Liberty University’s Football team went against Coastal Carolina University Sept. 24 and brought home the win 34-17.
With all the attention Liberty’s defense received for how it closes out games, Thursday night offered something Flames Nation has been waiting to see.
Junior quarterback Deshawn Purdie made timely throws, junior running back Kam Davis ran the ball and fifth-year wide receiver Makai Jackson used his explosiveness to make plays downfield. Together, the three gave Liberty a glimpse of what offense can look like when everything starts clicking.
“It’s all about execution,” Davis said. “We’ve been able to overcome adversity, and we’ve had some plays where we don’t have a great outcome … Being able to see how much we can fight and how good we can execute; it’s a bright season ahead of us.”
Liberty remained scoreless in the second quarter. The Flames committed nine penalties for 90 yards and allowed Coastal to take a 17–10 lead into halftime after a touchdown with 24 seconds remaining.
“(The defense) played pretty well,” Head Coach Jamey Chadwell said. “I think what they do is correct their mistakes. They don’t get down when they make one. They clean it up, they fix it, and they play hungry. They play relentless; that’s what we’ve asked of them to do.”
The Flames overcame the deficit in the second half. Liberty finished with 485 yards of total offense, including a season-best 263 rushing yards while holding the Chanticleers to just 47 yards after halftime.
Purdie completed 11 of 16 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, giving him seven touchdown passes and no interceptions during his first four starts at Liberty.
His relationship with Jackson has become an important part of Purdie’s development, giving the quarterback a reliable target to turn toward. The two connected for a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter before meeting again for a 33-yard score early in the third quarter that tied the game at 17-17.
In response, Liberty scored 24 unanswered points after halftime, including 10 in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth quarter. The offense continued to produce while the defense closed the door.
Thursday marked Chadwell’s first time facing Coastal Carolina since leaving the Chanticleers following the 2022 season. Chadwell was Coastal Carolina’s head coach before taking over at Liberty, making his return to Brooks Stadium one of the game’s biggest storylines before kickoff.
Chadwell wasn’t the only former Chanticleer making an impact against his old team. Liberty fifth-year quarterback Ethan Vasko played at Coastal Carolina in 2023 and 2024. Vasko scored an 8-yard rushing touchdown before finding Davis for a 6-yard touchdown pass.
“It means a lot, not necessarily personally,” Chadwell said. “I’m thankful to come in here and get a win. But I am more thankful for our team, for our fans and our alumni.”
Chadwell’s return took a back seat to what Liberty accomplished on the field. The Flames left Conway with their first win at Brooks Stadium since 2014 with a final score of 34-17.
The Flames will travel to Newark, Delaware to take on the University of Delaware on Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.
Clingman is a sports reporter for The Liberty Champion.