Liberty (2-0, 1-0 CUSA) rallied from a deficit, scored two touchdowns in the final 5:12 minutes and defeated New Mexico State (1-1, 0-1) 30-24 on Saturday night in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The Flames fell behind early, losing 10-0 and 17-3 in the first half to the home Aggies. It was the first time Liberty had trailed by more than 7 points in a regular season game under head coach Jamey Chadwell.

After allowing New Mexico State points on its first three drives, Liberty’s defense was able to stop the Aggies on its last two drives of the first half, allowing the Flames to get back within striking distance. However, Liberty had to settle for field goals on all three attempts into the red zone in the first 30 minutes. Fortunately, Colin Karhu was successful on all three attempts, scoring from 39, 31 and 29 yards.

The Flames went into halftime trailing 17-9. This is only the second time in 16 games under Chadwell that LU has trailed at halftime; the only other time was in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon.

The second half became a defensive battle with neither team able to move the ball. Both teams exchanged punts in the second half, on 7 of the first 8 possessions of the half. The only one that wasn’t a punt was a missed field goal by Karhu from 42 yards out.

Liberty’s defense had a big play when Quinton Reese broke through the line to sack Parker Awad, causing him to drop the ball. Liberty’s CJ Bazile picked it up and ran it back into the end zone to make the score 17-15. The Flames attempted the two-point conversion, but Kaidon Salter was stopped without scoring as he rolled left. The Aggies responded with a touchdown drive, making it a two-point game.

The Flames responded quickly, scoring the team’s first offensive points of the night. Liberty managed 6 plays and 82 yards in just over 2 minutes, capped by a 27-yard touchdown run by Quinton Cooley, cutting the deficit to 24-22 with 5:12 left.

Liberty then forced a punt and took over at their own 10 with 2:59 left in the game. The Flames marched down the field and scored a touchdown to take the lead for the first time of the night when Cooley ran in from 44 yards out with just over a minute left in the game. The Liberty defense then held firm and secured the win.

FLAMES FIGHT BACK, WIN FROM BEHIND

This game was unlike any other under head coach Jamey Chadwell’s tenure here at Liberty. The Flames fell behind in the first quarter and were unable to regain momentum until the final minutes of the game. New Mexico State hammered the Flames in the first quarter and took a two-touchdown lead, forcing Liberty to settle for field goals while scoring on their first three drives.

The Flames, however, were not deterred. They did what winners do: find ways to win. And even a win is not a pretty sight.

Liberty trailed in the fourth quarter for the first time in the regular season under Chadwell. But it didn’t matter as Liberty swept the Flames’ quarter and took the road win in conference play.

There are things that need to be fixed, including the penalties, which continue to spiral out of control. The Flames were assessed 11 penalties for 122 yards, including several for unsportsmanlike conduct. Still, a win is a win and the Flames are happy to go home with a 2-0 win.

Attack was inconsistent

The offense was inconsistent until the final five minutes of the game and was the worst it had been in 16 games under Chadwell. In the first half, the team was able to move the ball but had to settle for field goals. In the second half, the offense was unable to get anything going and had to settle for punts.

The team struggled to run the ball consistently for much of the game, only breaking the 100-yard mark shortly before the end and finishing with 217 yards. Quinton Cooley only managed three carries in the first half, but finished the game with 12 for 111 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown.

Kaidon Salter completed 16 of 29 passes for 256 yards and 10 carries for 23 yards. Not bad numbers, but not what we’re used to from #7. His play was inconsistent at times and the receivers didn’t always help their quarterback and dropped passes at inopportune times.

The defense reacted and did its job

After New Mexico State scored on its first three drives of the game to take a 17-3 lead, Liberty’s defense stepped up. The Flames forced six straight punts before the seventh drive ended with defensive points when Quinton Reese sacked Parker Awad and forced a fumble, and CJ Bazile scooped up the ball and ran back to the goal. Their play allowed the Flames to stay within striking distance while the offense floundered until it got things under control.

The defense was able to apply pressure in the crucial moments and get important sacks and pressure on the quarterback. Like the rest of the team, consistency still needs to be worked on, but it was a step in the right direction for this unit.

Next

Liberty returns home for its CUSA home opener in Week 3, taking on the UTEP Miners. UTEP is currently 0-2 on the season after opening the year with a 40-7 loss at Nebraska and then losing to FCS Southern Utah 27-24 in overtime. The Flames defeated UTEP 42-28 last season in the final regular season game for both teams.