LYNCHBURG, Va. – Kaidon Salter threw four touchdown passes, Quinton Cooley and Aaron Bedgood scored two touchdowns apiece and Liberty beat Louisiana Tech 56-30 Saturday night to improve to 9-0 for the first time in program history. With the win, Liberty also earned the right to host the Conference USA Championship Game on December 1.
“It’s obviously a great honor,” said Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell. “To be in a conference at FBS, after being independent, then having a chance to be in a conference that wants us and our university gives us a great identity and great brand and to represent the new conference in the first championship game is tremendous.”
Jacob Barnes made a 26-yard field goal to open the scoring with 11:21 left in the first quarter but Salter answered with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Bentley Hanshaw just over a minute later and threw a 24-yard scoring strike to CJ Daniels that made it 14-3 with 1:27 remaining in the period.
Bedgood scored on a 5-yard run and his 4-yard touchdown reception with 6 seconds left in the half gave the Flames (9-0, 7-0 Conference USA) a 28-10 lead.
Noah Frith scored on a 55-yard catch-and-run before Cooley, who finished with 179 yards rushing, added TDs of 29 yards in the third quarter and 7 yards in the fourth.
Hank Bachmeier was 22-of-33 passing for 304 yards and two touchdowns for Louisiana Tech (3-6, 2-3). Keith Willis Jr. scored two short rushing touchdowns.