Liberty (4-4, 3-1 CUSA) defeated Delaware (4-4, 2-3 CUSA) on Saturday afternoon, 59-30. Attendance at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia was announced at 18,455. Evan Dickens had a career high 217 yards while the Flames scored its most points since the 2023 season.

Dickens, Ground Game Leads the Way

On the team’s first offensive possession of the game, Ethan Vasko completed a pass to Donte Lee for 10 yards. The Flames then ran the ball 9 straight plays, including six by Evan Dickens, ending in a 15-yard Vasko touchdown scramble. That success on the ground and from Dickens was a sign of things to come. He nearly reached the 100-yard rushing mark in the first half. On the 2nd play of the 2nd half, Dickens broke free down the right sideline rushing 72-yards for his fourth touchdown of the game. It was the longest run by a Liberty player under Chadwell and longest since Demario Douglas rushed for 75 yards at UConn on Nov. 12, 2022. Dickens is also the first Liberty player to rush for four touchdowns in a game since Malik Willis did so in the win over Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl on Dec. 26.

Dickens finished the game with 22 carries for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns, besting his career mark in each carry (previously: 17 carries (vs James Madison), 114 yards (at Jacksonville State), 2 touchdowns (vs New Mexico State). He’s the first Liberty player to eclipse the 200-yard mark on the ground under Chadwell and first since Dae Dae Hunter had 213 yards rushing against BYU on Oct. 22, 2022.

Liberty finished the game with 282 yards rushing in the game, surpassing the 200 yard rushing mark for the first time this season, previously reaching 199 yards on the ground in the loss at Jacksonville State. The Flames improve to 3-0 this season and 24-2 under Coach Chadwell when outrushing its opponent.

Offense Comes to Life

Entering the game averaging just 19 points per game through the first seven contests of the season, the Liberty offense came to life on Saturday afternoon. Perhaps the 17-day layoff helped the team take the next step as Dickens looked better than he has all season and Ethan Vasko had a strong game himself. Liberty’s 59 points scored are the most for the team under Chadwell and most since scoring 62 against UMass on Oct. 30, 2021 in a 62-17 win.

In addition to the record-breaking day from Dickens, Vasko completed 14 of 20 passes for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns. More importantly, he did not have a turnover. His favorite target was Donte Lee who had 5 catches for 92 yards and a 31-yard touchdown catch. Jacob Jenkins had 2 catches for 58 yards and a touchdowns.

The Flames finished the game with 561 yards of total offense, a season-high. The team was also 6 of 10 on third downs, and scored touchdowns on the team’s first four red zone trips.

Flames Ramping Up for Potential CUSA Championship Run

This was clearly the team’s best overall game performance of the season and in some time, maybe even since the 2023 season. The Flames had over 500 yards of offense and scored 59 points, creating separation early and never really being seriously threatened against a Delaware team that came into the game with a winning record. Liberty also only had one penalty, coming with 10:03 left in the third quarter, a kick catch interference penalty and also no turnovers, highlighting the clean game the team played. With the exception of a few explosive pass plays allowed on Delaware’s 49 pass attempts and a couple of dropped passes, it was close to a perfect game for the Flames.

This sets the stage for the final month of the season where Liberty has a chance to compete for the CUSA title and get back to the conference championship game for the second time in three years. With one loss suffered in Week 2 against Jacksonville State, the margin for error is razor thin and the Flames do need a little bit of help. Liberty is currently looking up at Jax State and Kennesaw State who are both 4-0 in the conference standings while Western Kentucky is 5-1. This win and three-game win streak should certainly give the team some momentum and confidence heading into next week.

Turning Point

With Liberty leading 7-6 in the second quarter, it looked like Eli Auguste had an interception at the Liberty 40. It was initially ruled as a turnover, but after review the turnover was wiped off. Facing a 4th and 6 at their own 28, coach Ryan Carty attempted to catch the Flames off guard and try a fake punt. Liberty was not fooled, tackling the player behind the line of scrimmage for a 7-yard loss. Two plays later, Evan Dickens punched it in from 5-yards out to push the lead to 14-6.

Player of the Game

Evan Dickens: The Liberty running back had a career day finishing with 22 carries for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns.

What They Said

“It was a great game offensively, best game we played all season. I was really pleased with taking care of the ball, we didn’t put ourselves in any bad situations. I thought our quarterback played well. Obviously, our running back Evan Dickens was fantastic running the ball,” said head coach Jamey Chadwell.

Up Next

Liberty concludes its three-game home stand that lasted nearly a month next Saturday, playing host to another FBS and CUSA newcomer, Missouri State. The Bears are currently 5-3 on the season and 3-1  in conference play. They are coming off a 28-211 win at home over FIU on Wednesday night. Kickoff from Williams Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.