The Liberty Flames football team made history on Saturday, December 19th, 2020, when they won the Conference USA Championship title with a 49-35 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies. The Flames were led by a stellar performance from quarterback Kaidon Salter, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more. Salter was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
The Flames had a strong start to the game, scoring on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead. The Aggies responded with a touchdown of their own, but Liberty answered with another touchdown to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Aggies came out strong and cut the lead to 28-21. But Salter and the Flames responded with two more touchdowns to put the game out of reach. Salter threw for two touchdowns in the second half and ran for another, while the defense held New Mexico State to just 14 points in the second half.
The win was Liberty’s first ever Conference USA Championship title and capped off an impressive season for the Flames. The team finished with an 8-1 record and won all seven of their conference games. Salter was a big part of their success, throwing for 2,858 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season.
The win was also a big moment for Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze, who had been out of coaching since 2018 due to health issues. Freeze said after the game that it was an emotional win for him and his team.
The victory was a great way to end a memorable season for Liberty and their fans. With Kaidon Salter leading the way, the Flames have earned their place in college football history with their first ever Conference USA Championship title.
