For a second straight week, Liberty won the total yardage battle but lost the game, this time falling at Bowling Green, 23-13. The Flames committed a season-high four turnovers that amplified the team’s inconsistencies despite outgaining the Falcons, 332-304. With the loss, Liberty drops to 1-2 on the season, the first time the Flames have had a losing record since the opening weeks of the 2019 season.

“We have to do a better job,” said Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell. “You can’t win any game when you turn the ball over five times and have the number of penalties we had. We have to be able to play better. My job is to get us to play better. We are not playing to the level this team is capable of right now, for whatever reason, and that’s on me. I’ve got to figure out how to get that fixed.”

Liberty also had a season-high in penalties with six, including two that took touchdowns off the board. This is an error that also happened last week in the loss at Jax State, as it becomes a reoccurring theme early in this season.

“We’re not where we need to be,” Chadwell said. “If we’re going to turn this thing around, and we will, it’s an out of conference game. It’s disappointing because we always want to represent Conference USA well. It’s disappointing, but our ultimate goal is to win the conference, that’s still way out there ahead of us. My main focus is we’ve got to get our guys back playing better football for four quarters.”

For a 16th consecutive game, the Flames fell behind on the scoreboard early. Receiving the opening kickoff, Liberty quickly moved the ball, picking up 28 yards on three plays and crossing into Bowling Green territory. Unfortunately, the drive came to an end when Reese Smith fumbled the ball after a 17-yard gain on a pass play. The Falcons, playing in front of a homecoming crowd of 23,159, took advantage as they drove 29 yards in 10 plays and knocked in a 47-yard field goal to take the early 3-0 lead.

Both offenses struggled throughout the evening, especially in the first half. Liberty had its first touchdown taken off the board later in the first half when a holding call wiped off a touchdown pass from Ethan Vasko to Elijah Canion. The Flames settled for a 38-yard Brayden Beck field goal which was no good. Liberty is now 1 for 4 on field goals this season. A couple of possessions later, Evan Dickens had a 55-yard touchdown run called back due to a holding penalty. Shortly thereafter, the Flames committed their second turnover of the game when Vasko was intercepted.

With Liberty’s defense holding Bowling Green to 102 yards of offense entering the closing minutes of the first half, the Flames had the ball deep inside its own territory and was content to run the clock out and enter the locker room at halftime trailing 3-0. On a 2nd down play, Caden Williams picked up 16 yards on a run play up the middle, but he lost control of the ball and turned it over. Bowling Green took over with just 29 seconds remaining in the first half at the Liberty 23-yard line, and they took advantage, scoring a touchdown to go into halftime up 10-0.

“We’ve given up a lot of points on defense because our offense has put them in bad situations,” Chadwell said. “We’ve got to stop doing that.”

Coming out of the locker room, Liberty forced a Bowling Green three and out and punt. The Flames then found some rhythm with Vasko connecting with Donte Lee for a touchdown, to cut the deficit to 10-7. Lee has now scored a touchdown in each of the first three games this season, this one from 44-yards out. He finished the game with three catches for a team-leading 77 yards.

Bowling Green answered with a 13-play, 67 yard drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal, making the score 13-7. It gave Liberty the opportunity to get its offense back on the field with the chance to take the lead. Facing a 3rd and 8 at the team’s own 20-yard line, Vasko found an open Casey Cain who picked up 37 yards and moved the bowl into Bowling Green territory. However, the play was negated due to a holding penalty. It resulted in Liberty having to punt after a three and out. The Falcons took advantage and knocked in a third field goal of the game, this one from 50-yards, making it a two score game early in the fourth quarter, 16-7.

On the ensuing drive, the Flames turned it over on downs and Bowling Green got into the end zone off the short field, taking a commanding 23-7 lead. Liberty added a touchdown with just less than three minutes remaining. The Flames attempted a two-point try to make it a one score game. Lee was open in the back of the end zone, but Vasko’s pass was inaccurate. Liberty attempted an onside kick, Bowling Green recovered and was then able to run out the clock to pick up the win for first-year head coach Eddie George.

“We’re not scoring enough points,” Chadwell said of his offense. “You’ve got to be able to score points in college football. Then, when we get something to happen, a penalty sets us back. If we get down there, we miss a kick. It’s disheartening.”

For a second time this season, Liberty was out-rushed in the game. The Falcons ran for 158 yards to Liberty’s 138. It’s been a disappointing start on the ground early in the season for the Flames who had a top five rushing attack each of the past two seasons. Evan Dickens paced Liberty’s ground attack, rushing 14 times for 82 yards and a touchdown.

“I think we’re inconsistent,” Chadwell said of his running game. “I think we’ve got to stick to it more. I think we’ve got to do a better job of trying to take advantage of what people are trying to do to us consistently. When you get a big play, we have a turnover, or we get a big run and we couldn’t finish it up with something. I’m not expecting we should be rushing for 400 yards every week, but we’re better than what we’ve shown this week for sure.”

Vasko finished the game completing 13 of 24 passing attempts for 194 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Reese Smith was his top target, finishing the game with eight targets, four receptions, and 60 yards.

Following a two-game road swing, the Flames return to Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia this week to take on in-state rival James Madison. The Dukes are 1-1 on the season and coming off an open date.

“We are struggling, but there’s a purpose,” said Chadwell. “We shared Romans 8:28 with the team last week. There’s a purpose for all things. We’re going through something now that nobody wants to, but there’s a purpose behind that. I’m confident that they will stay together. We’ve just got to continue to fight for each other, continue to do the things necessary to go out and play winning football. That’s our main thing. I’m disappointed. I want to let our fans know I’m disappointed that this is how we’re playing right now, but we will get it better. I can guarantee you that.”