LFSN Weekend Recap: Villanova
12/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
No. 20/23 Liberty was held without a touchdown during the second half of play, allowing No. 5/5 Villanova to rally for a 29-22 win during the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs on Saturday at Villanova Stadium.
Linebacker Nick Newman returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown with less than two minutes left to play in the first half, allowing Liberty to take a 22-14 lead into halftime.
However, the Wildcats limited Liberty to 112 total offensive yards during the second half of play and scored twice to advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
Villanova's two scoring drives during the second half contrasted each other greatly. The first was a 70-yard touchdown pass play from John Robertson to Kevin Gulyas early in the third quarter to tie the game at 22-22 after a successful two-point conversion.
The last came during the waning minutes of the contest, as Robertson scored from one-yard out to put the home team ahead for good with 72 second left to play. The Walter Payton Award finalist's one-yard touchdown run, his 11th of the year, capped an 18-play, 84-yard drive that saw the home team run on 18-consecutive plays.
The loss brought to a close Liberty's 2014 season, with the Flames finishing the season with a 9-5 record. Liberty captured its seventh Big South title and advance to the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history.
For a full recap of the game, including video highlights from the Liberty Flames Sports Network, please click here.
