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Liberty University
UConn
UConn Upends No. 19 Liberty To Gain Bowl Eligibility
11/12/2022 4:46:00 PM | Football
Press Conference: Coach Freeze
Press Conference: Demario Douglas
Press Conference: Aakil Washington
UConn came up with a key fourth-down stop and converted on a fourth-down play in the last quarter to secure a 36-33 win over No. 19 Liberty, Saturday afternoon at Donald Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
With the win, UConn moves to 6-5 on the season and is bowl eligible after winning five of its last six games. The loss drops Liberty to 8-2 and ends the Flames' six-game winning streak.
Liberty dominated the stats sheet on the day, outgaining UConn's 318 total offensive yards with 484 yards on 80 plays. The Huskies finished the day with 60 offensive plays.
The Flames had a pair of players finish the game with 100 rushing yards for the second time in 2022 (also against Old Dominion).
Running back T.J. Green posted his first career 100-yard game and led the Flames with 24 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Wide receiver Demario Douglas finished with a career-high 105 rushing yards, aided by a 75-yard rushing touchdown during the fourth quarter.
Liberty quarterback Johnathan Bennett suffered his first loss as a starter for the Flames (5-1 record as a starter). He completed 22-of-36 pass attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown.
Douglas was also Liberty's leading receiver, finishing the game with seven receptions for 70 yards. With his yardage in the game, the four-year redshirt sophomore moved over the 2,000 career receiving yards mark (2,030 yards).
Javon Scruggs paced Liberty's defensive effort with eight tackles, giving the redshirt senior a team-best 247 career tackles.
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 36-33
Liberty (8-2)
UConn (6-5)
Location: Donald Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (East Hartford, Conn)Attendance: 15,501
Turning Point:
A pair of fourth-down plays midway through the fourth quarter eventually decided the outcome in a battle between the pair of FBS independent programs.
Up 33-28 in the fourth, the Flames elected to go for it on fourth-and-one from the Liberty 45-yard line. However, Bennett's screen pass to Malik Caper was stopped for a four-yard loss to give the home team the ball back.
Liberty's defense forced a fourth-and-one play from the Liberty 32-yard line on the next drive. UConn quarterback Zion Turner called his own number and moved the chains with a two-yard gain.
Two plays later, Turner found wide receiver Kevens Clercius open for the deciding touchdown, a 30-yard strike with 5:43 to push the Huskies up 36-33.
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- The Huskies jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, scoring on the game's first possession. UConn quarterback Zion Turner completed four passing attempts for 29 yards on the eight-play drive, getting the home team into the red zone, where Victor Rosa scored on a 16-yard rushing touchdown at 10:28.
- The Flames cut into the lead during their first drive of the game, getting within four of UConn, 7-3. A seven-play, 55-yard drive stalled at the UConn 19-yard line, forcing Liberty to settle for a 37-yard Nick Brown field goal at 7:31.
- The game's first turnover led to the final scoring play of the first quarter, giving the Huskies a 14-3 lead after 15 minutes of play. Facing a third-and-17 play, back-up quarterback Kaidon Salter was flushed from the pocket and lost the ball, which was scooped up by Jackson Mitchell, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.
Second Quarter
- After creating their first turnover of the first half, Liberty pulled back within four points, 14-10, with 13 minutes left to play before halftime. Following a fumble recovery by Durrell Johnson, Bennett capped a quick four-play, 49-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to CJ Yarbrough in the back corner of the end zone.
- UConn pushed the lead back to double digits midway through the second quarter when Robert Burns finished off an eight-play, 94-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown at 5:16.
- The 21-10 score looked like it might hold at halftime until Ahmad Walker intercepted a Turner pass a midfield. Eight-play, 47-yard later, Malik Caper scored his first career touchdown with a one-yard with 35 seconds remaining to pull Liberty within four, 21-17.
Third Quarter
- The Flames took their first lead of the game on the opening drive of the third quarter. Green carried the ball five times on the seven-play, 80-yard drive, including a one-yard run up the middle at 12:33 to give Liberty a 24-21 lead.
- The Flames nearly scored their fourth touchdown of the day on a lengthy 17-play drive when Bennett completed what seemed to be a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Jackson at 4:24. However, the Flames were flagged for pass interference. Liberty had to settle for a 34-yard Brown field goal, putting Liberty up 27-21.
Fourth Quarter
- UConn moved back in front on the first play of the fourth quarter when Rose scored on a 27-yard touchdown run, breaking tackles on a third-and-fourth play. The eight-play, 75-yard drive was kept alive by an instant replay review that saw Walker called for targeting.
- The lead was short-lived as the Flames went back up 33-28 on the next offensive play. Douglas took a reverse sweep and found a few key blocks on the near side of the field that led to a 75-yard touchdown run. Liberty's two-point attempt failed, giving the Flames a five-point lead with 14:39 left in the game.
- Following the failed fourth-point conversion attempt and successful conversion on fourth down by the Huskies, UConn went ahead for good on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Turner to Kevens Clercius at 5:43, with the Huskies going up 36-33.
What's Next:
The Flames will close out the regular season portion of their schedule with a pair of home games, starting next weekend when Liberty welcomes Virginia Tech to Lynchburg for the first time. The all-time series between the pair of Commonwealth foes is tied 1-1 following Liberty's dramatic 38-35 win in Blacksburg during the 2020 season.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 12:02 p.m. EST
