Liberty Rolls Past Ball State 51-15 (9-19-26)
By: Ty Tracy
Headline Photo Credit: Brynne Smith-LMS Network
The Liberty Flames are back at home, taking on the Ball State Cardinals. The Flames were looking to rebound offensively after last week’s performance against Gardner-Webb, when the offense struggled to move the ball, especially in the second half.
The Flames’ defense forced a three-and-out on the first drive of the game, forcing the Cardinals to punt. Once Head Coach Jamey Chadwell and the Flames’ offense got the ball, they marched down the field and scored, taking a 6-0 lead after missing the extra point. The Cardinals’ offense responded with a nine-play touchdown drive, taking a one-point lead at 7-6. The Flames quickly answered, finding their way back into the end zone just four plays later to regain the lead, 13-7, with the scoring drive taking only two minutes. The Flames’ defense then started making things difficult for the Cardinals’ offense, forcing three punts and a missed field goal over four straight possessions.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ defense didn’t have many answers for QB Deshawn Pride and the Flames’ offense. Liberty scored on four of its five possessions from the second quarter into the third quarter, taking a commanding 37-7 lead. Pride had his most complete game as a Flame, completing 13 of 20 pass attempts for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Ball State was able to find the end zone after RB T.J. Horton scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown, his second rushing touchdown of the game, cutting the lead to 37-15. However, the Flames’ offense continued to produce, adding two more touchdowns to the scoreboard. The final score was 51-15, giving Liberty its largest win and its most consecutive points scored in four seasons under Head Coach Jamey Chadwell. It was also the Flames’ most complete offensive game of the season, along with one of their best defensive performances.
The Flames’ defense limited Ball State to 261 total offensive yards on the day—168 rushing and 93 passing. Both totals were season lows for a Flames opponent. Head Coach Jamey Chadwell was pleased with the team’s performance, saying, “Great win. You come out and play well. A lot of people got to play. If we execute and do the things we’re coached to do, we can have an explosive offense.” Chadwell also emphasized the team’s ability to evaluate itself and make improvements, saying, “One thing that this crew does better is reflect on what they can do better, how they can execute better, and how they can improve on certain things.”
The Flames will look to build on this performance as they improve to 2-1 on the season. Liberty will be on a short week as they travel to Brooks Stadium on Thursday night to take on their rival, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Chadwell, who spent five seasons at Coastal Carolina before becoming the head coach at Liberty. The last time these two teams met was in 2020 in the Cure Bowl, when Liberty defeated Coastal Carolina in overtime, 37-34. When Chadwell was coaching the Chanticleers, the Flames held the advantage in the rivalry, winning eight of the 15 meetings between the two programs.
