Less than two weeks ago, Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze named Charlie Brewer the team’s starting quarterback for the season opener at Southern Miss on Sept. 3. The former Baylor and Utah signal caller had over 10,000 career passing yards coming into the season, but by the end of opening night it would be another quarterback that would lead the Flames to a season opening, 29-27, win over the Golden Eagles in four overtimes.
Redshirt-freshman Kaidon Salter entered the game in the 4th quarter, with the Flames trailing, 17-10, and all the momentum on the home team’s side. Playing in his first meaningful snaps in college football, Salter would lead the team to two fourth quarter, game-tying touchdown drives that would ultimately send the game into overtime. His three-yard pass to tight end Jerome Jackson in the fourth overtime would prove to be the game winner as the Flames escaped with the victory to open the season at 1-0.
“KSalt has always done good things in practice,” said Freeze from just outside the team’s locker room Saturday night. “Physically, he’s gifted. It’s just mentally he’s still learning. He’s young and he’s still learning the system. Even tonight, he called a few protections wrong that got us in trouble. Tried to force a ball down there, but you also see the other side of that in the guy can make a lot of dynamic plays. Obviously, we are very happy he is with us. Probably don’t win the game tonight without him.”
Salter would finish the game completing 8 of 13 passes for 148 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also led the team in rushing 65 yards on 9 carries. Dae Dae Hunter and Shedro Louis rushed for 62 and 55 yards, respectively. Demario Douglas led the team with 5 receptions for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Brewer was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with an injury to his right throwing arm. He originally went into the team locker for evaluation before being transferred to a local hospital for additional testing. Just before halftime, Brewer would return to the stadium in an ambulance, and he reappeared on the Liberty sideline with his right arm in a sling.
“I don’t want to say,” Freeze said following the game of Brewer’s injury. “I know it’s a fracture of some type. I haven’t had conversations yet enough to really speak intelligently about it.”
The backup quarterback, Johnathan Bennett, would enter the game for Brewer to begin the second quarter. The Flames trailed at the time, 3-0. Bennett would lead Liberty to 10 straight points before halftime, as Liberty went into the break ahead 10-3. It was the defense that carried the way for much of the night, particularly in the first half, creating four turnovers. Bennett and the Flames would score all 10 of their first half points off turnovers.
In the third quarter, though, the offense sputtered and was unable to find any consistency. The Flames would only muster 27 yards of offense and the Golden Eagles were able to tie the game at 10 entering the fourth quarter. On the second play of the final quarter of regulation, Bennett’s pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, giving Southern Miss a 17-10 lead and all the momentum.
Enter Kaidon Salter. Having played in just one game during the 2021 campaign, his first in a collegiate uniform, the Tennessee transfer came into the game and immediately provided a jump start for the Liberty offense. He led the team on a 10-play, 79 yard drive, ending with a 10 yard touchdown toss to Demario Douglas to tie the game at 17. Salter was 3 for 5 passing for 28 yards and carried the ball 3 times for 20 yards on the drive.
“I just knew I had to go out there and put in some work,” said Salter after the game. “Coach put me out there for a reason. Charlie got hurt and put JB out (there), I was just learning while they were in the game, paying attention. Coach always tells me, ‘Stay ready, you never know what will happen.’ I just went out there and wanted to move the ball, put up points and keep us close.”
USM would score a go ahead touchdown with just 1:47 left in regulation. It again looked like the underdogs would open the season with a win over Liberty, but Kaidon Salter wasn’t ready to call it a night.
On the first play of the drive, the Texas native connected with Douglas for a gain of 51 yards to move Liberty into Southern Miss territory at the 30 yard line. A holding penalty would slow the team down, but Salter found a way out of a 2nd and 20 pickle as he completed a pass to Jerome Jackson for 17 yards to set up 3rd and 3 from the 23. Salter would roll to his right and find Douglas in the end zone for the game tying touchdown score, sending the contest into overtime.
“Listen, you can’t say enough about him,” Freeze commented about Salter. “I don’t think we win the game without him. I’m telling you, I have confidence that Nate (Hampton) can go in and do good things too, as I do with JB. Tonight, KSalt showed we needed an athletic guy because we were struggling to block their front. He gave us that mobility we needed.”
The overtime periods were back and forth. Both teams missed field goals in the first period. Followed by a pair of makes, including a 53-yarder for Southern Miss to extend the game into a third overtime. Alternating two-point conversion attempts begin the third overtime period, and both teams were unsuccessful on their first try.
To begin the fourth overtime, Salter hit Jackson to give Liberty the 29-27 edge. Southern Miss would attempt a pass into the back, right corner of the end zone on their try. The pass would fall incomplete, but Liberty was called for pass interference. The Golden Eagles got the ball moved half the distance to the goal, but Frank Gore, Jr.’s rushing attempt was stopped short of the goal line, sealing the Liberty win to open the season.
“Our team showed a ton of grit,” said Freeze. “I did not coach them well tonight. Made some good calls at times, but certainly feel like we didn’t play as disciplined football as I’m used to. I’ve got to get that corrected, but you can’t say enough about our grit, our fight, kids making plays.”
