Tag: Liberty Flames

Liberty QB Malik Willis scores 5 TDs vs. EMU in dominant bowl win

LIberty quarterback Malik Willis showed off his dynamic versatility in Saturday night’s blowout win over Eastern Michigan

One of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class ended his college football career in style Saturday night, as Liberty’s Malik Willis dropped a five-touchdown performance on Eastern Michigan in a 56-20 victory in the LendingTree Bowl.

Willis threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 58 yards and two more scores on the ground.

Boasting a dynamic combination of athleticism and arm talent, Willis is arguably the most intriguing quarterback prospect in this year’s draft class. His limitless potential could end up making him a first-round pick once April rolls around.

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Matt Corral outshines Malik Willis as Ole Miss handles Liberty

In a duel of top quarterback prospects, Matt Corral shined for Ole Miss, while Liberty’s Malik Willis struggled

In showdown between two of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, Matt Corral got the better of Malik Willis as Ole Miss handled their business at home against Liberty with a 27-14 victory.

Corral completed 20 of his 27 passes for 327 yards and a touchdown, while Willis finished 16-for-25 for just 173 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Willis added 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and helped lead the Flames from a 24-0 halftime deficit to make things interesting in the second half.

Both prospects are sure to remain in the conversation among the best quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, but Willis failed to make the most of his opportunity against SEC competition, while Corral was as advertised against an inferior defense.

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Ole Miss cooked Hugh Freeze to perfection, but deleted the tweets like cowards

Ole Miss pulled no punches toward its former coach on Saturday.

Some of you might remember that before he was the head coach at a college established by a family of televangelists, otherwise known as Liberty University, Hugh Freeze was actually the head coach at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2017.

Freeze achieved quite a bit of success (though much of it no longer counts after the school was slammed with sanctions for recruiting violations under his watch and that of Texas A&M’s current athletic director Ross Bjork and forced to vacate 33 wins).

However, despite the on-field success, Freeze’s tenure is best remembered for what happened off the field, including an odd comment to a recruit comparing the NCAA’s investigation into the Rebels to the persecution of Jesus Christ, as well as the scandal that ultimately led to his dismissal in which he placed calls to a Tampa-based escort service from his university-issued phone.

With Freeze’s Liberty Flames heading to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Saturday to take on his former team, everyone expected that there would be some awkwardness and a lot of jokes.

The folks running social media at Ole Miss didn’t disappoint as it defeated the Fighting Jerry Falwells 27-14.

This is a reference to a (since-deleted) tweet Freeze sent in 2013, in which he invited anyone with evidence of a recruiting violation to report it to the Mississippi compliance office. Of course, the Rebels were ultimately found to have committed numerous violations resulting in some of the most severe NCAA punishments in recent years.

But the Rebels’ account wasn’t done. Not yet.

For those who might not be sure what exactly they’re looking at here, it’s a picture from Liberty’s game against Syracuse in 2019 when Freeze, who had suffered a herniated disk leading to a staph infection that required emergency surgery, had to coach the Flames from a hospital bed.

This is some top-tier trolling from Ole Miss, and the Rebels communications team showed the school’s former coach no mercy on Saturday. (Until they deleted the tweets. Cowards.)

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Malik Willis is separating himself from the rest of the 2022 QB class

If you’re looking for the best QB prospect in the 2022 NFL draft class, Liberty’s Malik Willis is emerging as the leader

Coming into the 2021 college football season, it was a wide-open race to be the top quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL draft class.

Now that this year’s top passers have a handful of games under their belts, a clear leader in the clubhouse has emerged in Liberty’s Malik Willis, who has outshined some of the other big names from more established programs so far this season.

While the likes of Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and North Carolina’s Sam Howell have been inconsistent throughout the early going of the 2021 campaign, Willis has remained a steady source of impressive play.

While some might be quick to point out Willis’ athleticism as a trait that separates him from the rest of this year’s class (and rightly so), it’s Willis’ dynamic arm talent and decision-making ability that should really have NFL teams excited about his potential at the next level.

Willis is completing over 71 percent of his passes so far this season, with 10 touchdowns and not a single interception through four games. The Flames’ only loss was a tight 24-21 road defeat against Power 5 opponent Syracuse, in which Willis tossed a trio of scores while averaging more than 10 yards per attempt.

Indeed a dangerous playmaker with his legs, as well, Willis rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 14 scores last year. So far this season, he’s got 274 yards and four more touchdowns on the ground.

Willis is proving himself to be the total package in this year’s quarterback class, with all of the physical and mental tools to be a franchise passer at the next level. For those reasons, it shouldn’t be surprising to see him at the top of every quarterback rankings list for the 2022 NFL draft moving forward.

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Malik Willis shines in Liberty’s last-second loss vs. Syracuse

Liberty quarterback Malik Willis showed off his dynamic skill set despite a narrow road loss against the Power 5 opponent

It’s still a wide-open race to be the top quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL draft, and Liberty’s Malik Willis can make as strong of a case as any other passer in the country.

Willis’ dynamic skill set and big-play ability was on display yet again Friday night in a narrow road loss to Syracuse on a last-second field goal.

The talented signal-caller made his Power 5 opponent look silly on various occasions, both through the air and on the ground. Willis completed 14 of his 19 pass attempts for 205 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, adding another 49 yards rushing.

Check out some of Willis’ best plays:

There’s still plenty of season left, but it won’t be surprising if Willis ends up being the first quarterback off the board when next April rolls around.

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Why Liberty QB Malik Willis defies pro comparisons

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had a hard time finding a pro comparison for Liberty quarterback Malik Willis

Every year, NFL draft analysts try to find comparisons between the top prospects in the next class of college talent, and their pro counterparts with similar skill sets and playing styles.

For some of the more unique and dynamic players, that effort can be challenging for all the right reasons.

That’s the case for NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and Liberty quarterback Malik Willis:

I couldn’t come up with a clear-cut comparison for Willis. He makes some Josh Allen-type plays but he lacks Allen’s rare size (6-5, 237). As a runner, he reminds me a little bit of Taysom Hill because of his suddenness and strength. However, in terms of build and skill set, I think he is most similar to Jalen Hurts. They both have really powerful lower bodies and can use their running ability to take over games. Both are inconsistent passers, but the ability is there and just needs to be developed. Willis is more dynamic and explosive, but I thought Hurts was a more trustworthy decision-maker on the field.

Willis is a versatile playmaker who can make big things happen with both his arm and his legs. While there are plenty of promising quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class, none of them bring the same kind of skill set to the table that Willis possesses.

A strong 2021 campaign could easily put Willis in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft.

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LSU softball defeats Liberty in Easton Bama Bash

The No. 9 LSU softball team bounced back on Sunday with an 8-4 win over Liberty on two home runs from Taylor Pleasants.

The No.9 LSU Tigers softball team is in Tuscaloosa this weekend competing in the Easton Bama Bash.

On Sunday, the Tigers faced off against the Liberty Flames and won the first game of the day 8-5.

With the win, LSU improved to 5-2 on the season.

Aliyah Andrews led off the game with a hard hit double to left field. Taylor Pleasants then went yard over left field to put the Tigers up 2-0 early.

Shelbi Sunseri hit her first home run of the year to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

In the second, Liberty took Ali Kilponen deep on a two-run home run to score the team’s first two runs of the game, Then, Liberty scored another run to tie the game at 3-3.

In the top of the fourth, the Tigers answered back as Danieca Coffey hit a triple to left field that scored Kilponen to make it a 5-3 lead for LSU.

Liberty led off the bottom half of the fourth with a double. LSU brought in Sunseri to pitch but the Flames scored on an error to make it a 5-4 game.

LSU scored three runs in the sixth inning. Coffey drew a walk and later moved to second base on a single by Andrews. Pleasants hit another home run that scored both Coffey and Andrews as the Tigers took an 8-3 lead.

Liberty would score another run in the seventh to make it an 8-4 game.

Sunseri closed out the inning in the circle as LSU would hold on for a much needed win. She earned the win in the pitcher’s circle and moves to 3-1 on the season.

Watch: Astonishing fumble by Liberty sends Cure Bowl to overtime

Joshua Mack of Liberty will not forget his late fumble in the Cure Bowl for a long, long time

Coastal Carolina’s defenders were trying to help Liberty’s Joshua Mack into the end zone. It was the only chance the Chanticleers appeared to have as the Flames were poised to ruin their perfect season Saturday in the Cure Bowl.

Joshua Mack was either heading to paydirt or being pulled into six points by Coastal. Then, somehow, the ball came loose from the Flames’ player with the score 34-34 in the final minute.

Of course, Coastal Carolina recovered and the wild game would head into overtime.

  • 2nd & Goal at CCU 5

    (0:41 – 4th) Joshua Mack run for 4 yds to the CCaro 1 Joshua Mack fumbled, forced by TEAM, recovered by CCaro Alex Spillum

  • 1st & Goal at CCU 3

    (1:20 – 4th) Joshua Mack run for a loss of 2 yards to the CCaro 5

  • 3rd & 4 at CCU 18

    (1:35 – 4th) Malik Willis pass complete to Joshua Mack for 15 yds to the CCaro 3 for a 1ST down

Report: Malik Willis tests positive for COVID-19

The former Auburn quarterback has helped lead Liberty to a top-25 ranking and 9-1 record.

Liberty will likely be without former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis for the big game against Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Sea of Red reported that the star quarterback has tested positive for COVID-19 and will more than probably miss the top-25 matchup.

From the report:

This obviously puts Willis as a big question mark for Saturday’s game pending the results of additional tests. No. 25 Liberty (9-1) is scheduled to play No. 14 Coastal Carolina (9-0) Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. on ESPNU. ESPN’s College GameDay announced Monday it will broadcast Saturday from Coastal Carolina ahead of the big matchup of the former Big South rivals. The Chanticleers opened as 7 point favorites but the line has moved to 10.5 in some books as of Wednesday morning. From all indications, it seems that Liberty is doing everything it can to still play in the big game Saturday.

This season, Willis has completed 151 of 236 passes for 2,040 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing with 807 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 120 carries. The recent addition to the Maxwell Award Watch List is the only FBS player to rank among the nation’s top 15 for both passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns. He leads all of FBS quarterbacks in rushing.

WATCH: Malik Willis throws 31-yard touchdown pass for Liberty

The former Auburn quarterback hit a receiver in stride for a 31-yard touchdown pass to give Liberty the early lead.

Malik Willis had a tough game last Saturday, throwing three picks against N.C. State as Liberty lost its first game of the season, 15-14, to the Wolfpack.

He’s making up for it this Saturday as it didn’t take him long to find the end zone.