Liberty rushes for 297 yards in 35-3 win over Sam Houston

Ethan Vasko scored twice on short touchdown runs as Liberty beat Sam Houston 35-3 on Thursday night in Lynchburg. The Flames rushed for 297 yards, allowed no touchdowns and won their fifth straight game to move to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Conference USA.

Vasko's two scores supplied the middle of Liberty's scoring run. He went in from a yard out early in the second quarter, then added a 3-yard touchdown in the third. Liberty's official video shows the scoring work from a quarterback who finished with four rushing yards and two touchdowns on three carries.

The Flames spread the rushing production well beyond those short finishes. Jaylon Coleman carried seven times for 92 yards, Kam Davis gained 67 yards and scored on 10 attempts, and starting quarterback Deshawn Purdie added 57 yards on seven runs. Liberty averaged 7.6 yards across its 39 rushing attempts, reaching 411 total yards despite throwing only 14 passes.

Purdie completed 10 of those throws for 114 yards and a touchdown without an interception. His 15-yard pass to Bryce Randolph put Liberty ahead 7-0 with 10:48 left in the first quarter. The Associated Press reported that the opening touchdown finished an eight-play, 75-yard drive, giving the Flames an immediate lead they never relinquished.

Vasko's first touchdown made it 14-0 just 45 seconds into the second quarter. Sam Houston finally scored with Sam Carpenter's 36-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the half. At 14-3, the Bearkats still had a chance to make the game competitive after the break, but they did not score again.

Liberty's next touchdown came at 8:04 of the third quarter. Coleman and Purdie combined for 50 yards on consecutive runs in that scoring sequence, according to the AP account, before Vasko finished the possession two plays later. Davis opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 3-yard run, and Terron Kellman's 9-yard touchdown at 7:49 completed the 35-3 result.

Sam Houston did not commit a turnover, but its possessions repeatedly ran out of room. The Bearkats converted four of 13 third downs and failed on all three fourth-down attempts. Those three turnovers on downs came in the second half, preventing the visitors from keeping pace as Liberty extended its lead.

Landyn Locke completed 20 of 30 passes for 138 yards. MJ Dowdy led Sam Houston with 42 rushing yards, while Grady O'Neill had three catches for 39 yards. The Bearkats finished with 243 total yards and fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in CUSA.

Liberty committed 15 penalties for 117 yards. The schedule now gives Liberty a break before an Oct. 22 trip to Kennesaw State. Sam Houston hosts Western Kentucky on Wednesday.