouts’ attention.
  • Liberty’s offensive line and Buckshot Calvert struggled with Syracuse’s pressure throughout the evening. Sacks routinely ended drives. The Orange finished the game with 8 sacks.
  • Defensive Coordinator Scott Symons’ defense impressed early, holding the Orange to 53 yards of offense in the first quarter. As the game progressed, Liberty’s defense began to wear down. The Orange maintained possession of the ball almost 9 minutes of the 15 minute 2nd quarter.
  • Buckshot’s 2nd interception of the day killed any momentum the team had. Coming midway through the 3rd quarter, the Orange took possession of the ball and quickly drove 37 yards on 5 plays to push their lead to a nearly insurmountable 17-0 lead as the Flames had difficulty sustaining drives all day.
  • We could look back at the end of the season on this Syracuse defense as being a very good unit. They definitely owned the evening, limiting the Flames to 234 yards and forcing a shutout. Liberty was last shutout by Auburn last season, 53-0, on November 17th.
  • Moe Neal’s 42 yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 pushed the lead to 24-0 with 12:35 left in the game, virtually ending any chance of a Liberty comeback.
  • Final attendance was 21,671, the third largest in Williams Stadium history. It’s disappointing this wasn’t the largest ever. It was outdone by 22,561 for Montana on September 19, 2015 and 21,712 for Charleston Southern on November 12, 2016.