Barbir’s FG gives No. 25 Liberty 38-35 win over Hokies

November 7, 2020

Associated Press,

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — For those doubting Liberty’s initial foray into the Associated Press national rankings, the Flames took a rather large step Saturday toward validating themselves.

Alex Barbir hit a career-long, 51-yard field goal with 1 second remaining to lift No. 25 Liberty to a 38-35 victory over Virginia Tech.

Barbir’s kick punctuated a wild ending for the Flames, who rallied from a 20-14 halftime deficit and moved to 7-0 for the first time in program history.

“You don’t get a lot of wins like this in team sports,” Liberty coach Hugh Freeze said, describing the feeling as “kind of euphoric, really.”

Virginia Tech tried multiple laterals on the ensuing kickoff before Liberty tackled William Kakavitsas to end the game, and that set off a crazy celebration by the Flames. Players lingered on the Lane Stadium field afterward, with many posing for photos as future keepsakes of the momentous occasion.

“It’s hard to quantify wins that you’ve had that are like that,” Freeze said. “I just know that sitting here today there’s none bigger, and there’s none bigger for our kids and our program and our administration.”

Barbir, who transferred from Penn State in 2017 and had been a student at Liberty before coming out for the team this season, had a 59-yard attempt blocked with 8 seconds left, and Virginia Tech’s Jermaine Waller returned it to the end zone for what appeared to be the game-winning score for the Hokies (4-3).

But officials ruled that Virginia Tech had called a timeout before the attempt.

“I’ve always done this,” Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. “I don’t believe in waiting til the last second to call a timeout in those situations because I don’t like ever letting the kicker get a free swing at it. I hollered timeout, and I guess I waited too long. That’s what I told the team — it’s on me.”

Liberty then elected to go for it on fourth-and-6 from the Virginia Tech 41. Malik Willis found CJ Yarbrough for an 8-yard gain at the Virginia Tech 33 with 5 seconds left, allowing Barbir to come out for a shorter 51-yard attempt, which he drilled.

Willis led the Flames, who knocked off their second ACC opponent this season and won their eighth straight game going back to last season. He threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 108 yards and a score.

Hendon Hooker paced Virginia Tech, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown.

THE TAKEAWAY

Liberty: The Flames masterfully controlled the clock in this game, holding the ball for more than 37 minutes, keeping their defense off the field, and winning time of possession for the sixth time in seven games. Their ability to control the clock helped their defense against a Virginia Tech offense that came into the game averaging 472.8 yards and 37.7 points per game.

“We knew we were going to have trouble stopping them and we tried to slow the game down,” Freeze said.

Virginia Tech: This loss could linger for a while for the Hokies, who continue to struggle on defense, having allowed at least 198 yards rushing in four of their past five games. The road doesn’t get any easier, with games against Miami, at Pittsburgh, and against Clemson on the horizon.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

After making its first-ever appearance in the Associated Press national poll, Liberty probably will move up a few spots after its stunning road win over an ACC foe.

WILLIS THE REAL DEAL

Willis moved to 6-0 as a starting quarterback, and for the fourth time in six starts he finished with more than 300 yards of offense. He accounted for 325 yard and four touchdowns against the Hokies and was the primary reason Liberty, which also defeated Syracuse on the road, took a huge step in proving that it is legitimate.

“We can’t worry about any logos being older than our logo because that’s what it comes down to in our minds,” Willis said. “I feel like we get overlooked sometimes because it is our first couple years in FBS football, first two years. You don’t really know what you’re going to get out of us.”

HURTING HOKIES

Virginia Tech played the game without leading receiver James Mitchell, who was out because of an undisclosed injury, and played nearly all of it without tailback Khalil Herbert, who re-aggravated a hamstring injury on the opening kickoff. Herbert ranked fourth nationally at 133.8 yards rushing per game.

Also, linebacker Rayshard Ashby went down with an injury in the second quarter and did not return. Without their senior leader, Virginia Tech’s defense allowed 249 yards in the second half.

UP NEXT

Liberty: The Flames return home to play Western Carolina on Saturday.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies play Miami at home on Saturday.

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Alex Barbir hit a career-long 51-yard field goal with 1 second remaining to lift No. 25 Liberty to a 38-35 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.