In a back-and-forth affair, Liberty Flames Football defeated New Mexico State 49-35 in the USA Championship Game at Williams Stadium on Friday, amassing a perfect 13-0 record as a newcomer to the conference.
A crowd of 20,077 was on hand to watch Liberty make history on the mountain. The fog and light drizzle did not dampen the spirit of Flames Nation. Fans enjoyed a Pregame Bash at Liberty University’s indoor practice facility, which included performances by each team’s drummers and cheerleading squads. The bands for both teams took the field once again to perform during the first half.
Students and fans stormed the field for the trophy ceremony, gathering around the newly crowned Conference USA champions. Head coach Jimmy Chadwell joined his players for short on-field interviews.
“They are a special group of young people,” Chadwell said. “We challenge them to embrace change, to embrace process. We told them to trust each other and trust the Word of God. And about a year after (my appointment), we became conference champions.”
He quoted the team’s key verses from Psalm 20 as their motivation: “Some trust carts, some trust horses, But we trust the name lord Our God.“
Chadwell was also adamant that his team deserved a New Year’s Six Bowl appearance.
“If you watch us for 13 weeks, we are the best Group of Five team in this country,” he said. “Six wins over tournament-qualified teams with an average margin of victory of 17 points. We have dominated our opponents and we belong to Group F in the new year.
Liberty is currently the second-highest five-ranked school in the country at No. 24 in the CFP rankings, trailing only No. 22 Tulane.
The championship win extends the Flames’ program records for wins in a season (13), home wins in a season (8), and winning streak (13) and makes the Flames the first FBS team in Virginia to win 13 games in a season. season.
Quarterback Kaydon Salter was named the CUSA Football Tournament Most Valuable Player, accounting for 484 of Liberty’s total offensive yards. He rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown, while completing 20 of 25 pass attempts for 319 yards and two touchdowns. During the ceremony, Salter credited his teammates with helping him keep the offense on track.
“We are one. We come as a team, and we play as a team. Everything we do is for each other,” he said. “Today was a championship game, but for us we were just playing against each other. There is no one who defeats freedom but us. We knew we had to go out there and compete against ourselves, and that’s what we did.
In the post-match press conference, both Chadwell and the players credited Liberty fans with cheering the team on to victory.
“Our student body and fans stay in all four quarters,” Chadwell said. “When we need them in big moments, they’re loud and they go after it. They boo when bad calls happen, they do all that stuff. It’s special, and I know our team appreciates that because we’ve traveled to different places and people don’t have that.”
This victory is due to the vision of Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell and his mission to make the university not only academically prestigious but also athletically competitive.
“This (win) wasn’t just about us today,” Salter said. “This goes back to Liberty’s founding years. We’ve been there and done that for that.”
The back-and-forth heavyweight match was tied 35-35 after three quarters of play before Liberty added two of five rushing touchdowns in the fourth to secure the victory.
The No. 1 rushing attack in the country was once again on full display, seeing Liberty rush for 393 yards on 45 carries (8.7 yards per carry).
Quinton Cooley moved into second place in Liberty’s single-season rushing touchdown total, and caught three more on the day to give him 16 on the season. He finished the game with 11 carries for 71 yards.
CJ Daniels was Salter’s top target, as he racked up a career-high with 157 yards on seven receptions. Junior also pulled in his 10thy Receiving a touchdown in 2023, moving him into third place on Liberty’s single-season touchdown receptions list.
When the Flames needed a defensive stop during the fourth quarter, the No. 1 team in the country in interceptions had 21 points.street This season. Leading 42-35 early in the fourth quarter, Brandon Bishop intercepted a potential touchdown pass in the New Mexico State end zone with less than 10 minutes left.
Four plays later, Salter scored on a 35-yard run to put the Flames up two scores and take control of the game.
Bishop finished the game with a career-high 11 tackles and his third interception of the year. Joseph Carter followed with 10 stops, his second double-digit tackle attempt of 2023.
The Flames now head to Sunday afternoon to show their College Football Playoff selection on ESPN at noon, when the team finds out the site and opponent in its fifth straight appearance. (For the latest bowl game information, including purchasing tickets, visit LibertyFlames.com/BowlCentral.)
Liberty is currently 3-1 in bowl games, after winning back-to-back Cure Bowls in 2019 and 2020 and securing a LendingTree Bowl win in 2021. The Flames fell to Toledo in the 2022 Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.
