.png&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
Saturday, September 14
Lynchburg, Va.
6:00 PM ET
Liberty University
3-0 , 2-0
28
vs
10
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UTEP
0-3 , 0-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
UTEP
3
0
7
0
10
Liberty
7
7
7
7
28
Lucas Has a Career Night to Lead Flames over UTEP
9/14/2024 10:28:00 PM | Football
Liberty running back Billy Lucas posted career highs and new career milestones to help lead the Flames to a 28-10 CUSA victory over UTEP, Saturday evening, at Williams Stadium.
Lucas scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns and put the Flames' first 21 points on the board. He finished the game with 21 carries for 104 yards on the ground.
The senior also surpassed the 2,500 career rushing yards mark on the night (2,591), recording his ninth career 100-yard game and second at Liberty since transferring from Duquesne.
The Homecoming and Hall of Fame Weekend game was played in front of 21,805 fans, marking the fourth largest attendance figure in Williams Stadium history.
With the victory, Liberty moves to 3-0 on the season and remains atop the Conference USA standings with a 0-2 record. UTEP drops its third straight to open the year and its first in CUSA play in 2024.
Liberty finished the night with a season-low 415 total offensive yards, which the Flames reached by recording 150 yards during the final quarter.
Quarterback Kaidon Salter was efficient under center, completing 15-of-19 pass attempts for 228 yards and a touchdown.
Treon Sibley remains Salter's top target in 2024 as the senior finished the night with four receptions for a team-high 77 yards.
Tyson Mobley matched Sibley with four receptions for 36 yards and caught his first career touchdown at Liberty since transferring from Coastal Carolina in the offseason.
The Flames' strong defensive effort was led by a career night from linebacker Joseph Carter, who finished with a career-high 13 tackles.
The Flames' win today:
Final Score: 28-10
Liberty (3-0, 2-0 CUSA)
UTEP (0-3, 0-1 CUSA)
Location: Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Va.)
Attendance: 21,805
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
The Flames will step out of conference play for the next two weeks, beginning with a Family Weekend matchup against East Carolina. Kickoff from Williams Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (EST)
Lucas scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns and put the Flames' first 21 points on the board. He finished the game with 21 carries for 104 yards on the ground.
The senior also surpassed the 2,500 career rushing yards mark on the night (2,591), recording his ninth career 100-yard game and second at Liberty since transferring from Duquesne.
The Homecoming and Hall of Fame Weekend game was played in front of 21,805 fans, marking the fourth largest attendance figure in Williams Stadium history.
With the victory, Liberty moves to 3-0 on the season and remains atop the Conference USA standings with a 0-2 record. UTEP drops its third straight to open the year and its first in CUSA play in 2024.
Liberty finished the night with a season-low 415 total offensive yards, which the Flames reached by recording 150 yards during the final quarter.
Quarterback Kaidon Salter was efficient under center, completing 15-of-19 pass attempts for 228 yards and a touchdown.
Treon Sibley remains Salter's top target in 2024 as the senior finished the night with four receptions for a team-high 77 yards.
Tyson Mobley matched Sibley with four receptions for 36 yards and caught his first career touchdown at Liberty since transferring from Coastal Carolina in the offseason.
The Flames' strong defensive effort was led by a career night from linebacker Joseph Carter, who finished with a career-high 13 tackles.
The Flames' win today:
- Extends Liberty's regular-season winning streak to 15 and pushes its home winning streak to 10.
- It also ties the third-longest home winning streak in program history (also Oct. 3, 2009 through Sept. 10, 2011).
- Pushes the Flames' all-time conference record to 10-0 as a member of Conference USA.
- Improves the Flames' record to 20-1 all-time against CUSA opponents (at time of meeting) with their 19th consecutive win in such contests.
- Marks the Flames' second victory over UTEP in their last six outings, dating back to last season. Prior to the teams' Nov. 25, 2023 matchup in El Paso, they had never met on the gridiron.
- Gives the Flames a 13-5 all-time record in conference home openers, including 2-0 in Conference USA.
- Enables the Flames to start 3-0 for the second year in a row and the fourth time in the last five seasons.
- Makes the Flames 12-2 all-time when an opposing team travels more than 1,000 miles to play at Williams Stadium.
Final Score: 28-10
Liberty (3-0, 2-0 CUSA)
UTEP (0-3, 0-1 CUSA)
Location: Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Va.)
Attendance: 21,805
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- UTEP was the first team to crack the scoreboard, jumping out to a 3-0 lead on a 25-yard field goal by Buzz Flabiano at 9:40. The eight-play, 37-yard drive was set up UTEP getting a three-and-out defensive stop and short 21-yard punt by the Flames.
- The Flames responded on their next drive, taking a 7-3 lead on a 12-yard touchdown run by Billy Lucas at 4:34. Liberty kept the ball on the ground eight times on the 10-play, 84-yard scoring drive and got into the red zone on a 15-yard pass play to Tyson Mobley.
- Liberty's second interception of the game set up another Lucas rushing touchdown to expend the Flames' lead to 14-3 at 14:35. Dexter Ricks, Jr., picked of UTEP's Skyler Locklear on the second play of the quarter, following by the one-run scoring run by Lucas two plays later.
- After both teams turned the ball over on nearly consecutive plays, the Miners pulled within four of Liberty, 14-10, with 12:26 left in the quarter. Vaughn Blue lost the ball on a run and four plays later, Locklear connected on a 60-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Odom to give the visitors their first touchdown of the night.
- After Liberty's defense forcing back-to-back three-and-out series to give its offense the ball back, the Flames went back to Lucas go give the running back a career night. The senior capped a seven-play, 81-yard drive with a two-yard score at 2:07 to push Liberty's lead to 21-10.
- The Flames put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter when Kaidon Salter completed a 13-yard pass play to Tyson Mobley at 6:51 to give the Flames their final margin of victory.
The Flames will step out of conference play for the next two weeks, beginning with a Family Weekend matchup against East Carolina. Kickoff from Williams Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Williams Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (EST)
Team Stats
TEP
LU
Total Yards
335
415
Pass Yards
244
228
Rushing Yards
91
187
Penalty Yards
25
20
1st Downs
18
19
3rd Downs
3
5
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
29:14
30:46
1st Quarter
.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
TEP 3, LU 0
TEP - Flabiano,Buzz 25 yd field goal 8 plays, 37 yards, TOP 03:26
TEP 3, LU 7
LU - Lucas,Billy 12 yd run (Karhu,Colin kick), 10 plays, 84 yards, TOP 05:00
2nd Quarter
TEP 3, LU 14
LU - Lucas,Billy 1 yd run (Karhu,Colin kick), 2 plays, 24 yards, TOP 00:13
3rd Quarter
TEP 10, LU 14
TEP - Odom,Kenny 60 yd pass from Locklear,Skyler (Flabiano,Buzz kick) 4 plays, 71 yards, TOP 01:11
TEP 10, LU 21
LU - Lucas,Billy 2 yd run (Karhu,Colin kick), 7 plays, 81 yards, TOP 03:11
4th Quarter
TEP 10, LU 28
LU - Mobley,Tyson 13 yd pass from Salter,Kaidon (Karhu,Colin kick) 7 plays, 87 yards, TOP 03:47
Game Leaders
CMP
15
TD
1
YDS
228
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
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LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB
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WR
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