In his first game at the helm of Liberty University's football program, former Buffalo head coach OldManWobbles saw his Flames battle but ultimately fall short against UCLA, dropping a competitive 21-14 contest at the Rose Bowl.
Despite being shut out in the first half, Liberty showed resilience and offensive life in the second half, putting together two scoring drives that kept the outcome in doubt until the final whistle. Quarterback Kaidon Salter displayed efficiency through the air, completing 27 of 36 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 60 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
The Flames' offense outgained UCLA in total yardage (429-350) and first downs (24-21), with Quinton Cooley contributing 56 yards on 12 carries to complement Salter's rushing effort. The receiving corps showed depth, with three players recording at least 59 yards - Treon Sibley (7 catches, 70 yards), Bentley Hanshaw (5 catches, 61 yards, TD), and Quinton Cooley (11 catches, 59 yards).
Defensively, Liberty put forth a strong effort, led by Joseph Carter's 12 tackles and A Khori Jones' interception. The unit held UCLA's passing attack to just 122 yards, though Bruins running back TJ Harden managed to find success on the ground with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
"While the result wasn't what we wanted, I saw a lot of fight in this team," Coach OldManWobbles might have reflected after the game. "To come into the Rose Bowl and go toe-to-toe with UCLA shows the potential we have. We'll build on this."
The game turned on third down efficiency, where UCLA converted 9 of 13 attempts compared to Liberty's 6 of 10. The Flames also struggled with ball security, as three dropped passes and some crucial penalties in UCLA territory stunted potentially promising drives. However, the biggest mistake came at the end of the 1st half when Liberty ran out of time on UCLA's one yard line after Salter decided to run for the endzone and coming up short with not timeouts left.
Liberty will look to bounce back after a bye wee next week as they continue their non-conference schedule, carrying forward the positive signs shown in their season opener despite the loss.
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