Liberty (1-3, 0-1 CUSA) dropped a third straight game with a 31-13 loss at home to James Madison (2-1) on Saturday afternoon. The announced attendance was 24,022, the second largest crowd to watch a game at Williams Stadium, only trailing last year’s game against East Carolina. Liberty quarterback Ethan Vasko left the game on the final drive of the first half and did not return. He was on the sidelines in the second half with his right arm in a sling. The Flames turned to redshirt-freshman Michael Merdinger and true freshman Ethan Houck at quarterback after Vasko’s injury.

Vasko goes down to injury

Liberty quarterback Ethan Vasko suffered an apparent right arm or shoulder injury on the final offensive drive of the first half. He was tackled by a couple of JMU defenders and fell hard to the ground. He was helped to his feet and immediately went to the medical tent behind the Liberty bench before heading to the locker room. When the team emerged from the locker room to begin the second half, Vasko was out of uniform and had his right arm in a sling. He did not return..

The game was tied at 10 when Vasko left despite his inconsistent play. He only completed 4 of 10 passes for 37 yards, but he did have success on the ground, rushing 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. With Vasko sidelined, the Flames turned primarily to redshirt-freshman quarterback and North Carolina transfer Michael Merdinger, but true freshman Ethan Houck also had some reps in the second half.

The Liberty offense, behind Merdinger and Houck, were able to move the ball on the opening drive of the second half. The Flames marched into the red zone before an offensive holding penalty backed the team up. The Flames had to settle for a 35-yard Jay Billingsley field goal. After that, the offense was unable to find any rhythm with three straight three and outs as JMU took control.

Liberty finished the second half with only 92 yards of offense, 46 of them coming on the first drive out of the locker room. From there, the Flames had just 46 yards of offense over the final 23 minutes of the game. The Liberty quarterbacks finished the game 7 of 21 passing for 75 yards.

JMU seized control

The touchdown at the end of the first half for the Dukes to tie the game, followed by the Ethan Vasko injury, and then Liberty having to settle for a field goal after reaching the red zone to open the second half and JMU responding with a touchdown to take the lead for good were the tipping points.

The Flames had their opportunities during this stretch, but JMU flexed its muscle and made the plays when needed. It started with a 28-yard run by Barnett  on 3rd and 1 to move the ball into Liberty territory to set up an eventual 21-yard touchdown pass from Barnett to Landon Ellis.

Coming out of the locker room, Liberty had some success using the two-quarterback system to move into the red zone. That quickly halted following an offensive holding penalty to put the team behind the chains, forcing the team to settle for the field goal.

The visitors from Harrisonburg once again responded to take the lead and not look back. Chunk plays through the passing game came for 36 and then 25 yards to move into Liberty territory. From there, the Dukes just bullied the Liberty defensive front, rushing six straight plays for the final 21 yards to cap the score.

Flames reeling

Liberty has lost three straight games for the first time in the Jamey Chadwell era. The last time losing three or more games came during the final four games of the 2022 season, when Liberty lost the last three games of the Hugh Freeze era and then lost to Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl with Josh Aldridge serving as the interim head coach. This is also Liberty’s first time opening the season at 1-3 or with three losses before the end of September in the FBS era. The Flames opened the 2016 season at 1-3 under former head coach Turner Gill with losses to Virginia Tech, SMU, and Jacksonville State.

How will the team respond from here? There are some major concerns as the Flames prepare to head to Old Dominion next week, possibly with a backup quarterback. Bowl eligibility could become a question and the team’s confidence and morale will also be topics of concern. Still, there’s plenty for the team to play for and even an opportunity to get back in the conference championship race, but, before we enter that discussion, the team needs to find some answers.

Turning Point

Liberty took a lead 10-3 with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. The Dukes would quell the Flames’ momentum with an 8-play, 77-yard drive to tie the game at 10. A few plays later, Vasko got injured and would not return.

Player of the Game

Alonza Barnett, III: Entering this week, everyone thought James Madison would be rotating their quarterbacks with both Barnett and Matthew Sluka seeing the field. That did not happen. Barnett played the entire way, completing 17 of 25 passes for 213 yards, 1 touchdown, and an interception. He also rushed for 45 yards and two more scores.

What They Said

“We’re not making the necessary plays when we need to, whether that is to sustain drives or get them off the field,” said head coach Jamey Chadwell.

Up Next

Liberty concludes its non-conference portion of the schedule next week at Old Dominion. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN+. The Monarchs are currently 2-1 on the season after opening the season with a 27-14 loss at Indiana before bouncing back with impressive wins over North Carolina Central (54-6) and Virginia Tech (45-26) before having an open date this week.