Liberty football records historic win in 4OT victory
Three quarterback changes, four overtime periods, and yet, the Liberty Flames still managed to claim victory over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Sept. 3.
Anticipation had been building around this matchup for months. For the Flames, it was a question of identity. With a squad that was once defined by electric quarterback play, what would Hugh Freeze’s offense look like as he opened the season against his alma mater?
While the game ended in a thrilling fashion, both teams got off to a somewhat sluggish start.
After the Flames won the opening coin toss, the Golden Eagles’ offense took to the field first. Frank Gore Jr., the son of legendary NFL running back Frank Gore, showcased a few powerful rushes before Ty Keyes’ incomplete pass forced Southern Miss to punt.
Charlie Brewer’s first drive as a Flame would get off to a nice start with a completion to wide receiver Caleb Snead, resulting in a first down. The momentum, however, was brought to a halt with a failed rushing attempt by Brewer on a fourth-and-inches play.
The Flames’ defense then stepped in and began what would be a performance to remember for the group. Golden Eagles’ Antavius Willis lost the football on the third play of the drive, allowing defensive end Durrell Johnson to recover the fumble.
This would be the first of five turnovers caused by Liberty’s defense on the night, nearly half of last season’s 11 total turnovers by the unit.
Despite Johnson’s fumble recovery, the Flames would fail to capitalize on offense.
Neither team would score until the first play of the second quarter when Briggs Bourgeois kicked a 40-yard field goal through the uprights, giving the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead.
While Brewer was expected to come out and respond, redshirt junior Jonathan Bennett took over at quarterback. Fans did not learn until after the game that Brewer suffered an injury to his right hand early on.
“I know it’s a fracture of some type,” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said postgame. “I haven’t had conversations yet enough to really speak intelligently about it… obviously, it was a shock to us to lose Charlie. Hate that for him, all the things he has been through to prepare for this moment. That’s one of the toughest things about coaching, but it happened.”
While Bennett’s first drive in the game resulted in a Liberty punt, pressure from cornerback Amarian Williams would force Ty Keyes’ pass to be tipped and intercepted by
Durrell Johnson. The Flames would then put their first points on the board with a 32-yard field goal from Nick Brown.
The Flames’ first touchdown of the game would stem from yet another defensive turnover, as a Ty Keyes pass ended up in the hands of linebacker Mike Smith Jr.
Just two plays later, Bennett showed off his legs and found a hole up the middle for an 18-yard rushing score. The Flames would go into the half with a 10-3 lead over the Golden Eagles.
The second half would prove to be one to showcase the “super back” offense for Southern Miss, as an injury to Ty Keyes forced him to leave the game just before the end of the first half.
The Golden Eagles’ running back corps, led by Gore Jr., would rotate taking direct snaps from the center. The Golden Eagles hoped that a return to this “super back” offense would breed positive results, as in previous seasons.
This offensive change initially had the Flames’ defense off-balance, as Gore Jr. broke tackles and raced up the sideline for a 46-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 10 a piece.
The fourth quarter would keep momentum going the Golden Eagles’ way as Bennett’s pass ended up in the hands of Southern Miss’s Eric Scott, who returned the ball 22 yards for a pick-six.
With the Flames down by seven with 14:37 to go in the fourth, Freeze opted to make a change at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Kaidon Salter took the field, determined to prove that the moment was not too big for him.
Salter provided the offense with immediate momentum, picking up a 15-yard gain on a rushing attempt to get the Flames the first down. He would continue marching the offense downfield, culminating the 79-yard drive with a beautiful fade pass to wide receiver Demario Douglas in the corner of the end zone.
“I just knew I had to go out there and make something work,” Salter said. “Coach put me out there for a reason. Charlie got hurt, and they ended up bringing (Jonathan Bennett) out, but I was just learning off of what they were doing when they were in the game, paying attention. Coach always tells me to stay ready, you never know what’ll happen. I just went out there, wanted to move the ball, make sure we put up points and keep the game close.”
The Golden Eagles, however, looked to put the game away with 1:47 left in regulation as Gore Jr. scored on a 5-yard rush to put his team ahead 24-17.
It would be up to Salter to respond, and he made the big moment look easy with a four-play, 81-yard scoring drive. Salter would again find Douglas in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown to tie the game up 24-24 and take the game into overtime.
“Kaidon (Salter) came to me and he told me, ‘When I scramble, go. Get open,’” Douglas said. “That’s what I did. So when I saw him scrambling, I got open and he saw me.”
The second overtime period would see both kickers knock down field goals to keep their respective teams alive. When Brown’s 26-yard attempt seemed to be enough for the Flames’ victory, Bourgeois responded with a career-long 53-yard field goal to send the game into a third overtime period.
Both teams were unsuccessful in their two-point conversion tries in the third period, forcing a fourth overtime.
Luckily, a fourth overtime period was all it would take for Liberty to claim victory as Salter found tight end Jerome Jackson in the end zone for a successful two-point conversion. The defense then held strong, with Kendy Charles stopping Gore short of the goal line to officially end the game and put the Flames in the win column.
“Our coach always talks about ‘If you give us an inch, we’re gonna defend it,’” Charles said. “That’s my mindset going into that play. The tackle had been doing the same block the whole time, and I was like, ‘Okay, this is my time to do what I need to do and get a stop right now.’”
Ultimately, determination and all-around grit earned the Flames their first victory of the season. Salter would end the day as Liberty’s leading passer and rusher with 148 yards through the air and 65 on the ground. The Texas native would finish with two touchdowns and one interception.
“(Salter) has always done good things in practice,” Freeze said. “Physically, he’s gifted. It’s just that mentally, he’s still learning. He’s young, and he’s still learning the system… (We) probably don’t win the game tonight without him. Now, we’ve got to go coach him and get him better.”
While the victory came in riveting fashion, the Flames aren’t looking to hold onto this one for too long.
“We still have a lot to get right,” Douglas said. “But good win, on the road, I say that we’re back to the drawing board. Throw this game in the trash. It’s over with. Next, we’re on to UAB.”
The Liberty Flames will bring the show back home to Williams Stadium Sept. 10 as they take on the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers at 6 p.m. ET. The broadcast will air on ESPN+.
Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter