FBS Independents (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: Of the six independent squads that belong to the FBS level, three of them; Army, BYU, and Liberty, managed to play full seasons from start to finish. BYU and Liberty both finished the 2020 season with double-digit wins, as the Cougars finished 11-1 overall, while the Flames finished 10-1 overall. BYU's only loss came at Coastal Carolina, while Liberty's lone loss came to N.C. State.
The third team to become bowl-eligible at the end of 2020 was Army (9-3 overall). The Black Knights advanced to the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve, losing a heartbreaker to West Virginia 24-21. On the other hand, BYU and Liberty both ended their respective storybook season with wins in their bowl games, with the Cougars crushing UCF 49-23 to win the Boca Raton Bowl in Florida on December 22, while the Flames stunned previously undefeated Coastal Carolina 37-34 in overtime to claim their second straight Cure Bowl crown.
As for the other three independents, New Mexico State played an abbreviated schedule during the spring, settling for a split in both contests, with the Aggies losing to NCAA Division II to FCS transition team Tarleton State while defeating another similar squad in Dixie State. UConn canceled its entire 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. In the last full season in which they did take the field, the Huskies finished the 2019 campaign at 2-10 overall and 0-8 in their final campaign as an American Athletic Conference member.
UMass was the other team that played a limited schedule last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minutemen played just four games last fall starting on October 24, losing all four contests by a combined score of 161-12. Additionally, UMass was shut out in two of those games, falling at Georgia Southern 41-0, as well as Liberty, 45-0.
Looking ahead to 2021, expect all six squads to play full schedules this season, with Army, BYU, and Liberty all looking to build on their success from 2020, while New Mexico State, UConn, and UMass all hope to post winning seasons this fall. An ironic twist for the first two weeks of the 2021 season will be Army opening the campaign against two teams that played in the First Responder Bowl in Georgia State on the road, and Western Kentucky at home, respectively.
2021 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
Editor's Note: At the time this post was uploaded, there is a possibility that the 2021 college football season could be postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, follow RFC @realfootball and/or other media sources for any changes, details, or developments.
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2021 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Army
BYU
Liberty
New Mexico State
UConn
UMass
Editor's Note: At the time this post was uploaded, there is a possibility that the 2021 college football season could be postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, follow RFC @realfootball and/or other media sources for any changes, details, or developments.
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2021 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Army
BYU
Liberty
New Mexico State
UConn
UMass
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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