LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty scored 35 first half points and never looked back as the Flames defeated Old Dominion Football 38-10 Saturday afternoon at Williams Stadium.
Liberty (10-0, 7-0 CUSA) opened the contest with the ball and drove 75 yards in eight plays. On fourth and three, Kaidon Salter found CJ Daniels down the right sideline for a 43-yard touchdown pass and 7-0 Liberty lead.
After Old Dominion's (4-6, 3-3 SBC) opening drive stalled around midfield, the Flames took over and drove 53 yards in six plays capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Salter.
Following a turnover by the Monarchs, Liberty added to its lead a four-yard touchdown run by Salter which completed an 11 play, 57-yard drive, that was all on the ground for a 21-0 Liberty lead with 11:20 left in the second quarter.
After an ODU punt, Liberty made it 28-0 on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Salter to Noah Frith.
ODU then put together its best drive of the first half, going 56 yards in 11 plays before a 37-yard Ethan Sanchez field goal. Grant Wilson had runs of 29 and 13 yards and an eight-yard completion to Reymello Murphy to set up the field goal.
With 54 seconds left in the first half, Daniels hauled in his second TD of the first half, this one an eight-yarder from Salter to make the halftime score 35-3.
Liberty added a Nick Brown 40-yard field goal with four minutes left in the third quarter to push the lead to 38-3.
Old Dominion made it 38-10 late in the fourth quarter as Wilson found Harvey for a five-yard score. The touchdown capped a 10 play, 56-yard drive. On the drive, Wilson hit Murphy for 16 yards on fourth and 15 and later connected on first down completions to Harvey and Obie Sanni to set up the touchdown.
Harvey caught a career-high 12 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. The 12 grabs are tied for the third most in a game in ODU history. Wilson completed 23-of-42 passes for 161 yards with a TD and INT.
Wayne Matthews (14), Jason Henderson (13) and Ashton Whitner (10) all recorded double-digit tackle games. Matthews tied his career high, while Whitner secured a career best.
ODU plays its final away game of the year next Saturday, Nov. 18 when they travel to Georgia Southern for a 6 p.m. start.
Notes – Jeremy Mack started at safety, notching his first start as a Monarch … Grant Wilson's first quarter interception snapped a streak of 115-consecutive passes without an interception … Wilson's 29-yard second quarter run was his longest of the season … Wilson's 32-yard run in the third quarter then eclipsed his earlier run for longest of the season … Javon Harvey had a career-high 10 receptions … Jason Henderson registered his 10th-straight double-digit tackle game of the year with 13 tackles … Wayne Matthews notched his sixth double-digit tackle game of the year and tied his career-best with 14 tackles … Monterio Smith registered his first career interception … Safety Ashton Whitner recorded a career-high 10 tackles.