Liberty vs. FIU Football Game Recap
Liberty Football extended their regular season winning streak to 17 games with a thrilling 31–24 overtime win against Florida International (FIU) on October 8, 2024 at Williams Stadium. This win kept Liberty undefeated with a 5–0 record in the 2024 season, while FIU fell to 2–4.
Liberty trailed 10–3 early in the second quarter after FIU took advantage of a short field and capitalized on a fumble recovery in the endzone that had everyone in attendance holding their breath. However, Liberty would respond quickly with an 11-play, 59-yard drive, resulting in a four-yard touchdown run from senior running back Quinton Cooley.
“He had to run a lot more than we thought because Billy (Lucas) got hurt a little bit,” Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell said. “We knew that if we handed the ball off, we felt like we could find a way to move the ball.”
The Flames took a seven-point lead right before halftime as junior quarterback Kaidon Salter ran into the end zone from 20 yards out, making it 17–10 at the half.
Photo captured by Ryan Anderson | @ryantanderson
Neither team could find their rhythm after the intermission. Until, Liberty took a commanding 24–10 lead early in the fourth quarter, thanks to Cooley’s second rushing touchdown. He finished the game with a season-high 174 rushing yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns.
Nevertheless, FIU stormed back late in the fourth quarter. Panthers sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins put together two touchdown drives in the final 6:23, tying the game at 24 and forcing overtime.
“Credit to FIU, they came out and played well,” Chadwell said. “We were up 14 points with six minutes to go and had a chance to end the game, and they fought back to send that game to overtime. So, credit to them and the way they played.”
In overtime, Liberty started with the ball leading to a Salter eight-yard touchdown run, giving the Flames a 31–24 cushion. On FIU’s following possession, Liberty’s defense delivered a crucial turnover. Freshman safety Christian Bodnar forced a fumble on a sack of Jenkins, which senior linebacker Jerome Jolly Jr. recovered to seal the game.
“I just won us the game,” Bodnar said. “It was like slow motion watching my teammates get on the ball, but when I saw them get on the ball, I was full of excitement.”
Image captured by Brooke McDuffee
Salter completed 9 of 16 passes for 125 yards (7.8 yards per attempt) and added 60 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Liberty outgained FIU in total yards (406–344) and rushing yards (281–99). Despite FIU’s comeback effort, the combination of Liberty’s defensive pressure and good secondary play limited Jenkins to 245 passing yards.
Liberty’s victory was marked by toughness, overcoming another slow start and penalties in the first half to pull out an overtime win. FIU, on the other hand, displayed grit and determination, pushing one of the top teams in Conference USA to its limit.
“It’s not being selfish and moving on to the next play,” Cooley said. “If you don’t move onto the next play, more turnovers and things can happen.”
The Flames’ next contest will be on the home field of the Kennesaw State Owls, who are 0–5 (0–1 in C-USA) and ranked seventh in the current standings. They will travel to Kennesaw Oct. 23, and the game will air on CBS Sports Network.
