Liberty utilized a heavy running game with Dae Dae Hunter and Shedro Louis each rushing for over 100 yards on the night to defeat the Old Dominion Monarchs, 38-24, on Saturday night at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

The first half featured plenty of action from both sides with 38 points scored in a game that had an over/under of 43.5 entering the night. The two teams combined to score points on five of six first half possessions midway through the opening thirty minutes. The defenses on both sides would stiffen to force four straight punts before a Kaidon Salter interception would end the first half. After leading 14-0 early, the Flames would head into the locker room with a 21-17 lead.

After the intermission, Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze elected to go with Johnathan Bennett at quarterback, in replace of Salter, but it was the ground game that took control of the game. Dae Dae Hunter and Shedro Louis were able to find holes in the ODU defense and keep the Monarchs at bay. Hunter’s third touchdown of the night with 6:55 left in the game would put the Flames up by two scores.

TWO HIGHLIGHT REEL TOUCHDOWN CATCHES

Liberty’s first two touchdowns of the night came in the first quarter and they will be seen on the highlight reel all season. The first came after Rocket Rahimi’s interception of ODU’s Hayden Wolff that was returned deep into Monarch territory. On the Flames’ first play of the night, Kaidon Salter rolled out to his right and threw a jump ball into the end zone that Jaivian Lofton made an insane one-handed catch with his right hand as his left arm was being held onto by the defender. The pass interference call didn’t matter as Liberty took the early lead.

Later in the first quarter, Salter forced a bad pas back across the middle of the field as he rolled to his right. It looked like it would be an easy ODU interception but the defender was unable to haul in the pass. It would deflect straight into the waiting arms of Liberty receiver CJ Yarbrough who would walk into the end zone for the touchdown to give the Flames the 14-0 lead.

RUNNING BACKS LIGHTS UP THE FIELD

Hunter and Louis had huge nights for the Flames, each rushing for over 100 yards on the evening. This marks the first time since the 2020 Cure Bowl against Coastal Carolina that Liberty had two players rush for 100 yards as Malik Willis and Joshua Mack accomplished the feat. The previous game, a Liberty win over UMass on Black Friday, the Flames had two running backs go over 100 yards when Mack and Peytton Pickett did so.

Louis picked up a huge first down with a 40 yard run on 3rd and 17 to keep the chains moving early in the third quarter. That drive would lead to a 49-yard Nick Brown field goal to put the Flames up, 24-17. Louis rushed 16 times for 109 yards on the evening.

Hunter would finish the night with three touchdowns. He ran for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns while also grabbing 3 passes for 60 yards and a score.

QB ROTATION CONTINUES

After missing last week’s game against Akron with a groin injury, Kaidon Salter returned to the lineup and got the start. He had a highlight-reel touchdown pass on his first play from scrimmage, as he found Jaivian Lofton who reeled in a one-handed pass in the end zone as Salter rolled to his right.

A couple of drives later, Salter threw an ill-advised pass back into the middle of the field as he rolled to the right. It should have been intercepted, but ended up a touchdown pass to CJ Yarbrough. Salter would complete 10 of 19 passes for 170 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in the opening half.

To start the second half, Freeze elected to go with Johnathan Bennett. To his credit, Bennett would engineer a 99-yard touchdown drive that would seal the win for the Flames. On the drive, JB was a perfect 4-of-4 passing for 78 yards. It would end in a 42-yard touchdown pass to Hunter. On the night, Bennett was 7 of 9 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Up Next

Liberty will remain on the road next week as the Flames travel to take on UMass. The Minutemen are currently 1-4 on the season and are coming off a 20-13 loss at Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Their other losses this year have come against Tulane (42-10), Toledo (55-10), and Temple (28-0). UMass defeated Stony Brook, 20-3. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be on ESPN+.