Liberty (7-1) picked up a historic win on Saturday evening against BYU (4-4), 41-14, in front of a record Williams Stadium crowd of 24,012.
The Cougars came out with a punch in the first quarter, grabbing a 14-3 lead on the road. They would score a touchdown on a short field following a Johnathan Bennett interception. The Flames would quickly respond by outscoring BYU, 17-0, in the second quarter to take a 20-14 lead into the intermission.
The strong play by the Flames would not stop in the second half. Getting the ball to begin after the break, Liberty would take nearly six minutes off the clock and score another touchdown. Shedro Louis’ second of the day, this one coming from five yards out on 4th and 1, put the Flames up 27-14. Liberty’s defense would then force a BYU punt. Dae Dae Hunter would break free on an incredible run for an 80-yard house call as the Flames took control of the game at 34-14.
GIVE BENNETT CREDIT
There were a lot of questions and doubters for Liberty quarterback Johnathan Bennett entering this game. Many thought the Flames had little to no chance with him at the helm of the offense. He proved all those doubters wrong.
No, he wasn’t perfect, he had some missed reads, bad passes, and a rough interception, but he did what was needed to lead the team to victory.
Bennett finished the game completing 24 of 29 passing for 247 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also carried the ball 8 times for 46 yards.
DAE DAE ALL DAY DAY
Just how good is Dae Dae Hunter? He keeps upping his ceiling each and every week. The Liberty running back was able to run the ball all over the Cougars’ defense. He was easily picking up six yards or more on every carry throughout the game. His 80 yard touchdown run will be on all the highlight shows this weekend.
Hunter became the first Liberty running back to eclipse 200 yards rushing since Rashad Jennings did so in 2008 at Youngstown State. Dae Dae finished the game with 213 yards and 1 touchdown on 23 carries. He also had 4 receptions for 31 yards.
HUGH FREEZE SHOULD GET THE GAME BALL
What an amazing job this week motivating and scheming this week by head coach Hugh Freeze. Every team’s head coach is so quick to get all the blame with things go wrong, but he certainly should get plenty of credit for this win tonight.
The Flames knocked off a BYU team that was a touchdown favorite while playing with their third starting quarterback. Not to mention the struggles and inconsistencies Liberty had seen on the offensive side of the ball throughout the first half of the season. Freeze had a game plan that kept Bennett comfortable and confident, while allowing the team to be productive enough to dominate the game against the Cougars.
He should also get credit for the defensive staff he has assembled. Despite defensive coordinator Scott Symons leaving following last season, Josh Aldridge and Jack Curtis, as well as the rest of the staff, have put together one of the top defenses in the country.
Up Next
Liberty gets a much needed bye next week as the Flames look to rest and recover from the first eight weeks of the season. Hopefully several players can get back on the field following the open date when Liberty travels to take on Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Razorbacks are currently 4-3 on the season following their 52-35 win at BYU a week ago. Arkansas has their bye week today and will play at Auburn next Saturday at Noon on the SEC Network before Liberty comes to town.
