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Liberty University
5-1 , 0-0
UMass
1-5 , 0-0
Second Quarter Push Leads Liberty to 42-24 Win Over UMass
10/8/2022 8:07:00 PM | Football
Press Conference: Coach Freeze
Press Conference: Johnathan Bennett
Press Conference: Shedro Louis
Press Conference: Robert Rahimi
The Flames used 21 second-quarter points to open up a close game en route to a 42-24 win Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
With the win, Liberty's third in a row, the 5-1 Flames move within a win of becoming bowl eligible for the fourth-consecutive season.
Liberty outgained UMass on the afternoon, 453 to 233 yards, jump-starting the offense after finishing the first quarter with 87 yards on 16 plays.
The Flames missed crossing the 200-yard rushing threshold for the third time this season by six yards, finishing the game with 194 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Johnathan Bennett led Liberty's passing attack, completing 9-of-18 passing attempts for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Nate Hampton followed, completing 3-of-5 attempts for 76 yards.
Liberty's ground game was led by Dae Dae Hunter, who carried the ball 17 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. Shedro Louis finished the night with a career-high three rushing touchdowns, carrying the ball nine times for 50 yards.
Demario Douglas posted his fifth career 100-yard game and second of the season, leading Liberty's receivers with four catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Javon Scruggs paced Liberty's defensive effort, finishing the game with seven stops, including a 12-yard sack. Liberty, who came into the game ranked No. 9 in the country in sacks (3.40 per game), ended the day with a season-best six sacks.
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 42-24
Liberty (5-1)
UMass (1-5)
Location: McGuirk Alumni Stadium (Amherst, Mass.)
Attendance: 11,217
Turning Point:
After failing to score in the first quarter for the fourth time in six games in 2022, Liberty changed its offensive play calling to a more up-tempo offensive attack in the second quarter.
The Flames scored on three-consecutive drives that took a total of 3:31 off the game clock during the period (first drive – 1:32; second drive – 55 seconds; third drive – 1:04).
Liberty scored on a pair of one-yard rushing touchdowns (Hunter at 10:56 and Louis at 7:02) and a four-yard passing touchdown from Bennett to tight end Michael Bollinger with 42 seconds left in the quarter, giving Liberty a 21-10 edge at halftime.
A Liberty Win...
- Marks the first time in program history the Flames have started three consecutive seasons with a 5-1 record or better through six games.
- Improves the Flames' all-time record against UMass to 4-1 with their fourth consecutive victory over the Minutemen. UMass is the first FBS opponent Liberty has ever defeated four times.
- Boosts the Flames' record against fellow FBS Independents to 7-4 since Liberty joined the FBS ranks in 2018.
- Gives the Flames a 12-2 record in October contests under Hugh Freeze, including a 2-0 mark this season.
- Marks the Flames' third road victory of the season, marking the third consecutive year Liberty has won 3+ road contests. Prior to 2020, the Flames had not posted three road wins in a season since 2014.
- Gives the Flames their first three-game winning streak since Liberty won five in a row spanning Nov. 27, 2020 and Sept. 18, 2021.
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- UMass was the first team to get on the scoreboard, taking a 7-0 lead with 6:13 left to play in the first quarter. The two teams struggled to find offensive consistency on the game's first three drives until the Minutemen's Greg Desrosiers, Jr., broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run.
- Liberty was able to get to the UMass one-yard line late in the quarter but was stopped on a pair of running plays and an incomplete pass from Hampton. Liberty failed to score in the first quarter for the fourth time in six games in 2022, keeping the score UMass, 7-0.
Second Quarter
- The score remained the same until the early part of the second quarter when Liberty tied the game with 10:56 left before halftime. After being deep in their own territory and a 14-yard punt return by Douglas, Hunter capped a quick four-play, 28-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
- On the Flames' next drive, Liberty used its up-tempo offense to take its first lead of the game on a one-yard rushing touchdown by Louis at 7:02. The five-play, 55-yard drive took only 55 seconds of the game clock, giving Liberty a 14-7 edge.
- UMass trimmed the deficit to four points late in the quarter when the Flames stopped the Minutemen inside the red zone. UMass was forced to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Cameron Carson with 1:53 left to play in the half.
- The Flames capped off their decisive second quarter when Bennett found Bollinger open in the flat. Bennett hit the redshirt senior with a four-yard touchdown scoring play to allow the Flames to secure a 21-10 lead with 42 seconds left in the half.
Third Quarter
- The Flames took to the ground game to start the second half, pushing its lead to 28-10 on a six-yard rushing touchdown by Louis at 6:58. The five-play, 66-yard drive saw Hunter gain 47 yards on four-consecutive rushes to start the drive.
- Liberty scored its third-unanswered touchdown to open up a 35-10 lead late in the third quarter. Louis finished off a seven-play, 33-yard drive his new career high for rushing touchdowns, scoring from two yards out at 3:22 of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
- The Flames' first miscue of the day led to the Minutemen's second touchdown of the afternoon. On the first play of the final quarter, Hunter lost control of the ball on a run up the middle and the loose ball was scooped up by Jordan Mahoney and returned 22 yards for a score at the 14:52 mark.
- Liberty quickly answered on the game's next drive, securing its third road win of the year on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Demario Douglas. The eight-play, 73-yard drive took 2:13 and pushed Liberty's lead to 42-17 with 12:34 remaining in the game.
What's Next:
Following a two-game road swing, the Flames will welcome their alumni back to the Mountain next Saturday as a part of Homecoming Weekend. Liberty will square off against former Big South Conference foe Gardner-Webb at Williams Stadium where the Flames will be looking for their fourth Homecoming Weekend in a row in their first match-up against the Runnin' Bulldogs since 2017.
Date: Saturday, Oct 15, 2022
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. (EST)
Team Stats
LIB 0, UMA 7
UMA - Desrosiers,Gregory 53 yd run (Carson,Cameron kick), 2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 00:45
LIB 7, UMA 7
LIB - Hunter,Dae Dae 1 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 4 plays, 28 yards, TOP 01:32
LIB 14, UMA 7
LIB - Louis,Shedro 1 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 5 plays, 55 yards, TOP 00:55
LIB 14, UMA 10
UMA - Carson,Cameron 28 yd field goal 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 05:09
LIB 21, UMA 10
LIB - Bollinger,Michael 4 yd pass from Bennett,Johnathan (Brown,Nick kick) 4 plays, 61 yards, TOP 01:04
LIB 28, UMA 10
LIB - Louis,Shedro 6 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 5 plays, 66 yards, TOP 01:39
LIB 35, UMA 10
LIB - Louis,Shedro 2 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 7 plays, 33 yards, TOP 02:22
LIB 35, UMA 17
UMA - Mahoney,Jordan 22 yd fumble recovery (Carson,Cameron kick)
LIB 42, UMA 17
LIB - Douglas,Demario 39 yd pass from Bennett,Johnathan (Brown,Nick kick) 8 plays, 73 yards, TOP 02:13
LIB 42, UMA 24
UMA - Desrosiers,Gregory 5 yd run (Carson,Cameron kick), 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 03:04
