Liberty, last week, outplayed JMU in the second half, but couldn’t convert on several opportunities in a 20-13 loss.
On Saturday, the Flames needed a score with 2:34 to go to escape with a win over an FCS team that came into the game with an 0-2 record.
“We obviously ended up with victory and are thankful for that, but we all know we have to play better going forward,” said fourth-year head coach Jamey Chadwell, whose seat is suddenly, officially hot.
Chadwell had Liberty at 13-0 and in a New Year’s Six bowl that they ended up losing in his first season, in 2023, and the Flames were 8-4 in 2024, before flaming out to a 4-8 finish a year ago.
Now he’s 1-1, with a near-miss against Gardner-Webb, which led for 33 minutes in the 24-23 Liberty win.
Liberty (1-1) scored TDs on two of its first three offensive snaps to lead 14-3 barely six minutes in, but thereafter, the offense fizzled – to the point that Chadwell lifted starting QB DeShawn Purdie, who was 6-of-17 for 122 yards and a TD, in favor of backup Jaylen Henderson, who took over in the fourth quarter, and led the game-winning 68-yard drive in the final minutes, capped by a 54-yard TD pass to Darius Copeland with 2:34 left.
Can you say, quarterback controversy?
“I had confidence in Jaylin because I know he’s done well. He had a good camp, so we put him in there,” Chadwell said, demurring on the question, initially.
“If we can’t get better at that position, then yes,” the coach said, in his next breath. “I won’t make the decision based off one game. We’ve got to keep practicing. The great thing about what happened today is, Jaylen got a lot of confidence playing. The team believes in him, and he found a way to get it done.”
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Chris Graham
