2021 LendingTree Bowl

The 2021 LendingTree Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 18, 2021, and televised on ESPN.^[4] It was the 23rd edition of the LendingTree Bowl, and was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Online lending marketplace LendingTree was the game's title sponsor. This was the first LendingTree bowl to be played at Hancock Whitney Stadium, following 22 editions at Ladd–Peebles Stadium.

2021 LendingTree Bowl
23rd LendingTree Bowl
Eastern Michigan Eagles Liberty Flames (7–5) (7–5) MAC Independent 20 56 Head coach:  Chris Creighton Head coach:  Hugh Freeze
1 2 3 4 Total Eastern Michigan 3 7 0 10 20 Liberty 13 20 16 7 56
Date	December 18, 2021
Season	2021
Stadium	Hancock Whitney Stadium[1]
Location	Mobile, Alabama
MVP	Malik Willis (QB, Liberty)[2]
Favorite	Liberty by 8.5
Referee	Trennis Livingston (Sun Belt) [3]
Attendance	15,186
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), and Jalyn Johnson (sideline)
LendingTree Bowl  < 2020 (Dec.) 2022 >

Originally scheduled to kickoff at 5:45 p.m. EST (4:45 p.m. local CST), the start of the game was pushed back 15 minutes due to local weather conditions.^[5] Liberty defeated Eastern Michigan, 56–20, to claim their third consecutive bowl victory.^[6][7][8][9]

Teams

This will be the second meeting between Eastern Michigan and Liberty; the Flames defeated the Eagles (then known as the Hurons), 25–24, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on October 14, 1989.^[10]

Liberty Flames

Main article: 2021 Liberty Flames football team

Eastern Michigan Eagles

Main article: 2021 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eastern Michigan	3	7	0	10	20
Liberty	13	20	16	7	56

Game information

First quarter 7:48 EMU – Chad Ryland 27-yard field goal. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 7:12. Eastern Michigan 3–0 3:08 LIB – DJ Stubbs 54-yard pass from Malik Willis, Brayden Beck kick good. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:32. Liberty 7–3 2:27 LIB – Skyler Thomas 27-yard interception return, Brayden Beck kick failed. Liberty 13–3 Second quarter 13:01 EMU – Samson Evans 2-yard run, Chad Ryland kick good. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:26. Liberty 13–10 12:07 LIB – T. J. Green 24-yard run, Brayden Beck kick failed. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:54. Liberty 19–10 6:22 LIB – Johnny Huntley 20-yard pass from Malik Willis, Brayden Beck kick good. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 3:32. Liberty 26–10 0:16 LIB – Malik Willis 2-yard run, Brayden Beck kick good. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 1:56. Liberty 33–10 Third quarter 11:02 LIB – Malik Willis 35-yard run, conversion run failed. Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:34. Liberty 39–10 7:08 LIB – Brayden Beck 43-yard field goal. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:32. Liberty 42–10 2:44 LIB – Demario Douglas 2-yard pass from Malik Willis, Brayden Beck kick good. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:22. Liberty 49–10 Fourth quarter 10:58 LIB – Kevin Shaa 64-yard pass from Johnathan Bennett, Brayden Beck kick good. Drive: 1 plays, 64 yards, 0:08. Liberty 56–10 5:26 EMU – Chad Ryland 43-yard field goal. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 5:32. Liberty 56–13 4:29 EMU – Jeff Hubbard 34-yard interception return, Chad Ryland kick good. Liberty 56–20

2021 LendingTree Bowl

at Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, Alabama

• Date: Saturday, December 18, 2021
• Game time: 5:45 p.m. EST (4:45 p.m. local CST)
• Game weather: Overcast, humid • Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: N 7 mph (11 km/h)
• Game attendance: 15,186
• TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), and Jalyn Johnson (sideline)
• Box score

Statistics

Statistics	EMU	LIB
First downs	23	21
Plays–yards	84–379	61–528
Rushes–yards	39–125	35–223
Passing yards	254	295
Passing: comp–att–int	28–44–1	14–26–1
Time of possession	37:23	22:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Michigan	Passing	Ben Bryant	23/36, 200 yards, INT
	Rushing	Samson Evans	13 carries, 52 yards, TD
	Receiving	Hassan Beydoun	11 receptions, 83 yards
Liberty	Passing	Malik Willis	13/24, 231 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	T.J. Green	8 carries, 88 yards, TD
	Receiving	Kevin Shaa	3 receptions, 94 yards, TD