It wasn’t pretty, but Liberty got its sixth win of the season to become bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season under head coach Hugh Freeze. The Flames knocked off Gardner-Webb, 21-20, thanks to a fourth quarter touchdown and a late interception to improve to 6-1 on the season.
“To be bowl eligible for a 4th straight year, this early in the season, I think is a remarkable accomplishment with the schedule we’ve played,” Freeze said following the game. “I think we’ve played some pretty good teams, and we haven’t played our best football yet. I’m excited to try and see if I can get us to play our best football for the remainder of the season, that excites me. Congratulations to our kids, our fans, band, cheerleaders, administration, everybody, for putting ourselves in a position to play postseason football which has been a priority for us around here.”
Liberty’s top two quarterbacks, Charlie Brewer and Kaidon Salter, remained sideline due to injury, and the Flames called on Johnathan Bennett as the starter for a third game this season. It was again inconsistent offense from Liberty throughout the afternoon.
After Javon Scruggs intercepted a Gardner-Webb pass on the opening series, the Flames took over in the red zone at the 14. Just two plays later, however, Shedro Louis would cough up the football and turn it over on the fumble. That would become a theme of the day as Liberty started a drive in Gardner-Webb territory on three occasions during the game and would come away without any points on those drives.
The Flames would take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a touchdown pass from Johnathan Bennett to Jerome Jackson. The Liberty signal-caller was a perfect four of four passing for 59 yards on that drive. His favorite target was Demario Douglas who caught three balls for 52 yards, setting up the score.
It looked like Liberty was about to to get its second takeaway shortly thereafter. Kobe Singleton had an interception wiped away as Aakil Washington was called for roughing the passer on the scrambling quarterback. That call, as well as other penalties on the drive, would help the Runnin’ Bulldogs get into the end zone and tie things up.
Liberty would respond on a two-play, 62 yard touchdown drive. A 60-yard pass, the longest passing completion of the season thus far for the Flames, from Bennett to Noah Frith would set up the two-yard Shedro Louis touchdown. Bennett had completed five straight passes and it looked like the offense was finding some rhythm.
Things would change from there as all the momentum went to the visiting sideline. Gardner-Webb would score 13 unanswered points to take a 20-14 lead early in the 4th quarter. During that time, following the two play Liberty touchdown, the Flames would have six offensive drives. Those possessions totaled 21 plays for 15 yards and just one first down.
With the offense sputtering, Coach Freeze went to the screen game and his most explosive offensive player to try to get things jump started. It would work. Bennett would complete 6 of 7 passes for 56 yards, part of a 10 play, 67 yard touchdown drive as the Flames took the 21-20 lead. The first 29 yards of the drive went to Demario Douglas while the final 23 yards, including the touchdown, would go to Dae Dae Hunter.
“That’s what we had to do to win the game,” Freeze said of going to the screen game. “We’re not throwing the ball with accuracy down the field. We dropped some too now, that were good throws. They should have been really explosive plays. I thought those were all good calls. There were some good throws, but then it seemed like those intermediate throws that we had that were wide open, those inside cut routes, the throws were inaccurate. That’s kind of who we are right now. Some of our swing throws are a little behind us and kind of taking us a little extra time. Those blocks are not being held long enough. I just decided to try and put some of those quick screens in the run game and see if we can’t sustain a drive with throws that weren’t real hard to make and JB did a good job on that drive.”
The two teams would exchange punts on the next several possessions before Gardner-Webb regained the ball on their own 27 yard line with 3:43 left in the game. The Runnin’ Bulldogs converted a 3rd and 23 to move the ball to their own 41 and inch ever closer to field goal range for what could be the go ahead points. Their hopes would fade on the next play when Liberty corner Daijahn Anthony stepped in front of a pass for the interception.
“I was really happy for him,” Freeze said of Anthony’s interception. “He’s had some ups and downs. Just pleased that good things happen to him when you continue to work. Came at a big, big time, for sure. Give them credit, they moved the pocket on us a lot tonight and had a good plan. Converted that dang third and long that made me want to puke, and then he came up with the big play. Happy to see that for him.”
Liberty would be able to run the clock out following the interception to end the game. Dae Dae Hunter broke a long run that he could have taken into the end zone, but he instead elected to slide at the one yard line to let the Flames kneel on the ball and escape with the win.
Only playing in the second half, Hunter rushed nine times for 76 yards and a touchdown. Demario Douglas had eight receptions for 86 yards. Bennett completed 17 of 30 passes for 222 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
“I like being an ugly 6-1 a lot better than a pretty 4-3,” said Freeze. “I know that. The feeling in the locker room, I think, is the same. I think everybody knows we need to get better. Me, the coaches, the players, everybody. We haven’t found that right switch yet to get that done, but we’re going to have to do that in a hurry with what’s coming up next.
