In a game that was as tense and tightly contested as any, the Liberty Flames pulled off a dramatic 20-17 victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, with the winning touchdown coming as time expired. This marked the second consecutive matchup between these two teams in which Liberty had to wait until the final moments to seal the win, once again snatching victory away from WKU in the dying seconds.
**Defensive Struggles and Low-Scoring Drama:**
Both teams stood their ground defensively throughout the game, making it a hard-fought, low-scoring affair. Liberty, while outgaining the Hilltoppers in total yards (425 to 267), was stifled by Western Kentucky's defense, which limited the Flames to just 65 rushing yards. Despite the limited ground game, Liberty’s passing attack, led by quarterback Kaidon Salter, was the key to their offense, as he threw for 306 yards. However, it was Liberty's defense that stood tall, never allowing WKU to get comfortable despite the Hilltoppers gaining 248 total yards.
**WKU’s Offensive Struggles:**
Western Kentucky was hindered by its inability to consistently move the ball, with just 83 rushing yards and 165 passing yards. Quarterback T.J. Finley struggled to find rhythm against a tough Liberty defense, completing only a fraction of his passes, though he did manage to keep his team in the game. WKU's offensive line and receivers couldn’t sustain drives, and although the Hilltoppers made it to the red zone twice, they came away with only two touchdowns and no field goals.
**Key Moments and the Game’s Turning Points:**
The most telling statistic of the game was WKU’s inability to convert on third down. While Liberty converted 7 of 12 third downs, the Hilltoppers were a dismal 1 for 5, which limited their offensive opportunities. WKU's defense held strong in the red zone, allowing Liberty just one field goal out of two trips inside the 20-yard line. However, with less than a minute remaining, Liberty made one last push down the field. With a final, desperate heave to the end zone as time expired, Liberty managed to score the game-winning touchdown, leaving WKU no time to respond.
**Special Teams and Field Position:**
Liberty also had the edge in special teams, with solid returns (51 yards on kick returns and 19 on punts), giving them better field position throughout the game. WKU had zero kick returns and minimal impact in the return game, making it harder for them to overcome the defensive struggle.
**Clean Play, but Missed Opportunities:**
Both teams played relatively clean games with no turnovers, an impressive feat given the defensive intensity. Liberty’s ability to maintain possession while converting in critical moments (like their successful 4th down attempt) helped them capitalize on the Hilltoppers’ missed chances. WKU, on the other hand, was penalized just once for five yards, but failed to capitalize on enough opportunities, especially in the red zone.
**Final Thoughts:**
In the end, it was another heartbreaker for Western Kentucky, who saw a hard-fought game slip through their fingers in the final moments. This loss came in a similar fashion to their previous meeting, where Liberty's clutch execution in the final seconds was the difference. For Liberty, it was another example of resilience under pressure, as they improved to 2-0 in tight games against WKU, once again proving that when it comes down to the wire, they know how to finish.
Liberty at Western Kentucky in Thrilling Football Showdown
Bowling Green, KY – November 2024 — Liberty's football team delivered an instant classic, taking down Western Kentucky in a high-octane contest. The Flames’ offense showcased their Poise and Perseverance, while the defense stifled Western Kentucky’s efforts, securing a last second victory at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
First Half: Hard fought battle
Both defenses came out to play with high energy, making both offenses hard to move the football. Liberty seemed more promising, being able to move the ball down field but failed to secure any points in the first quarter. Western Kentucky seemed to struggle to find a groove for the most part of the first half. After the first missed field goal by Liberty, the Hilltoppers found great field position and couldn't come away with any points as well.
Liberty struck first mid-way through the second quarter when Billy Lucas finished off a long drive, with a 1-yd touchdown run to give the Flames an early 7-0 lead. Western Kentucky looked to answer back on their next drive, trying to grab some sort of momentum going into halftime, TJ Finley was finding holes in the Liberty secondary and led the Hilltoppers down the field on an impressive drive that was capped off by an Elijah Young 4-yd touchdown run to even the score up going into the half.
Second Half: Classic ending
With Western Kentucky grabbing the momentum right before half, the crowd was ready for the second half and so was the Hilltoppers offense. TJ Finely and the ground game was dominant in the third quarter, the defense was giving Liberty offense problems on the other side of the ball as well. TJ Finley led the offense down the field and was able to come away with a field goal to take their first lead of the game. on their next possession, TJ Finley went back to the air and found Michael Mathison for a 42-yd touchdown pass to take a 17-7 lead as time expired in the third quarter.
As we opened the fourth quarter, and Liberty being down 2 scores, they have their backs against the wall and looking for a miracle. With all the pressure on the Liberty offense to find a score early, Kaidon Salter needed to work some magic. Thats when he found Treon Sibley for a 35-yd touchdown pass to move it back to a one score game. Western Kentucky looked to run the clock out and wear the Flames defense down to pick up a big upset at home. The Liberty defense stepped up and got off the field to give one more shot for their offense.
The Hilltoppers defense was playing great all day and needed one more stop to pick up a big win. Liberty was driving down the field late and found themselves with 3rd and long at midfield. Kaidon Salter rocketed a pass over the middle and got tipped by a Western Kentucky linebacker, but Darius Copeland saved the day and caught it out of the air for a first down. With time winding down, all Liberty needed was 10-15 more yards for field goal range, but how much trust do they have after 2 misses in this game already? with around 30 seconds left in the game Liberty found themselves in a hard spot, 4th down and a yard to go, Liberty sent the offense back out there with the game on the line.
Western Kentucky couldn't get off the field and looked gas on this drive, when they gave up another big conversion on 4th down to set Liberty up with 1st and goal. Liberty was gambling this whole drive and looked to find the endzone. with nothing succesfull on the first and goal play. they looked at the clock with 2 seconds left and decided they were going to live and die with the offense. Kaidon Salter and the offense took the field one last time and with the game and the conference on the line, Salter found tight end Bo Burklow right across the goal line to walk it off for the Flames. The fans were stunned to see how the game ended but it was such a classic that left the Hilltoppers with hope in the future.
Final Score: Liberty 20, WKU 17
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE:
WHOS ONLINE:
10 Guests in the last 5 minutes Legend: NDL Admin | Conference Commish | Media Team | NDL Coaches
NDL Hall of Fame:
659 Coaches Newest Member: Shotty_mac90
HOME
Discord