Liberty put together its most dominant performance of the season Thursday night, shutting down Sam Houston and pulling away for a 35-3 victory at Williams Stadium.
The Flames outscored the Bearkats 21-0 in the second half, turning a competitive first half into a convincing Conference USA victory. Liberty (5-1, 2-0 CUSA) held Sam Houston (1-4, 0-1) to just 243 total yards, including a season-low 138 passing yards, while rushing for a season-best 297 yards of its own. The victory gives Liberty its first five-game winning streak since opening the 2024 season with five consecutive wins. The Flames have also surpassed their entire win total from last season, when they finished 4-8.
For head coach Jamey Chadwell, Thursday’s performance showcased the potential of a team that continues to improve. However, the Flames still have work to do before they can consider themselves a championship contender.
“We wanted to control the line of scrimmage up front and make them one dimensional where they didn’t feel like they had a run game,” Chadwell said. “We wanted to have the quarterback try to beat us in the pocket. I thought our guys did a nice job and held them to three points.”
The 32-point margin of victory tied for Liberty’s largest in a Conference USA game since joining the league in 2023, matching its 38-6 win over FIU on Sept. 23, 2023.
Defense Delivers Another Statement
Liberty’s defense set the tone from the opening whistle, limiting Sam Houston to just 18 yards in the first quarter while the Flames piled up 141 yards offensively. It was Liberty’s fewest first-quarter yards allowed since holding ULM to 18 yards in the opening quarter on Oct. 10, 2020. The Bearkats entered Thursday night leading Conference USA with 308 passing yards per game. Against Liberty, they managed just 138 through the air and 243 total yards, both season lows for Sam Houston.
The defense’s biggest moments came on fourth down. Sam Houston went 0-for-3 on fourth-down conversions, repeatedly surrendering possession when it needed to sustain drives and generate momentum. Chadwell viewed those stops as pivotal moments that helped his defense maintain control.
“They were 0-of-3 on fourth down conversions, which were big,” Chadwell said. “The game was still in the balance there on some of those fourth downs. Our defense did a fantastic job.”
The three points allowed were the fewest by Liberty in a Conference USA game and the fewest the Flames have surrendered in any game since shutting out UMass, 45-0, on Nov. 27, 2020.
Liberty has now held four consecutive opponents under 20 points, its longest such streak since six straight opponents failed to reach that mark across the end of the 2012 season and beginning of the 2013 campaign. The Flames have also allowed just 14 fourth-quarter points through six games, while scoring 63 of their own in the final period.
“I think they’re playing with an edge,” Chadwell said. “They’re playing with a great mentality and are excited about playing defense.”
Chadwell also praised the unit’s ability to respond after giving up a play and the coaching staff’s willingness to rotate players while maintaining the defense’s intensity. That combination has helped Liberty become increasingly difficult to score against as the season progresses.
Ground Game Continues to Improve
While the defense dominated, Liberty’s rushing attack delivered another milestone performance. The Flames entered Thursday leading Conference USA with 208.2 rushing yards per game. They surpassed that average by nearly 90 yards, finishing with a season-high 297 yards on the ground. Even more impressive, Liberty has increased its single-game rushing total in every game this season. The Flames have now rushed for at least 200 yards in four consecutive contests, their longest such streak since October and November 2024. The rushing success has become a defining feature of Liberty’s offense, allowing the Flames to control the line of scrimmage, sustain possessions, and put opposing defenses under pressure.
Quarterback Deshawn Purdie contributed both through the air and on the ground. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown while adding a career-high 57 rushing yards on seven carries. Purdie connected with Bryce Randolph for a 15-yard touchdown on Liberty’s opening drive, continuing a trend of fast starts for the Flames. Liberty has scored on its opening possession in each of its last five games and has opened all three home games this season with a touchdown pass on its first drive.
Purdie also extended his season-long streak of protecting the football. He entered the game as one of seven FBS quarterbacks with at least seven touchdown passes and zero interceptions. His touchdown against Sam Houston was his eighth of the season, and he has yet to throw an interception.
Liberty’s rushing production has also benefited from the continued involvement of backup quarterback Ethan Vasko, who scored two rushing touchdowns Thursday night. Chadwell and his staff have developed a specific package around Vasko’s strengths, giving Liberty another option in the running game and near the goal line.
“We’ve got him in a package and think he can execute it. We’ve got to continue to expand it,” Chadwell said.
The head coach praised Vasko’s decision-making when plays break down, along with his growing confidence and commitment to the team’s success.
“For him to be able to come out and do the things he’s been able to do the last few weeks has been good for the team,” Chadwell said.
With the rushing attack continuing to improve and Vasko providing another dimension, Liberty is developing multiple ways to wear down opposing defenses.
Second-Half Surge Puts Game Away
Despite its early offensive success, Liberty did not completely separate itself from Sam Houston until the second half. Penalties and execution issues stalled several opportunities to build a more comfortable lead before halftime. The Bearkats managed to get on the scoreboard with a field goal with just 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter, leaving Liberty with areas to address despite its strong first-half performance.
The Flames responded after the break, scoring 21 unanswered points to turn the game into a rout. Chadwell said his team improved its execution in the second half, even though penalties continued to be a problem.
“We hurt ourselves in the first half with some penalties,” Chadwell said. “We had a lot of missed assignments and execution that cost us from having a chance to really put that game away.”
The second-half response was part of a larger trend for Liberty. The Flames have now produced a scoring run of at least 21 consecutive points in four straight games. Liberty has also scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games for the first time since an eight-game stretch during the 2023 season. Those numbers point to an offense finding greater consistency, particularly when it can establish the run and finish drives.
Chadwell specifically identified red-zone execution as a goal entering the game. Liberty answered by scoring five touchdowns in the red zone, an important step in turning offensive opportunities into points.
Penalties Remain a Concern
For all the positives, Liberty’s performance was not without its flaws. The Flames committed 15 penalties for 117 yards, repeatedly creating unnecessary obstacles for themselves. Those mistakes were particularly frustrating for Chadwell because he believed Liberty had an opportunity to deliver an even more complete performance across all three phases.
“Penalties are an issue,” Chadwell said. “We had 15 (for 117 yards) and some foolish ones.”
Chadwell acknowledged that some penalties come with playing aggressively, but he was less forgiving of the avoidable mistakes that can derail drives or give opponents opportunities they have not earned. The penalties did not prevent Liberty from dominating Sam Houston, but they remain a concern as the competition continues to intensify in conference play.
“There’s some things that we can’t do if we’re going to try compete for a championship,” Chadwell said. “I’m disappointed in that overall.”
That message should be an important one for a team that has won five straight games and appears to be gaining momentum. The next step is not simply to keep winning, but to eliminate the mistakes that could prove costly against stronger opponents.
Flames Building Momentum in Conference USA
Thursday’s victory continued a strong stretch for Liberty, which improved to 2-0 in Conference USA and 5-1 overall. The Flames are also 4-0 in Conference USA home openers and 19-4 at Williams Stadium under Chadwell. The Flames have won five straight for the first time since 2024 and have established themselves as a team capable of controlling games on both sides of the ball.
The defense is holding opponents to minimal production, the rushing attack continues to set new season highs, and Purdie is protecting the football while contributing as a runner. Vasko’s expanded role adds another element to the offense. But Chadwell is focused on keeping his team hungry rather than allowing recent success to create complacency.
“We challenged our guys about being a hungry team,” Chadwell said. “Everybody’s telling us we’re pretty decent right now. I told our guys not to fall for it.”
Liberty has every reason to feel good about Thursday night’s performance. A 35-3 victory, 297 rushing yards, and a defense that surrendered just three points represent significant progress.
The Flames have moved past last season’s win total and are building momentum in the conference race. Now, the challenge is to carry that performance forward while cleaning up the penalties and execution errors that kept the game from being even more lopsided.
For the first time since 2024, Liberty has won five consecutive games. If the Flames can continue to pair their defensive intensity with an increasingly productive rushing attack, that streak may be only the beginning.
