Liberty pulls off nail-biter against Sam Houston Bearkats, 21-16
A crowd of 17,100 and a national television audience gathered to watch the Liberty Flames seek out a conference win over the Sam Houston Bearkats in a “Midweek on the Mountain” affair Oct. 5.
Desperate to find its first victory, an 0-4 Sam Houston team gave the Flames their stiffest test of the season. However, in a game that boiled down to one all-important play in the fourth quarter, it was Liberty’s defense that rose above, securing a 21-16 win in front of the home crowd.
“I told the team, ‘There’s no ugly babies,’” Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell said. “You get a baby — no matter what it looks like, you love it. We will take the win … Credit to Sam Houston, they played a great game, they competed, I knew they would.”
While the game rapidly became a nail-biter in the later minutes, Liberty’s first offensive drive indicated that the undefeated Flames would simply pick up where they left off against FIU.
It took Liberty a mere five plays to march down the field, with the opening drive being capped by a diving 10-yard burst into the end zone from sophomore quarterback Kaidon Salter.
The Bearkats and quarterback Keegan Shoemaker, however, mustered a response on the ensuing drive. After a pass interference call on junior defensive back Preston Hodge brought Sam Houston to the 1-yard line, Shoemaker located his receiver Al’vonte Woodard in the end zone to even the scoreboard.
With four minutes remaining in the opening quarter, Salter saw his pass intercepted for just the second time this season, as Jordan Morris made the grab. The winless Bearkats transformed the turnover into 3 points, notching a field goal to steal an unexpected lead over the Flames.
“When you’re desperate, you’re going to play like you want that joy in the locker room,” Chadwell said of Sam Houston. “We knew that they would play well, but also I thought we would play well and match that.”
Liberty regained the lead on the initial play of the second quarter, as junior running back Quinton Cooley barreled his way into the end zone after a nine-play, 77-yard drive. The Flames were now back on top, and junior wide receiver CJ Daniels was due for one of his game-changing plays.
With 2:21 remaining in the first half, Salter unleashed a pass down the field to a wide-open Daniels. The receiver secured the pass, trotting untouched into the end zone. Daniels finished the Thursday night contest with 157 yards — his fifth career 100-yard game.
“Anytime you got a guy that if you put it in his vicinity, he’s got a chance to make a play, that’s a comfort level for the quarterback,” Chadwell said.
After seizing a 21-10 lead at the half, Liberty was forced to take a different approach to its second half of football. Cooley went down with an injury just before halftime, causing Chadwell to look to other players for offensive production.
One of these names was senior wide receiver Aaron Bedgood, who picked up a bulk of the carries in the backfield to account for the absent Cooley. Bedgood notched a season-high 8 carries for 33 yards, splitting the workload with running back James Jointer Jr.
The offensive efforts, however, brought no points to the board. Soon after, Shoemaker fired a strike to Woodard to narrow his team’s deficit to one score. After a failed two-point conversion attempt, five points now stood between the Bearkats and Flames.
Despite a missed field goal from kicker Nick Brown on the ensuing drive, plenty of time remained on the clock for Liberty to cement its victory. In need of a resurgence, Cooley jogged back on the field, exhibiting a gutsy performance on the gridiron.
Cooley’s legs propelled the Flames’ drive, which was also highlighted by a 23-yard completion to Daniels. As the team approached the red zone, however, all momentum came to a halt as Sam Houston forced a field goal attempt that would be unsuccessful by Brown.
Just one drive remained for the Bearkats to surmount Liberty on the scoreboard. Rapidly, the Bearkats executed a 96-yard drive to Liberty’s 3-yard line, with the aid of a crucial pass interference call on junior cornerback Kobe Singleton.
The penalty gave Sam Houston a golden opportunity to leave the Mountain with a win. But rather than letting the mistake get to his head, Singleton regrouped with the help of his teammates.
“My teammates … they said, ‘Keep going, Kobe. You’re going to be good,’” Singleton said. “That’s what really pushed me through. We’re a brotherhood.”
Facing a first-and-goal situation to decide the game, Singleton stepped up and wreaked havoc on the Bearkats offense. On 4th-and-3 with the contest on the line, Flames fans held their breath as Shoemaker dropped back to pass. Flying across the field was Singleton, who got physical and picked up his third pass breakup of the night when it mattered most. As the ball fell to the ground, fans shook the stadium, celebrating the play that secured the victory.
“When he needed to step up, he made a huge play,” Chadwell said of Singleton. “He’s probably the most competitive corner I’ve been around — everything is a competition for him. He rises to the top … Normally if he gets a (pass interference) like that, that would wreck him. He would have been so upset and he wasn’t. He just got back there and played. That’s great for him and his future.”
Flames sprinted on the field, relishing in the fact that they would escape the battle with the Bearkats unscathed.
“It shows our heart. It shows how competitive we are,” Singleton said. “It shows that whatever challenges come our way, we are able to overcome them. So whatever’s thrown at us, we can bounce back from it.”
While the win was certainly Liberty’s grittiest of the season, the team’s next challenge approaches rapidly. After a Thursday night game on the Mountain, the Flames are slated to take on C-USA opponent Jacksonville State just five days later on a Tuesday night.
“I think we’ll be okay and be able to make sure we’re locked in this week,” Singleton said. “I think it’s going to be new for us, especially since this is a short turnaround. It’s going to be interesting to see how it turns out.”
The Flames will meet the Gamecocks in Jacksonville, Alabama Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in another nationally televised contest, eager to prolong their unblemished record.
Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X
