It was a wet afternoon and evening at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia, but that didn’t damper the Liberty home football opener. The Flames were able to knock off UAB, 21-14, in front of an announced crowd of 18,892.

The Blazers utilized a strong rushing attack, picking up 161 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter. That helped the 6.5 point road favorites to an early 7-0 lead. Liberty would score 21 unanswered points to seize control of the game in the second half and pick up the victory.

Kaidon Salter gets the start

Hugh Freeze was non-committal throughout the week as to who would be his starting quarterback. The Liberty head coach even stated Thursday that he had a package for all three (Salter, Johnathan Bennett, and Nate Hampton) and that he wouldn’t be surprised if they all played.

That was not the case as the redshirt-freshman Kaidon Salter got the start and played the majority of the game. The UAB defense was able to keep the dynamic Salter in check most of the night, but the Flames’ signal caller was able to provide enough of a spark to move the ball and put points on the board to pull the team in front. He finished the game completing just 13 of 25 passes for 202 yards. He rushed the ball 14 times for 79 yards and a touchdown. He picked up 35 yards on the final drive of the game to move the chains and allow the Flames to run out the clock.

Nate Hampton came in for two plays in a goal line package in the 4th quarter, but other than that it was Salter getting the snaps at quarterback for the Flames.

Flames adjust to UAB run game

UAB came into the game wanting to establish the run against the Flames. They started off strong in that department, rushing for 161 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter, including 87 yards on two consecutive runs to score the first points of the game and take a 7-0 lead.

From there, Liberty’s defense would adjust. The Flames allowed just 80 yards rushing on 33 attempts in the final three quarters of the game, silencing any doubters of the Liberty rush defense. It allowed the offense the opportunities to grab the lead and not look back.

When down by two scores, the Blazers had to turn to the passing game, allowing the Flames to rush the quarterback and create chaos with the defensive line.

Turnovers once again

After forcing five turnovers in the season opening win at Southern Miss last week, Liberty’s defense forced four more turnovers this week. The Flames recovered all four fumbles that UAB put on the turf. The offense was unable to score any points off those turnovers, but it kept the UAB offense from getting additional points on the board. We will have to wait and see when the stats are updated this weekend, but the Flames will likely be at or near the top of the national leaders in takeaways.

Up Next

Liberty will head to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to take on Wake Forest next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network. The Demon Deacons are currently 2-0 on the season and ranked No. 23. They opened the season with a 44-10 win over VMI and knocked off Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday afternoon, 45-25.