Liberty is currently trailing Jax State, 14-7, with 7:53 left in the 2nd quarter as the game entered a weather delay at 1:04 p.m. local time. When play resumes, the Gamecocks will have the ball on their own 39-yard line facing a 2nd and 5.
The Gamecocks have taken advantage of two Liberty turnovers by quarterback Ethan Vasko, scoring both of their touchdowns off those turnovers.
On Liberty’s second offensive play of the game, Vasko didn’t feel the pressure and was hit from behind, losing the ball that resulted in a fumble recovery for the Gamecocks. Just four plays later and Jax State ran into the end zone for the 7-0 lead, marking the 15th straight game the Flames have had a deficit.
After the teams exchanged a couple of punts, Liberty and Vasko were finally able to connect on a passing play. Two straight completions moved the Flames out from the shadow of their own end zone. Then, Vasko was able to avoid the JSU rush, step up into the pocket, and hit Juju Gray in stride down the left sideline. He caught the ball and raced to the end zone for a 72-yard scoring place, tying the game with 4:09 left in the first period.
The Gamecocks took advantage of Liberty’s second turnover, when Vasko was intercepted on 3rd and 11 in JSU territory. They marched down the field in six plays, going 53 yards while completing their first pass of the game to take the 14-7 lead.
The Flames looked to answer the score, driving into Jax State territory. The Flames reached the 29-yard line and faced a 4th and 2 when the rain started. After a timeout, the Flames crowded the line of scrimmage. It looked like Vasko was attempting to hand the ball off to Vaughn Blue, but the ball was mishandled. The Liberty quarterback grabbed the ball, turned around to run, but was hit in the backfield for the loss and turnover on downs.
Entering the weather delay, Vasko is 6 of 11 passing for 117 yards with 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and 1 fumble loss. Caden Williams leads the Liberty rushing attack with four carries for 28 yards. Evan Dickens has 5 rushes for 11 yards. Casey Cain has been Vasko’s favorite target with two catches for 22 yards. Liberty has 162 total offensive yards.
Jax State has 126 total yards of offense. Their quarterback Gavin Wimsatt is 1 of 3 passing for 24 yards. Cam Cook has carried the ball 11 times for 74 yards. The Gamecocks has rushed 19 time for 102 yards.
