.png&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
Tuesday, October 24
Bowling Green, Ky.
7:30 PM ET/6:30 PM CT
Liberty University
8-0 , 6-0
42
at
29
Western Kentucky
4-4 , 2-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Liberty
7
7
7
21
42
Western Ky.
7
3
0
19
29
Flames Are CUSA Championship Game Bound After Win at WKU
10/25/2023 12:51:00 AM | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Liberty's first year in Conference USA will include a trip to the championship game. The Flames punched their ticket to the Dec. 1 contest with a 42-29 win, Tuesday evening, at Houchens Industries – LT. Smith Stadium.
Â
With the victory, Liberty moves to 8-0 on the season, matching the program's best start in school history (also in 2020). The Flames also remain the only unbeaten team in Conference USA with a 6-0 record.
    Â
The Flames wore the Hilltoppers down with their bruising rushing attack, which entered the night ranked No. 2 in the country in rushing offense (274.6 yards per game). Liberty finished the night with 323 rushing yards, including 234 yards during the second half.
    Â
The final stat sheet for the night ended with comparable numbers as Liberty outgained Western Kentucky, 492 to 484. The Hilltoppers moved the ball most successfully through the air, finishing the game with an opponent season-high 365 passing yards.
    Â
Kaidon Salter led the Flames' offense on the night, completing 10-of-15 passing plays for 189 yards and three touchdowns. He also led the Flames' ground attack with 13 carries for 117 yards and another score.
    Â
Quinton Cooley followed with 17 carries for 76 yards and his seventh rushing touchdown of the year. CJ Daniels led all receivers with three receptions for 67 yards and his team-leading fifth receiving touchdown in 2023.
    Â
Kobe Singleton and Joseph Carter tied for team-high tackling honors with seven stops each. Singleton finished the night with a career-high in stops and his fourth interception in 2023.
The Flames' win today:
Final Score: 42-39
Liberty (8-0, 6-0 CUSA)
Western Kentucky (4-4, 2-2 CUSA)
Location: Houchens Industries – LT. Smith Stadium (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Attendance: 16,036
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
What's Next:
Following a string of four-straight midweek games in October, Liberty football and all Conference USA action return to Saturday play for the final month of the regular season. Liberty welcomes Louisiana Tech to Williams Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4 for Homecoming Weekend. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. and be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (EST)
Â
With the victory, Liberty moves to 8-0 on the season, matching the program's best start in school history (also in 2020). The Flames also remain the only unbeaten team in Conference USA with a 6-0 record.
    Â
The Flames wore the Hilltoppers down with their bruising rushing attack, which entered the night ranked No. 2 in the country in rushing offense (274.6 yards per game). Liberty finished the night with 323 rushing yards, including 234 yards during the second half.
    Â
The final stat sheet for the night ended with comparable numbers as Liberty outgained Western Kentucky, 492 to 484. The Hilltoppers moved the ball most successfully through the air, finishing the game with an opponent season-high 365 passing yards.
    Â
Kaidon Salter led the Flames' offense on the night, completing 10-of-15 passing plays for 189 yards and three touchdowns. He also led the Flames' ground attack with 13 carries for 117 yards and another score.
    Â
Quinton Cooley followed with 17 carries for 76 yards and his seventh rushing touchdown of the year. CJ Daniels led all receivers with three receptions for 67 yards and his team-leading fifth receiving touchdown in 2023.
    Â
Kobe Singleton and Joseph Carter tied for team-high tackling honors with seven stops each. Singleton finished the night with a career-high in stops and his fourth interception in 2023.
The Flames' win today:
- Keeps the Flames unbeaten all-time against WKU at 4-0, including a 3-0 mark in Bowling Green.
- Enables the Flames to match the 2020 squad for the best-ever start to a season at 8-0.
- Gives the Flames their fifth winning streak of eight or more games all-time and longest since winning 10 in a row, Nov. 30, 2019 through Nov. 14, 2020.
- Pushes the Flames' road winning streak to four games, the team's longest stretch of consecutive road victories since Oct. 11-Nov. 29, 2014, when Liberty also won four straight on the road.
- Gives the Flames their first-ever 6-0 start in conference play.
- Makes the Flames the first team ever to win their first six CUSA games as conference members.
- Marks the Flames' 14th straight win over a CUSA opponent, improving their all-time record against CUSA foes to 15-1.
Final Score: 42-39
Liberty (8-0, 6-0 CUSA)
Western Kentucky (4-4, 2-2 CUSA)
Location: Houchens Industries – LT. Smith Stadium (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Attendance: 16,036
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- The Hilltoppers opened the game with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a two-yard touchdown pass from Austin Reed to Malachi Corley at 8:55. The drive saw the home team convert on third down four times, including the touchdown pass.
- Liberty quickly responded, tying the game at 7-7 less than three minutes later. Following the Flames' own third-down conversion on an eight-play pass to tight end Bentley Hanshaw, Salter called his own number on a 20-yard touchdown run up the middle at 6:14.
- Western Kentucky nearly regained a seven-plus edge early in the second quarter, but Liberty's defense came up with a red zone stop. The Hilltoppers were forced to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Lucas Carneiro at 12:39, ending a nine-play, 55-yard drive.
- After a fourth-down play helped keep a drive alive for the Flames near midfield, Salter found a wide-open Daniels downfield for a 47-yard touchdown pass. Daniel's team-leading fifth touchdown reception of the year put the Flames up 14-10 at 8:32.
- The Hilltoppers looked like they might put some points on the board just before the half, but a Reed pass to the end zone was picked off by Singleton with 44 seconds left. The junior's fourth pick of the year and Liberty's national leading 16th of the season allowed the visitors to take a four-point edge to the locker room, 14-10.
- The Flames took to their strength during the third quarter to extend their lead to 21-10 at the 7:51 mark. Liberty kept the ball on the ground for eight straight plays to set up a nine-yard touchdown pass from Salter to Victor Venn. Â
- The fourth quarter turned into an offensive shootout with the two teams combining for 40 total points (Liberty outscored WKU, 21-19 during the quarter).
- Liberty came into the game ranked No. 1 in the country in fourth-quarter defense, having allowed just six points in its first seven games during the final period.
- The Flames had two rushing touchdowns (a two-yard score by Cooley and a six-yard score by Aaron Bedgood), while Salter's touchdown pass was a 21-yard pass play to Treon Sibley on a fourth-down play.
- All three of WKU's fourth-quarter scores were passing touchdowns by Reed (43 yards to Elijah Young, 63 yards to River Helms and 21 yards to Corley).
What's Next:
Following a string of four-straight midweek games in October, Liberty football and all Conference USA action return to Saturday play for the final month of the regular season. Liberty welcomes Louisiana Tech to Williams Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4 for Homecoming Weekend. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. and be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (EST)
Team Stats
LIB
WKU
Total Yards
492
484
Pass Yards
169
365
Rushing Yards
323
119
Penalty Yards
55
57
1st Downs
27
24
3rd Downs
2
8
4th Downs
3
1
TOP
33:07
26:53
1st Quarter
LIB 0, WKU 7
WKU - Corley,Malachi 2 yd pass from Reed,Austin (Carneiro,Lucas kick) 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:05
LIB 7, WKU 7
LIB - Salter,Kaidon 20 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:41
2nd Quarter
LIB 7, WKU 10
WKU - Carneiro,Lucas 26 yd field goal 9 plays, 55 yards, TOP 02:52
LIB 14, WKU 10
LIB - Daniels,CJ 47 yd pass from Salter,Kaidon (Brown,Nick kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:07
3rd Quarter
LIB 21, WKU 10
LIB - Venn,Victor 9 yd pass from Salter,Kaidon (Brown,Nick kick) 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 04:15
4th Quarter
LIB 28, WKU 10
LIB - Cooley,Quinton 2 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 05:02
LIB 28, WKU 16
WKU - Young,Elijah 43 yd pass from Reed,Austin () 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:57
LIB 35, WKU 16
LIB - Bedgood,Aaron 6 yd run (Brown,Nick kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:44
LIB 35, WKU 22
WKU - Helms,River 63 yd pass from Reed,Austin () 1 plays, 63 yards, TOP 00:09
LIB 42, WKU 22
LIB - Sibley,Treon 27 yd pass from Salter,Kaidon (Brown,Nick kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:14
LIB 42, WKU 29
WKU - Corley,Malachi 21 yd pass from Reed,Austin (Carneiro,Lucas kick) 6 plays, 78 yards, TOP 02:00
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
10
TD
3
YDS
169
INT
0
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ FootballQB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballEthan Vasko & Joseph Carter Talk About The JSU Game
Sunday, September 07
Coach Chadwell Talks About The JSU Game
Sunday, September 07
Malik Willis: Thriving in Green Bay
Wednesday, September 03
In the Fire: Liberty Football vs Maine
Tuesday, September 02