Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short at Jax State

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Liberty got two lengthy offensive plays late during the fourth quarter to pull within a score of Jax State; however, the Gamecocks kept fending off the Flames to secure a 34-24 CUSA win, Saturday afternoon, at AmFirst Stadium.

The game pitted the last two Conference USA champions in an early key conference battle. Jax State levels its record at 1-1 in 2025 and moves to 1-0 in CUSA play. Liberty falls to 1-1 overall and is now 0-1 in conference action.

The Flames will not play another Conference USA game until they travel to El Paso, Texas, to face UTEP in a midweek game on October 8.

Liberty dominated the stat sheet, finishing the game with 534 total offensive yards to Jax State's 390 yards of total offense. The Flames also averaged 8.1 total offensive yards per play to the Gamecocks' 6.3 average.

However, the Flames turned the ball over twice (one fumble lost, one interception), while the Gamecocks finished the contest without any turnovers.

Liberty starting quarterback Ethan Vasko was responsible for both turnovers. He was sacked in the first quarter and lost the ball, while also throwing his first interception as a Flame during the second quarter.

Vasko finished the game completing 19-of-29 pass attempts for 335 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball 13 times for a net of 22 yards, a number reduced by four sacks that resulted in 31 lost yards.

Evan Dickens posted his first 100-yard game as a Flames, as the Georgia Tech transfer finished the game with 13 carries for 114 yards. He picked up nearly half his yards on a 52-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter.

Vasko connected with nine different receivers in the game, with Jamari Person leading the group. The Colorado State transfer finished the game with four receptions for 47 yards.

Donte Lee, Jr. had a 62-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, while running back Julian Gray recorded a 72-yard touchdown reception in the first.

Liberty's top tackler in the game was linebacker Joseph Carter, who finished the contest with nine stops (three solo, six assisted).

The Flames only created one negative yardage stop in the game as safety Brylan Green recorded his fifth career tackle for a loss.

Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 34-24 (Jax State)
Liberty (1-1, 0-1 CUSA)
Jax State (1-1, 1-0 CUSA)
Location: AmFirst Stadium (Jacksonville, Ala.)
Attendance: 20,755

Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter

The game's first turnover allowed the home team to take a 7-0 lead at the 9:58 mark of the first quarter. Vasko was sacked on Liberty's second offensive play of the game and Jax State quickly recovered the ball. The Gamecocks kept the ball on the ground for the next four plays, including a three-yard scoring run up the middle by Andrew Paul.
The Flames tied the game on a 72-yard sideline pass from Vasko to Julian Gray. Vasko's longest career reception and a new career long streak down the sidelines for Gray knotted the score at 7-7 at the 4:09 mark.

Second Quarter

Jax State regained the lead on the sixth play of the second quarter. Following Vasko's second turnover of the game, this one an interception, the Gamecocks capped a six-play, 53-yard drive with an 11-yard rushing touchdown by Cam Cook at the 12:35 mark.
Rain moved into the area about an hour after kickoff and the game entered a lightning delay at 12:04 p.m. CT with 7:53 left on the game clock. Following an hour and 21-minute delay, play resumed at 1:25 p.m. CT.
The two teams traded field goals once play resumed, allowing Jax State to take a 17-10 lead into the halftime intermission. Garrison Rippa connected on a 50-yarder at the 6:33 mark, while Jay Billingsley knocked down a 35-yarder as the first half clock expired.

Third Quarter

A pair of lengthy runs by quarterback Gavin Wimsatt (44 yards) and Cook (23) set up a goal line situation for the Gamecocks.
Liberty stopped Jax State on the first two attempts, but Cook was able to leap over the line for a one-yard score to push the home team's lead to 24-10 at 7:13 on an eight-play, 83-yard drive.

Fourth Quarter

The fourth quarter saw the two teams score a combined 24 points with Liberty pulling with a touchdown twice during the final period.
Following Dicken's 52-yard run and Lee's 62-yard reception, Liberty's defense kept Jax State out of the end zone, as the home team had to settle for a 24-yard field by Rippa to push the Gamecocks' lead to 10 points.
Liberty got to midfield on its last possession of the game, but Jax State picked up two of its four sacks in the game to keep the Flames out of the end zone and secure the win.

What's Next:

The Flames stay on the road for the second week in a row as they travel to Bowling Green, Ohio, to face MAC foe Bowling Green.

The two teams have met twice before on the gridiron, with the home team winning each matchup. Bowling Green handed the Flames, then an FCS program, a 62-3 loss in Bowling Green in 2023, while Liberty opened the Jamey Chadwell era of football with a 34-24 victory over Bowling Green in 2023.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio (Doyt L. Perry Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. (EST)

Schedule

Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short at Jax State

Next Event

Team Stats

Ethan Vasko

Players Mentioned

Jay Billingsley

Joseph Carter

Evan Dickens

Julian Gray

Brylan Green

Donte Lee, Jr.

Jamari Person

Ethan Vasko

Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short at Jax State

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Next Event

Team Stats

Game Leaders

Ethan Vasko

Players Mentioned

Jay Billingsley

Joseph Carter

Evan Dickens

Julian Gray

Brylan Green

Donte Lee, Jr.

Jamari Person

Ethan Vasko

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