Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Liberty vs Oregon
By Rory Daniels
Bowl Season continues! 84 teams, 42 matchups, 35 different cities; if you thought the College Football postseason was restricted to the four teams in the playoffs, think again. In this game preview, we turn our attention to the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl:
Where and When
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Date: 1st January 2024
Time: 1:00pm (ET)
Story so far…
After being front and centre of the ‘Hugh Freeze Rehabilitation Project’, things changed dramatically for Liberty in 2023. After a successful run in Lynchburg, Freeze returned to the SEC, landing the Auburn job. The Flames themselves transitioned from being independent to being part of the Conference USA. They did so under the stewardship of Jamey Chadwell, who arrived from Coastal Carolina. His take on the triple-option proved an immediate success as Liberty charged to the CUSA title, went unbeaten at 13-0 and landed at no.23 on the College Football Playoff rankings. Taking down Oregon in a New Year 6 Bowl would cap off one of the most successful years in Liberty history.
Oregon, too, has enjoyed success and returned to national prominence even though Miami poached its head coach. Replacing Mario Cristobal with Dan Lanning was a risk at the time, but Lanning has brought SEC-style recruiting to Eugene, and it’s beginning to pay off. The defensive and offensive lines are now strengths, and the Ducks have the financial might to compete on the NIL front. That said, ultimately, 2023 will be viewed as a missed opportunity. A narrow in-season loss to Washington meant they were outside of the top 4 going into the Conference Championship. Losing to the Huskies for a second time was a nail in their coffin, but expect Oregon to challenge regularly, even with a move across to the Big 10 next season.
The Quarterbacks…
Malik Willis was arguably the most successful QB in Liberty history but this year’s incumbent Kaidon Salter surpassed Willis’ stats in a sensational season. The dual-threat QB thrived in the Chadwell system and won Group of 5 player of the season. Salter threw for 2,746 yards, 31 touchdowns and only five interceptions. With an additional 1,086 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns, it’s clear how difficult Salter has been to stop.
A nice surprise for Oregon fans is that they will get one more outing from Quarterback Bo Nix. After struggling in the SEC for Auburn, Nix transferred to Oregon and has been a revelation. He has become one of the nation’s most consistent and accurate signal-callers. He had a completion rate of 77.1%, throwing for over 4,000 yards, 40 touchdowns and only three picks. An NFL career beckons for Nix but it’s great to see him still place value in a bowl appearance.
Prospects to watch…
Oregon
Traeshon Holden, Wide Receiver – Bo Nix’s favourite target this season was Troy Franklin. Due to his impending transition to the NFL, he won’t be a part of the bowl game. That should free up some targets for Oregon’s lesser-used receivers. That includes former 4-star recruit and Alabama transfer Traeshon Holden. It never really clicked for Holden at ‘Bama, and he would have liked to have made a bigger impression in Eugene with only 381 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Perhaps the bowl game will give him a chance to shine.
Evan Williams, Safety – Fresno State transfer Evan Williams ended up leading the Ducks in tackles (79) during 2023. The safety lined up across the formation, in the box, slot and as a deep safety. He also logged 4.5 sacks, showing the threat he offers in every phase of the game. He earned a 75.4 coverage grade so Liberty will need to be wary of where he is on the field at all times.
Liberty
Quinton Cooley, Running Back – The dual threat of Kaidon Salter at QB will be assisted by Conference USA’s leading rusher Quinton Cooley. Despite being 5’7, at 210lbs Cooley is difficult to stop. He ended the season with 1,325 yards and 16 touchdowns. Averaging 6.3 yards per carry, limiting Cooley will be important if Oregon is going to come out on top.
Tyren Dupree, Linebacker – Middle linebacker Tyren Dupree recorded over double the amount of tackles of the next Liberty defender in 2023. That included eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Dupree saved his most productive season for his last year in Liberty. The sixth-year senior will be aiming to go out on a high with a shock victory over Oregon.
Prediction
Oregon have several high-profile opt-outs, so it is difficult to predict how this one will turn out. Liberty have been riding high and are unbeaten this year, but their strength of schedule goes some way to explaining that. The fact Nix is fired up enough to risk injury ahead of the NFL Draft means I believe Oregon will still be too strong for the Flames.
Oregon 41-17 Liberty
