Liberty’s defense was unable to slow down the Rutgers’ offensive attack all afternoon, as the Scarlet Knights outpaced the Flames, 44-34.
“It was not the result we had hoped for coming here,” Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze said after the game. “Credit to Rutgers, their coaching staff, they dominated the line of scrimmage offensively and the time of possession. It was very difficult for us to get off the field on 3rd down, and then that resulted in us not having many possessions offensively.”
Rutgers entered the game one of the worst offensive team in the country. The Scarlet Knights were dead last in the FBS, averaging 11.1 points per game this season and averaging just 255.6 yards of offense. They finished the game with 463 total yards, including 55 rushes for 271 yards on the ground.
“We knew we were going against a physical offensive line,” said Freeze. “They looked the part. They controlled the entire game by winning first downs, putting themselves in 2nd and short, and winning 3rd downs when they needed to. Their quarterback threw the ball well enough to convert 3rd downs when they needed to, and we didn’t guard or tackle particularly well.”
The game did not transpire as expected as the over/under was set for 44 points. Both teams combined for 42 points in the first half as Rutgers entered the game averaging 5 points per game during its last 6 contests. The Scarlet Knights were shutout three times and scored just 7 on two other occasions during that span.
Rutgers carried the ball 30 times for 138 yards compared to 12 passes for 96 yards in the opening 30 minutes. Quarterback Johnny Langan scored a rushing touchdown and threw for his first career touchdown pass. Langan finished the game with 118 rushing yards while also completing 15-of-21 passes for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Liberty received the opening kickoff and quickly marched downfield scoring the team’s 5th touchdown on the team’s opening drive this season. The drive featured several new formation looks from the Flames including a lateral pass from Buckshot Calvert to D.J. Stubbs who then completed a 38 yard pass to Zac Foutz. A couple plays later and Calvert connected with Kevin Shaa for a 15 yard gain to pick up a first down in the red zone. Frankie Hickson would punctuate the drive with a 4 yard touchdown rush.
The team’s continue to go back and forth trading touchdowns for the first three drives for each team. Liberty was forced to punt on its 4th drive with two minutes left in the half. The Scarlet Knights were able to move the ball into Liberty territory before a Jessie Lemonier sack at midfield slowed the drive, forcing a Rutgers punt in the waning seconds of the first half.
After Rutgers opened the second half with a touchdown to take their first lead since the season opener at UMass, Liberty drove into the Scarlet Knights’ red zone getting all the way inside the 1-yard line. As the Flames lined up to go for it on 4th-and-goal from inside the 1, right tackle Sam Isaacson was called for the false start, and Alex Probert was called on and made the 24-yard field goal to bring Liberty within four, 28-24.
Liberty’s defense was again unable to stop the Scarlet Knights who answered with another touchdown to push their lead to two scores, 35-24. On the ensuing kickoff, Ceneca Espinoza who was returning kicks for the injured Shedro Louis, fumbled as he was hit and Rutgers recovered the ball at the 16.
Rutgers was unable to punch it into the end zone and settled for a 27-yard field goal to push the lead to 14 as the game got out of Liberty’s reach entering the 4th quarter.
Liberty’s five game win streak comes to an end as the 5-3 Flames face UMass next Saturday in Amherst at noon on FloSports.
“We will regroup and go back to work,” said Freeze. “We will have a chance to win next week at UMass.”
