Ethan Lasko had three touchdown passes, including a game winning 24-yarder to Evan Dickens with 10:24 left in the fourth quarter on Saturday as FBS Liberty University pulled away from FCS Maine for a 28-7 season opening football win at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The visiting Black Bears, a big underdog, took the Flames into the fourth quarter of a 7-7 game. The hosts would score three TDs over that final 10:24 to avoid a big upset. Maine got a strong showing from Division II transfer running back Sincere Baines. Baines had opened the scoring with a 77-yard scoring run in the second quarter to stun the crowd in Lynchburg for a 7-0 lead. Liberty would even the game before the half, getting a huge turnover when Carter Peevy was sacked and fumbled the ball away. That would lead to a 9-yard touchdown pass from Lasko to Reese Smith with just seconds remaining and it was 7-7 at the break.
The teams played the field position game in the third quarter, as Maine punted twice and Liberty once. The Flames would threaten to score next when they drove deep into Black Bears territory to the 30-yard line with a possession that started in the third and stretched into the fourth period. They were turned away however, as Jake Kucera broke up a pass on fourth and short on a QB hurry by Ta’Kai Chisolm. Maine then got a big 30-yard run from Rashawn Marshall to get onto the Liberty side of the field, but the aggressive Black Bears were turned away on 4th and 8 at their opponents 38-yard line on an incomplete pass by Peevy. LU then began the game winning drive, covering 62 yards in 1:39 helped by a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Chris Bacon. Lasko found his running back Dickens leaking out of the backfield and into the right flat, and Dickens went 24 yards up the sideline and into the endzone to give his team the lead for the first time and for good. An interception thrown by Peevy led to a third TD pass by Lasko of 16 yards to Donte Lee, Jr., and Lasko would also add a 13-yard scoring run late.
Peevy finished his day 13-31 passing for 132 yards with one interception in the Maine loss. The Black Bears backfield was very impressive, as Baines had 119 yards on 11 carries including the lone score with his 77-yard TD scamper. Marshall added 76 yards on 11 attempts. Transfer wide receiver Scott Woods (Harvard) had the most receptions with four going for 34 yards, while Molayo Irefin hauled in three for 35 yards. The defense really played well all 60 minutes, led by graduate linebacker Christian Thomas who had 15 total tackles (10 solo), along with one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Devin Vaught stepped up big as well with nine tackles (eight solo), and one also going for a loss. Sophomore linebacker Noah Carpenter (Leavitt High School) played in his first collegiate game, recording a tackle and assisting to break up a pass. Graduate Anthony Peccorella helped to win the field position game for alot of the second half, as he had four punts with two that went inside the 10-yard line and another that went 57 yards from deep in his own territory. Lasko accounted for all four touchdowns for Liberty in the win, passing for 197 yards (19 for 33) and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 69 yards on 13 attempts and a score for the Flames out of Conference USA.
Maine, who last beat an FBS team in 2021 when they upset Western Kentucky on the road, will play another from the FBS on September 27th when they travel to Georgia Southern. The Black Bears also stay on the road next Saturday, September 6th for their CAA opener at William & Mary at 6 p.m.
Featured photo of Sincere Baines courtesy of UMaine Athletics
