[thepostman]

The 2nd FBS season for the Flames is now officially in the books. Bring your thoughts on the season as a whole here. Keep the Cure Bowl discussion in the celebration thread.

Give your thoughts and overall grade of how you think this season went.

Overall I'm happy with the way the season went. This was about my best case scenario.

Overall grade based on my expectations: A

[FlamesHighontheTide]

Having predicted LU to go 9-3 with a win in the bowl game to get them to a 10 win season may have been off by 2 games, but I am thrilled with this season. How can we not be right? We broke the string of 6-6 seasons, we made it to our first bowl game, we won our first bowl game, we brought in the 80th ranked recruiting class(per rivals), we signed Freeze to an extension. Overall grade A- simply because of my 9-3 prediction.

[FLAMEfromBAMA]

My hope in the season was to win at least one P5 game, or equivalent in BYU, and reach a bowl game. Winning the bowl negates the P5 losses to me and I’m very happy with how the season ended up! Can’t wait for next year!

[Purple Haize]

Just about checked every box this year. I’m not even sure there was a “Liberty” game. Winning the First Bowl game was phenomenal. Considering HCHF started the season in a Hospital bed I don’t see how you can call this season anything but a success.

[BJWilliams]

Just about checked every box this year. I’m not even sure there was a “Liberty” game. Winning the First Bowl game was phenomenal. Considering HCHF started the season in a Hospital bed I don’t see how you can call this season anything but a success.

I'd have to agree PH...this was the first year I can remember where we didn't have a true "WTF" game. Even the Rutgers game, as bad as the Scarlet Knights were this past year, was a game where we were not far and away better coming in.

[flamehunter]

My biggest take away is that our coaching has jumped to the next level. Yesterday's game was a prime example. A number of people were saying that we never do well against the TO and they kind of expected that to continue. We absolutely turned that corner and dominated on defense. Great things are going to happen in the near future that we didn't expect for a decade or more.

[alabama24]

Overall grade A- simply because of my 9-3 prediction.

Why should your C- prediction skills impact the season's grade?

[Jonathan Carone]

If I were grading the overall season I’d give it a solid B. The bowl win moves it to a B+ for me.

The reason it can’t be an A in my mind is because an A implies you did everything right and you’re looking to sustain the level you’re at instead of having room to grow.

The Syracuse and Louisiana games were disappointing. With perspective, we now know it was most likely due to the lack of time Freeze had with the team going into those games.

Rutgers was a let down not in that we lost but in how it got away from us.

We completed a good year of freshman classes. The classes weren’t that hard and we showed our immaturity at times, but we didn’t embarrass ourselves and held our own.

Next year we move up and even add an honors class or two. I’m hopeful with the foundation set this year, we can continue to have success and build upon this moving forward.

[CCWMichael]

The hype of a solid bowl win put me in the A category. The coaching staff certainly sold me on their potential to motivate and teach youngins.
I wanted more but I always do with fandom. Yes, there were some disappointing moments. But, we continued to build with a ton of D2 picked players.
A A A A A

[LU 57]

I am on board with B+. Had the opportunity to go to the bowl game and it was awesome. Thought we were really well prepared; particularly the D. Although, the O was disappointing.

Many have talked about BC’s struggles, and he was brutal at times. However, the O line really struggled with the GASO front. BC was under duress most of the game. Glad to see we are adding length there.

In hindsight, the one game I wish we could have a do-over is the Rutgers game. Very winnable game, particularly after watching what this D just did. We win that one and it is a solid A, sitting at 9-4.

[PAmedic]

B+ for every reason Carone said

we crapped the bed against ULL and the P5's ... just ugly games

and the special teams needs work, esp PR and K

wtf indeed

[chris leedlelee]

Won every game we should have, lost every game we should have, with the exception of Georgia Southern. I'd say it was truly a successful year and gives us the notoriety to continue to build similar to how App State and Georgia Southern have made a quick rise in the FBS. I wanted one P5 or equivalent win, but all in all the bowl game is an even bigger deal than a P5 win at this stage.

[flamesfilmguy]

Won every game we should have, lost every game we should have, with the exception of Georgia Southern. I'd say it was truly a successful year and gives us the notoriety to continue to build similar to how App State and Georgia Southern have made a quick rise in the FBS. I wanted one P5 or equivalent win, but all in all the bowl game is an even bigger deal than a P5 win at this stage.

I'm genuinely asking this and not being a "hater"
Did you really expect us to lose to Rutgers given the performance from rest of the previous games?

[A Sea of Red]

Here's a look back at the top 10 moments from the 2019 football season

https://www.aseaofred.com/top-10-moment ... ll-season/

[rmiller1959]

I think a B+ is warranted because of the outcome, i.e., a bowl win. The rest of this response is going to sound overly negative, and I apologize for that, but these were my honest thoughts throughout the season as I watched each game.

I think Syracuse and Louisiana were anomalies in a sense because of the health challenges Coach Freeze faced, so I'm willing to write those off, although I predicted a win against Louisiana given our track record against Sun Belt teams.

I feel like we should have beaten Rutgers, and we should have been more competitive against Virginia - we had them at 14-10 and were driving for another score, which would have bolstered our confidence, but the interception turned the game around. BYU is a toss-up; we were competitive and I wonder if we could have done more if AGG makes that fourth down catch.

In general, our special teams need work; they were terribly inconsistent. The defense that showed up in the Cure Bowl was unrecognizable to me - that was clearly the performance of the year. Most of the time, I just hoped the offense got us a big enough lead to offset the poor defensive performance that was sure to come. The offense was talented and streaky. We could put together some amazing runs, and slow to a crawl, all in the same game.

I would love to see the Flames put together an "A" game from start to finish. They relax when they get a big lead rather than keeping their foot on the gas and blowing out the other team. The UMass game is what I expect from them every time they play an opponent of similar caliber. Perhaps I expect too much of an FCS roster, so it will be interesting to see what they can do as Coach Freeze starts to get his own recruits in the door. I would love to see more games where we can relax in the middle of the third quarter because we're defending a comfortable lead.

All of that said, I am renewing my Flames Club membership and getting my seats for the 2020 season. I can't wait for it to start!

[R i]

Won every game we should have, lost every game we should have, with the exception of Georgia Southern. I'd say it was truly a successful year and gives us the notoriety to continue to build similar to how App State and Georgia Southern have made a quick rise in the FBS. I wanted one P5 or equivalent win, but all in all the bowl game is an even bigger deal than a P5 win at this stage.

I'm genuinely asking this and not being a "hater"
Did you really expect us to lose to Rutgers given the performance from rest of the previous games?

Under dogs to Buffalo, who won their bowl game.

B+ sounds about right.

[Jonathan Carone]

B+ sounds about right.

But yet I’m a hater, right?

[A Sea of Red]

Liberty's 2019 football season in pictures

https://www.aseaofred.com/libertys-2019 ... -pictures/

[chris leedlelee]

Liberty's 2019 football season in pictures

https://www.aseaofred.com/libertys-2019 ... -pictures/

One season for the history books. Thank you for covering it so well! This will always be the year that we won our first bowl game and really became established in the FBS. One to always remember.

[ballcoach15]

I wonder how many fans were at the very first Liberty game (Lynchburg Baptist College) and the first bowl game ? I only know of 3.

[chris leedlelee]

I'm genuinely asking this and not being a "hater"
Did you really expect us to lose to Rutgers given the performance from rest of the previous games?

Despite Rutgers being such a bad team, they are still in the Big10 and will thus have Big10 recruiting classes, along with regularly playing teams such as Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconson, etc. It is not a game we "should" win on paper with just being a newly minted FBS program. In reality, should we have won, probably, but there was still a talent disparity in that game, especially in the trenches.

[tyndal23]

I wonder how many fans were at the very first Liberty game (Lynchburg Baptist College) and the first bowl game ? I only know of 3.

jF JR
Elmer Towns
And who ?

[LU 57]

I wonder how many fans were at the very first Liberty game (Lynchburg Baptist College) and the first bowl game ? I only know of 3.

jF JR
Elmer Towns
And who ?

Terry Falwell?

[thepostman]

That has to be really cool for Jerry and Towns.

[SoD BAS]

B+ sounds about right.

But yet I’m a hater, right?

I think the end result was an A+, due to being (essentially) the epitome of what the team could accomplish. However, I do think that the full body of work makes it more of a A- or a B+. I don’t think that is hating. Again, the end result is incredible.

Not scoring a point vs Syracuse, appearing to not belong on the same field as Louisiana, losing to Rutgers by double figs, losing by almost 30 to UVA in trap-game for the hoos are things that contribute to the B+, I’m sure.

Again, A+ for end result. A- or B+ for total body of work. No matter what was going on off the field.