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Matt Rhule loses to massive underdog Liberty in Baylor debut

The former Temple coach had a rocky debut with Baylor.

Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, right, walks off the field with linebacker Clay Johnston headed into the second half trailing newly minted FBS school Liberty in his debut.
Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, right, walks off the field with linebacker Clay Johnston headed into the second half trailing newly minted FBS school Liberty in his debut.Read moreJERRY LARSON / AP
    by EJ Smith
    Published 

It was Liberty's first game since making the transition into the Football Bowl Subdivision, and it was Matt Rhule's first game as head coach of the Baylor Bears.

It did not go as expected. Rhule, who left Temple this offseason to take the helm at Baylor, lost his debut, 48-45, to Liberty.

The Bears were heavily favored, 34 1/2 points by Bovada. Liberty is in its first season as a part of the FBS. They are an independent school hoping to catch on with a Division I FBS conference after finishing 6-5 in the FCS and finishing second in the Big South division.

Baylor will take on the University of Texas at San Antonio next Saturday at 8 p.m. in Waco, Texas. Texas is ranked No. 92 in ESPN's FPI. Baylor is ranked No. 34, but Liberty was left off the list of 130 college teams.

Rhule was not the only Texas coach with a disappointing debut as University of Texas coach Tom Hermann, who came from the University of Houston, saw his No. 23 Longhorns fall to unranked Maryland, 51-41.

Here's video of the celebration both on the field and back on Liberty's campus: