LYNCHBURG, Va. ? Liberty University snapped Presbyterian College's four-game winning streak in a 48-14 win over the Blue Hose before 15,307 fans at Williams Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The loss drops PC to 5-4 on the year, while the win improves Liberty to 5-3 in their 2007 campaign. The loss to Liberty is the first loss of the season by PC to a future Big South league foe as they end the game 2-1 against Big South teams.
The Blue Hose concluded the game with 397 total yards, including 332 passing yards.
Grayson Mullins (Columbia, S.C.) in his first action since the loss to Western Carolina came off the bench to pass for 296 yards and one touchdown.
Terrance Butler (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) led the Blue Hose in the loss receiving, catching a career-high 10 passes for 106 yards. Teammate Justin Durant (Florence, S.C.) was just behind him, catching his third touchdown in the last two games in the loss and a total of six passes for 103 yards.
S.J. Worrell (Madison, Ga.) had nine catches for 54 yards. The dual threat also ran for 51 more and a touchdown to finish with 105 all purpose yards in the game.
Two Blue Hose defensive players ended the game with 10 or more tackles. Antwan Thomas (Hawkinsville, Ga.) led PC with 11 total tackles and Antoine Carter (Lawrenceville, Ga.) finished just behind him with 10 total stops in the loss.
Rashad Jennnings led the Flames in the win with 196 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Down 20-0 on their first possession of the second half, PC on the arm of Mullins, who came in for an injured Tim Webb (Lugoff, S.C.) in the second quarter, acquired its first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard slant to Durant that made the score 20-7 with 12:07 left in the third quarter.
The 13-yard touchdown reception by Durant was the result of a 12-play, 85-yard drive for the Blue Hose.
Liberty quickly responded on its next drive when Jennings busted loose for a 64-yard touchdown that extended Liberty's lead back to 20 points at 27-7.
The Blue Hose cut the lead once again next when they were returned the football after the score by Liberty, punching the football in on a two-yard rushing touchdown by Worrell that set the score at 27-14 after Cam Miller's (Lyman, S.C) extra point.
Worrell's touchdown was made possible on a 39-yard pass from Mullins to Butler that gave PC the football at the two-yard line.
The second half offensive onslaught continued on LU's next possession when Zach Terrell rushed to the left for a three-yard touchdown to place Liberty back on top 34-14.
The Blue Hose would then march down to the Liberty eight-yard line, looking as if they would once again return the favor, but the Blue Hose offense was not able to connect on fourth down and six thus ending the streak of straight possessions out of the gate in the second half of each team scoring a touchdown.
The Flames added another touchdown with 11:59 left in the fourth quarter when Smith found Brandon Turner for a 27-yard touchdown that gave Liberty a 41-14 lead.
LU scored its final points of the game on a 68-yard pass from Smith to Chris Luck.
The Flames scored the opening points of the game on their first drive, using good field position off the opening kickoff to allow Noah Greenbaum to kick a field goal to give Liberty an early 3-0 advantage.
Greenbaum put the Flames ahead 6-0 on Liberty's next possession, hitting a 44-yard field goal with 7:24 left in the first quarter.
The Flames scored their first touchdown of the game in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Jennings scored the touchdown, rushing to the left side of the end zone for nine yards to give Liberty a 13-0 lead after Greenbaum's extra point with 9:59 left in the second quarter.
The Flames added a touchdown later in the final minute of the first half when Brock Smith found Dominic Bolden for a 44-yard touchdown reception on third down. The touchdown garnered the Flames a 20-0 advantage going into halftime.
PC returns home next Saturday for its first home game in four weeks. The Blue Hose will play host to Chowan University for Parents' Day at PC at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Bailey Memorial Stadium.
The Blue Hose will then close out their 2007 campaign the next week against Charleston Southern at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Charleston, S.C.
