In a thrilling nail-biter, Liberty edged out WKU 27-24 in overtime. The game showcased a fierce battle on both sides of the ball, with Liberty ultimately coming out on top in a closely contested match.
WKU led in total offense, racking up 415 yards compared to Liberty's 303. They also had the upper hand in passing yards, with 377 to Liberty's 140. Liberty managed to hold their own with a more effective rushing game, gaining 104 yards against WKU's 38. Both teams were evenly matched in terms of first downs, with Liberty securing 20 and WKU 16.
The defenses were solid, with no sacks recorded by either side. Liberty's defense forced two turnovers, including one interception, while WKU had one interception and no forced fumbles. Liberty's efficiency on third downs was a standout, converting 7 of 11 attempts, while WKU managed 6 of 11.
In terms of special teams, Liberty excelled in punt returns with 21 yards, whereas WKU had just 4. The game also saw Liberty perform better in the red zone, scoring 3 touchdowns and 3 field goals compared to WKU's single red zone touchdown and field goal.
Penalties were minimal, with WKU having one penalty for 5 yards, and Liberty not being penalized. Time of possession was slightly in favor of WKU, but Liberty's clutch performance in crucial moments and effective offense secured their victory.
Western Kentucky vs. Liberty: A Thrilling Football Showdown
Date: September 8, 2024
Location: Williams Stadium, Liberty University
In an electrifying college football clash, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers traveled to Liberty University’s Williams Stadium to take on the Liberty Flames. This conference matchup drew significant attention, while Western Kentucky looks to play spoiler.
First Half:
The game kicked off with a high level of intensity. Liberty looked to start off the game strong, but Western Kentucky came out throwing everything at them, and the flames don't get anything going throughout the first quarter. while the only score of the 1st quarter came from a 32-yd Lucas Carneiro FG to put the Hilltoppers on top at the end of the 1st.
Liberty can't seem to get anything going on offense for the most of the first half. The flames found the redzone mid-way through the 1st half, but Western Kentucky defense was holding strong and forces a 4th and goal on the 2-yard line. Salter and the offense ended up walking back on the field and Salter punches it in himself for the go-ahead TD. On the very next offensive play, TJ Finley finds his Running Back, Elijah Young, for a 75-yard TD strike, and Western Kentucky goes into the half with a 10-7 lead.
Liberty goes into the half down at home and couldn't believe the situation they're in. The Coach was not pleased on how the offense was performing and needed to come out of the half with some big changes on offense.
Second Half:
The second half started with Liberty gaining momentum. Their defense, bolstered by the halftime adjustments, began to stifle Western Kentucky’s offensive drives. The Flames took the lead in the third quarter with a long drive down the field and Quinton Cooley punches it in the endzone from 9-yds out. Liberty looked to take over the game, when Eldric Griffin picks off TJ Finley and returns it 78-yds to put Liberty up 21-10 with under 5 minutes to go.
Western Kentucky wasn’t ready to fold. Their offense rallied in the final quarter, with their quarterback connecting on several key passes to move the chains. The Hilltoppers make the deficit to 3 with a 6-yd pass from TJ Finley and a successful 2-pt conversion by Elijah Young. With 2:14 to go and Western Kentucky down by 3, the Hilltoppers needed a key stop.
Liberty, however, goes 3 and out to give the ball back to the Hilltoppers and find themselves in a crucial spot to get a stop. with only 30 seconds to go Western Kentucky hits a game tying Field goal, by Lucas Carneiro to force Overtime.
This is not the spot that Liberty wanted to be in, their backs were against the wall with Western Kentucky with all the momentum heading into OT.
Overtime:
With Western Kentucky getting ball first to start the first overtime, the Flames defense stood tall to force a 21-yd FG. Liberty offense comes out down 3 needing to find a groove on offense. Cooley and Billy Lucas lead the offense with a first down and inside the 15 yard line. Western Kentucky held Liberty to a third and long, Salter ends up finding Treon Sibley for a 10-yd TD pass to escape with an overtime win at home.
Final Score: Liberty 27, Western Kentucky 24
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