UPDATE ON VASKO

Liberty quarterback Ethan Vasko went down to an apparent shoulder/neck injury late in the first half of Liberty’s game this past Saturday against James Madison. He did not return to the game, and was on the sidelines during the second half with his right throwing arm in a sling. In his absence, Michael Merdinger and Ethan Houck both got some playing time against the Dukes after halftime. It was Merdinger’s first real action with Liberty and only second in his career as he also played in the Fenway Bowl for North Carolina this past December. It was Houck’s first time in a collegiate game as a true freshman. All three quarterbacks struggled passing the ball in the game against JMU, as the Flames were unable to move the ball much after halftime, with three straight three and outs during the deciding minutes of that game.

The immediate thought was that Vasko would not be able to play this week at Old Dominion, which is certainly unfortunate for him as it is a homecoming game for him returning to the 757 area where he attended Oscar Smith High School. Vasko had also committed to ODU before Kansas got involved and he ultimately signed with and began his collegiate career with the Jayhawks. Surprisingly, Vasko has made significant progress this week even to the point of him being a limited participant in practice on Tuesday. Here is what Coach Chadwell had to say about his quarterback during his media availability Tuesday.

“It’s been something he’s been dealing with probably since Week 2,” Chadwell said of Vasko’s injury. “He is as tough as they come. If he could have went back in, he would have tried to go back. Doctors didn’t allow him to go back. He got better Sunday, better (Monday). (Tuesday) he will be very limited in practice, but our trainers have said that he’s improved tremendously over the last couple of days from what they thought the initial prognosis was. It’s an upper body injury. I’m not telling you that I’m 100% confident he’s going to play right now. I was 100% confident he wasn’t going to play Saturday based off what they told me, but he has made really good strides in the last couple of days. If it continues to heal the way it is currently, then there is a good chance that he could come back. Waiting and seeing obviously, but based off the last couple of days, we are all pleased with the direction he is headed.”

If Vasko is unable to play, Chadwell says Merdinger, Houck, and Jayden Bradford will all have a chance during practice this week to see game action Saturday against the Monarchs.

“Mike came in and did some solid things, but he also didn’t do some things that he’s capable of doing,” Chadwell said. “We’re not going to have an excuse. You haven’t played much, you’ve got to do the necessary things to help us move the ball. We’ve got to find whoever can help us move the ball consistently because it didn’t happen (against JMU) realistically in the second half. It put our defense in a bad situation. All three quarterbacks we have left right now are all going to be evaluated and have an opportunity to see who can help us move the ball. We’ve got to be able to move the ball. If somebody is out there and they’re not doing that, then we’re going to try somebody else. Obviously, we would base a lot off practice and how that goes, but I would tell you if Vasko can’t go then all three – through the evaluation this week – will have some type of opportunity to earn some playing time.”

LIBERTY HAS DOMINATED OLD DOMINION RECENTLY

Liberty has seen plenty of success since moving to the FBS ranks against their in-state G5 foe in Old Dominion. The Flames hosted Old Dominion on Sept. 1, 2018 in the team’s first game as FBS members. Liberty’s 52-10 victory that day marked the first of four straight head-to-head wins over the Monarchs during which the Flames have averaged 43.3 points per contest. The four game series win streak is Liberty’s second-longest winning streak against an FBS foe, only trailing the Flames’ six-game streak against UMass.

Of course, this game looks to be much different as Liberty enters the game with a losing record at 1-3, and the Monarchs are sitting at 2-1 and coming off a big win on the road at Virginia Tech. ODU is favored by more than two touchdowns against the Flames this week as they look to end the losing skid against Liberty.

FLAMES  LOOKING FOR MORE IN RUN GAME

Under Coach Chadwell, Liberty has been one of the most successful rushing offenses in the country. In 2023, the Flames led the nation in rushing yards. Last year, the team was ranked in the top 5 nationally. This year, Liberty has seen its numbers drop so far through the first four games of the season as the Flames are currently ranked 63rd in the country in rushing. The success of the team largely rides on the rushing attack. Under Chadwell, Liberty is 22-2 when outrushing it’s opponents compared to being 0-6 when out-rushed, that includes an 0-3 mark this season. The decline in some of the rushing statistics over the year are eye-catching.

Rushing yards per game

  • In 2023, Liberty averaged 293.3 yards
  • In 2024, Liberty averaged 251.3 yards
  • In 2025, Liberty is averaging 175.8 yards

Yards per carry

  • In 2023, Liberty averaged 6.1 yards
  • In 2024, Liberty averaged 5.6 yards
  • In 2025, Liberty is averaging 4.4 yards

Time of possession

  • In 2023, Liberty averaged 33:04 minutes of possession compared to 26;56 for its opponents
  • In 2024, Liberty averaged 30:38 minutes of possession compared to 29:22 for its opponents
  • In 2025, Liberty is averaging 29:44 minutes of possession compared to 30:16 for its opponents

200+ rushing yard games

  • In 2023, Liberty had 12 of 14 games rushing for 200+
  • In 2024, Liberty had 7 of 12 games rushing for 200+
  • In 2025, Liberty has not rushed for 200+ yards in the first four games

What is to blame for this? A loss of talent? Teams adjusting to Liberty’s schemes?

“We’ve got to take care of the ball,” Chadwell said when asked how the run game can improve. “We’ve got to do a better job of holding onto the football because that gives us better opportunities. Secondly, we’ve got to do a better job up front of being more consistent…We’ve got to find ways to (make explosive plays) in our run game on the perimeter more. I think that’s one thing we’re probably missing right now.”

INJURY REPORT

Here’s an update on Liberty’s current injury situation:

  • We mentioned QB Ethan Vasko and his status above.
  • RB Vaughn Blue has been dealing with a nagging lower body injury. He had a setback and did not play against JMU last week. It sounds like he will attempt to fight through it. Chadwell on Blue – “It takes probably a long time to heal, so you try to play through it a little bit. When you try and play through it, it hurts a little bit more. He moved around better (Monday). If he can go, he’s going to go.”
  • TE Connie Hewitt, II did not play against JMU last week.
  • LT Trey Bedosky exited the Jax State game in Week 2 and did not return. He was noticeably limping on the sidelines and has not played the last two weeks and he is trending towards missing the ODU game.
  • DL Markus Clark has missed the last two weeks and is trending towards not playing this week.
  • After suffering an injury in Week 2 at Jax State, Joker CJ Bazile returned to the field against JMU.
  • Backup QB Ryan Burger is done for the season as he is medically retiring due to repeated concussions.
  • Backup C Cal Grubbs suffered an injury late during training camp and is out for the season.