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Liberty University
7-1 , 0-0
BYU
4-4 , 0-0
Historic Day Sees Liberty Take Down BYU Before Record Crowd
10/22/2022 9:11:00 PM | Football
Press Conference: Coach Freeze
Press Conference: Johnathan Bennett
Press Conference: Dae Dae Hunter
Press Conference: Kendy Charles
After BYU went up 14-3 early in the first quarter, the Flames responded by scoring 38 unanswered points on their way to a historic 41-14 win over BYU, Saturday afternoon, at Williams Stadium.
With the win, Liberty's fifth in a row, the Flames move to 7-1 on the season heading into their annual bye week. BYU drops to 4-4 following its third loss in a row.
The game was played in front of 24,012, the largest crowd in Williams Stadium history. The contest also held historical significance for long-time Liberty Flames fans.
When the school was founded in 1971, Liberty's founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.'s vision included Liberty Athletics programs offering Christian student-athletes the chance to play at the highest level of collegiate competition like Notre Dame offered to those of the Catholic faith and what BYU provided to Mormon student-athletes.
The Flames finished the game with a season-high 547 total offensive yards, including a season-best 300 yards on the ground. Liberty limited BYU to 258 yards on the day (71 rushing, 187 passing).
Liberty's Johnathan Bennett had a career game, finishing the contest with a career-high 247 passing yards, while completing 24-of-29 attempts with two touchdowns.
Dae Dae Hunter also had a career game, finishing the contest with 213 rushing yards on 23 carries (9.3 yards per rushing attempt) and an 80-yard touchdown run. Shedro Louis followed with 10 carries for 35 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Bennett's top target in the game was Demario Douglas, who finished the game with eight receptions for 69 yards.
Liberty's stout defense was led by defensive tackle Kendy Charles who had a career-high eight tackles, while linebacker Tyren Dupree finished with four stops.
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 41-14
Liberty (7-1)
BYU (4-4)
Location: Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Va.)
Attendance: 24,012
Turning Point:
Aided by the game's first turnover, a Bennett interception, BYU scored twice within a span of 1:33 to take a 14-3 lead late in the first quarter.
However, the Flames, who had lost the time of possession battle in six of seven games, pieced together four scoring drives of 10 or more plays to control the clock in the first half.
When Liberty went up 34-14 in the third quarter, the Flames held a 24:49 to 13:43 TOP edge and finished the game with a 39:08 to 20:52 final advantage.
While its offensive teammates scored 38 unanswered points, Liberty's defensive players limited BYU to 142 total offensive yards during the final three quarters of the game.
A Liberty Win...
- Evens the all-time series between Liberty and BYU at 1-1.
- Enables the Flames to record their first five-game winning streak since Liberty won five in a row spanning Nov. 27, 2020 and Sept. 18, 2021.
- Marks the fourth time in program history Liberty has started a season 7-1 or better through eight games (also 8-0 in 2020 and 7-1 in 1997 and 2008).
- Guarantees the Flames a .500 record or better for the 17th consecutive season, extending a streak which began in 2006.
- Boosts Hugh Freeze's coaching record with the Flames to 33-12, tying him with Tom Dowling (33-38-2, 1977-83) for fourth place on Liberty's all-time wins list.
- Gives the Flames a 14-2 record in October under Hugh Freeze, including a 4-0 mark this season. It would wrap up the eighth perfect October in program history (also 1982, 1995, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2020).
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- The Flames drove the length of the field during their opening drive, but an 11-play, 84-yard effort was halted at the BYU two-yard line. Liberty was forced to settle for a 22-yard Nick Brown field goal to take a 3-0 lead at the 7:29 mark.
- BYU quickly answered back on the following drive, taking a 7-3 lead at 4:14. Jaren Hall completed 3-of-4 passing attempts on the six-play, 76-yard drive, including a short pass to Puka Nacua, who turned it into a 46-yard touchdown play.
- The game's first turnover allowed BYU to extend its lead to 14-3 less than two minutes later. Following a Bennett interception, Hall found Isaac Rex open on the left side of the field for a 20-yard touchdown strike at 2:41.
Second Quarter
- The Flames pieced together their second double-digit drive of the game, allowing the home team to trim its deficit to 14-10 just over a minute into the second. Louis capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown at 13:59.
- Liberty would score twice more before the clock hit all zeros at halftime. Bennett completed a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Henderson at 5:06 and Brown connected on a 37-yard field goal with five seconds left on the clock, giving Liberty a 20-14 edge at halftime.
Third Quarter
- Liberty posted its fourth 10-plus drive effort of the afternoon on the opening drive of the second half to extend its lead to 27-14. The Flames went for it on fourth-and-one and Louis scored for the second time of the day, finishing an 12-play, 75-yard drive at 9:16.
- Hunter punctuated his career night when the Hawaii transfer broke free to an 80-yard touchdown run, giving Liberty a 34-14 lead with 6:54 left to play in the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
- Bennett finished off his best start as a quarterback when the redshirt junior threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to CJ Daniels, capping an eight-play, 53-yard drive that gave Liberty its final advantage of 41-14.
What's Next:
Liberty begins a two-game road swing when they open the month of November at Arkansas on Nov. 5. The matchup against the Razorbacks is the first of two Liberty games against Power 5 opponents, as Liberty will also host Virginia Tech on Nov. 19 at Williams Stadium.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022
Location: Fayetteville, Ark. (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium)
TV: TBA
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: TBA
Team Stats
BYU 0, LIB 3
LIB - Brown,Nick 22 yd field goal 11 plays, 84 yards, TOP 06:05
BYU 7, LIB 3
BYU - Nacua,Puka 46 yd pass from Hall,Jaren (Oldroyd,Jacob kick) 6 plays, 76 yards, TOP 03:07
BYU 14, LIB 3
BYU - Rex,Isaac 20 yd pass from Hall,Jaren (Oldroyd,Jacob kick) 2 plays, 27 yards, TOP 00:43
BYU 14, LIB 10
LIB - Louis,Shedro 3 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:42
BYU 14, LIB 17
LIB - Henderson,Austin 5 yd pass from Bennett,Johnathan (Brown,Nick kick) 13 plays, 80 yards, TOP 06:57
BYU 14, LIB 20
LIB - Brown,Nick 37 yd field goal 8 plays, 43 yards, TOP 01:10
BYU 14, LIB 27
LIB - Louis,Shedro 6 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:44
BYU 14, LIB 34
LIB - Hunter,Dae Dae 80 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 1 plays, 80 yards, TOP 00:16
BYU 14, LIB 41
LIB - Daniels,CJ 25 yd pass from Bennett,Johnathan (Brown,Nick kick) 8 plays, 53 yards, TOP 04:40
