Upset Alert: Liberty Flames upset Baylor Football in season opener

Baylor football started 2017 on the wrong foot with a 48-45 loss to the Liberty Flames. That’s not the beginning that new coach Matt Rhule had in mind.

It has been a rough several months for the Baylor athletic program, and the football team did not do it any favors on Saturday. The Bears fell at home to the newest addition to FBS football, the Liberty Flames, by a score of 48-45.

Liberty has announced the transition to FBS this year. Because of that the program will not become bowl eligible until 2019. At that point the Flames will have a full blown FBS schedule year in and year out.

The Flames kicked off their 2017 with a solid FBS-caliber game and a preview of what to expect on a full-time basis. Liberty lit up the Bears’ defense and came out on top of the high-scoring affair in Waco. Liberty is currently playing as an independent program and are not bowl eligible this season.

Liberty and Baylor entered their 2017 opener with quite the strong connection despite never playing one another before. Former Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw, who left the program and university due to the recent controversy and sanctions, is now the athletic director at Liberty University. The Bears were favored big entering Saturday’s game. While expectations are not as high as recent years, the Flames saw a good opportunity to get some confidence in the team moving forward.

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Offensive slug fest ends in favor of the Flames

There was not a lot of defense in this one as the Flames scored the first points of the game on two consecutive Alex Probert field goals to go up 6-0. From there, it was as back-and-forth as quick as humanly possible as both teams alternated scores for virtually the remainder of the game. Prior to the fourth quarter, the biggest team either team saw was seven points.

The Flames took advantage of a Baylor three-and-out to start the fourth and a Stephen Calvert eight yard touchdown run on the following Liberty drive put them up ten on the Bears. Calvert, the sophomore quarterback, finished the game with 447 yards on 44-60 throwing and four total touchdowns.

While the passing game was the story of the game for both teams, the Flames sealed the game on their final drive as the Bears’ could not stop running back Carrington Mosley, who finished the game with 122 rushing yards. Liberty ended the game with 585 yards of offense.

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Baylor did receive the ball left with about 30 seconds remaining in the game, but could not move into field goal range as the game ended with a last second Hail Mary that was intercepted by Liberty. This was the first ever win for Liberty over a Power Five team.

The Bears will host the UTSA Roadrunners next Saturday, September 2nd, while the Flames will return to their FCS schedule and host Morehead State.