Saturday, October 31
Lynchburg, Va.
3:30 PM ET
Liberty University
7-1 , 4-0
49
vs
10
FIU
3-5 , 1-3
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Liberty | 7 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 49 |
10/31/2026 8:34:00 PM | Football
LYNCHBURG, Va. – In a game that featured two of the best defenses in Conference USA, Liberty prevailed over FIU, while also rushing for six touchdowns in a 49-10 Homecoming victory, Saturday afternoon, at Williams Stadium.
Liberty pushes its win streak to seven games in a row, moving its overall record to 7-1 in 2026. The Flames also move to 4-0 in CUSA play at the midway point of their conference slate.
FIU's third loss in a row moved the Panthers to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in CUSA play.
The game pitted the top two defenses in the conference and featured a match-up of two teams who were ranked inside the top 20 in the country. FIU entered the game ranked No. 18 in total defense (292.0 yards allowed per game), while the Flames ranked No. 19 (292.4).
The Flames' defense was able to continue its dominance, limiting FIU to an opponent season low 210 yards on 54 plays (3.9 yards per play).
Liberty nearly doubled up what the Panthers were allowing coming into the game, finishing the contest with 391 yards on 58 plays (6.7 yards per play).
Liberty was limited to its second lowest rushing total of 2026 with 145 yards, but the Flames found a way to thrill their returning alumni with a season-high six rushing touchdowns.
Running back Kam Davis (20 rushing yards) and quarterback Ethan Vasko (five rushing yards) each accounted for two of the team's six scores on the ground. Running back Jaylon Coleman added his third of the season and running back Kanye Udoh recorded his first as a Flame.
Quarterback Deshawn Purdie finished the night completing 16-of-19 passing attempts, including 12 straight to end the game. He threw for 227 yards, marking his fourth game in 2026 with 200 or more passing yards.
Purdie's top target of the season continues to be wide receiver Makai Jackson, who had a season-high six receptions for 86 yards.
Liberty's stout defense was paced by a pair of linebackers having career games. Deuce Spurlock led the team with seven stops, while Dillano Glaud finished the contest with five.
The Flames' win today:
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 49-10 (Liberty)
Liberty (7-1, 4-0 CUSA)
FIU (3-5, 1-3 CUSA)
Location: Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Va.)
Attendance: 16,702
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
What's Next:
The Flames will begin the second half of their Conference USA schedule next Saturday when Liberty travels to Las Cruces, N.M., to take on New Mexico State.
The game will kick off at 6 p.m. local time (MT) from Aggie Memorial Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPNU and the Liberty Flames Sports Network.
The Flames have won each of the four meetings against New Mexico State since both teams joined Conference USA in 2023, including a win over the Aggies at Williams Stadium in the 2023 CUSA Football Championship game.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
Location: Las Cruces, N.M. (Aggie Memorial Stadium)
TV: ESNPU
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (MT)
Liberty pushes its win streak to seven games in a row, moving its overall record to 7-1 in 2026. The Flames also move to 4-0 in CUSA play at the midway point of their conference slate.
FIU's third loss in a row moved the Panthers to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in CUSA play.
The game pitted the top two defenses in the conference and featured a match-up of two teams who were ranked inside the top 20 in the country. FIU entered the game ranked No. 18 in total defense (292.0 yards allowed per game), while the Flames ranked No. 19 (292.4).
The Flames' defense was able to continue its dominance, limiting FIU to an opponent season low 210 yards on 54 plays (3.9 yards per play).
Liberty nearly doubled up what the Panthers were allowing coming into the game, finishing the contest with 391 yards on 58 plays (6.7 yards per play).
Liberty was limited to its second lowest rushing total of 2026 with 145 yards, but the Flames found a way to thrill their returning alumni with a season-high six rushing touchdowns.
Running back Kam Davis (20 rushing yards) and quarterback Ethan Vasko (five rushing yards) each accounted for two of the team's six scores on the ground. Running back Jaylon Coleman added his third of the season and running back Kanye Udoh recorded his first as a Flame.
Quarterback Deshawn Purdie finished the night completing 16-of-19 passing attempts, including 12 straight to end the game. He threw for 227 yards, marking his fourth game in 2026 with 200 or more passing yards.
Purdie's top target of the season continues to be wide receiver Makai Jackson, who had a season-high six receptions for 86 yards.
Liberty's stout defense was paced by a pair of linebackers having career games. Deuce Spurlock led the team with seven stops, while Dillano Glaud finished the contest with five.
The Flames' win today:
- Gives the Flames their first seven-game winning streak since Liberty opened the 2023 season with 13 consecutive victories (Sept. 2-Dec. 1, 2023). It is the sixth winning streak of 7+ contests in program history.
- Pushes the Flames' all-time record against FIU to 4-1, including 3-0 at Williams Stadium.
- Enables the Flames to start CUSA play with a 4-0 record for the first time since they went 8-0 in conference play in 2023.
- Marks the Flames' eighth consecutive Homecoming triumph, improving their all-time record on Homecoming to 37-14.
- Closes out the Flames' second straight unbeaten October at 4-0, giving the team an 11-2 October record under Jamey Chadwell.
- Marks the 23rd time in 54 seasons as a football program the Flames have recorded seven or more victories, including the seventh 7+ win campaign in the last eight years.
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 49-10 (Liberty)
Liberty (7-1, 4-0 CUSA)
FIU (3-5, 1-3 CUSA)
Location: Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Va.)
Attendance: 16,702
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- For the seventh-straight game, the Flames scored on their opening drive of the contest, quickly jumping out to a 7-0 lead at the 11:15 mark.
- Following a three-and-out defensive stop, Liberty rushed on three-straight plays, including a 14-yard scoring run by Jaylon Coleman for the running back's third rushing touchdown of the season.
- The score remained the same until the Flames pieced together a 14-play, 81-yard scoring drive during the early part of the second quarter. The Flames' ninth double-digit scoring drive of the season was capped by a direct snap to running back Kam Davis, who scored from three yards out to push the score to 14-0 at 11:49.
- The Flames kept the ground game going and pushed their lead to 21-0. Liberty ran the ball five times on the eight-play, 77-yard drive, with quarterback Ethan Vasko scoring from one yard out with 4:11 left to play before halftime.
- Liberty finished off a dominant 30 minutes of football by scoring one more time before the clock hit all zeros. Davis got his second rushing touchdown of the game and seventh of the season, scoring from one yard out with 41 seconds left to extend the lead to 28-0.
- The Flames put the game out of reach in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns to head into the fourth quarter with a 42-0 lead.
- Deshawn Purdie finished a seven-play, 65-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Zeke Wimbush at 10:43, while Vasko recorded his second one-yard rushing touchdown at the 5:13 mark.
- FIU scored twice during the final 15 minutes of play and snapped a string where the Flames had not allowed a touchdown since October 2.
- The Panthers ended Liberty's shutout bid with a 38-yard Robert Czeremcha field goal at 13:57, while Jojo Stone completed a 14-yard pass play JJ Kohl with 3:26 left in the game.
What's Next:
The Flames will begin the second half of their Conference USA schedule next Saturday when Liberty travels to Las Cruces, N.M., to take on New Mexico State.
The game will kick off at 6 p.m. local time (MT) from Aggie Memorial Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPNU and the Liberty Flames Sports Network.
The Flames have won each of the four meetings against New Mexico State since both teams joined Conference USA in 2023, including a win over the Aggies at Williams Stadium in the 2023 CUSA Football Championship game.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
Location: Las Cruces, N.M. (Aggie Memorial Stadium)
TV: ESNPU
Radio: LFSN Radio (Flagship Station: The Journey 88.3 FM Lynchburg)
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (MT)
Players Mentioned
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WR
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QB
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/ FootballTeam Stats
FIU
LU
Total Yards
210
391
Pass Yards
176
246
Rushing Yards
34
145
Penalty Yards
75
60
1st Downs
15
24
3rd Downs
2
5
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
30:46
29:14
1st Quarter
FIU 0, LU 7
LU - Coleman,Jaylon 14 yd run (Reeves,Chase kick), 3 plays, 34 yards, TOP 01:16
2nd Quarter
FIU 0, LU 14
LU - Davis,Kam 3 yd run (Reeves,Chase kick), 14 plays, 81 yards, TOP 07:18
FIU 0, LU 21
LU - Vasko,Ethan 1 yd run (Reeves,Chase kick), 8 plays, 77 yards, TOP 04:10
FIU 0, LU 28
LU - Davis,Kam 2 yd run (Reeves,Chase kick), 6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 02:17
3rd Quarter
FIU 0, LU 35
LU - Wimbush,Zeke 11 yd pass from Purdie,Deshawn (Reeves,Chase kick) 7 plays, 65 yards, TOP 04:17
FIU 0, LU 42
LU - Vasko,Ethan 1 yd run (Reeves,Chase kick), 4 plays, 48 yards, TOP 02:14
4th Quarter
FIU 3, LU 42
FIU - Czeremcha,Robert 38 yd field goal 14 plays, 54 yards, TOP 06:16
FIU 3, LU 49
LU - Udoh,Kanye 1 yd run (Jones,Carson kick), 5 plays, 42 yards, TOP 02:28
FIU 10, LU 49
FIU - Stone,Jojo 14 yd pass from Kohl,JJ (Czeremcha,Robert kick) 6 plays, 72 yards, TOP 03:08
Game Leaders
CMP
16
TD
1
YDS
227
INT
1
CMP
2
TD
0
YDS
19
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Saturday, October 31
Thursday, October 29
Thursday, October 29
Thursday, October 29