Liberty · Conference USALiberty pulls away from Coastal Carolina with second-half surge
Deshawn Purdie threw two touchdown passes and Kam Davis rushed for 166 yards as the Flames improved to 3-1.
SEP 25, 2026
unanswered second-half points
Liberty's record after the win
Coastal Carolina's record after the loss
01 · The NewsLiberty Pulls Away
Liberty scored 24 unanswered second-half points Thursday, Sept. 24, to beat Coastal Carolina 34-17, extending its winning streak to three games after an opening loss at James Madison.
Deshawn Purdie threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, while Kam Davis ran for 166 yards and a score. Their passing-and-rushing combination drove a second-half surge that turned Liberty’s first road win of the season into its most important result since the Sept. 5 defeat.
Liberty’s start has taken shape quickly. The Flames followed a 20-13 loss at James Madison with a 24-23 escape against Gardner-Webb, then routed Ball State 51-15 before pulling away from Coastal Carolina. The three victories have come by one, 36 and 17 points, respectively.
Coastal’s early season has moved the other way. The Chanticleers lost 31-24 at West Virginia, beat Fordham 45-7 and then fell 22-14 at Delaware before Liberty handed them a second consecutive defeat. Coastal finished 6-7 last season, including a 5-3 conference record.
Liberty plays at Delaware on Friday, Oct. 2, before hosting Sam Houston six days later; Coastal hosts Georgia Southern on Saturday, Oct. 3. Purdie and Davis now take the Flames into that road test after accounting for three touchdowns in the comeback.
02 · The StakesTwo Teams, Opposite Paths
The Flames improved to 3-1, one victory short of their total from a 4-8 season in 2025. Coastal Carolina dropped to 1-3, putting added weight on its Oct. 3 home game against Georgia Southern as it tries to halt a two-game losing streak. Conference records after Thursday’s game were not provided, so the immediate standings impact was unclear. The larger trajectories were not: Liberty carried a three-game winning streak, while Coastal left with three losses in four games.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Delaware is the hinge between a good September and a season that moves beyond 2025’s scale. Coastal scored 14 points there on Sept. 19 and lost by eight; Liberty visits Oct. 2 after scoring 34 at Coastal. A win would make the Flames 4-1, matching their entire 2025 victory total.
Liberty then hosts Sam Houston six days later before a 14-day break leading into the Oct. 22 trip to Kennesaw State. That creates two opportunities in seven days to surpass last season’s win total, which would turn the three-game streak into year-over-year progress before the late-October road date.
“The larger trajectories were not: Liberty carried a three-game winning streak, while Coastal left with three losses in four games.”
From the story04 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Can Coastal stop its slide against Georgia Southern?
A loss in the Oct. 3 home game would leave the Chanticleers 1-4 and extend their skid to three before the Oct. 10 trip to Marshall and the Oct. 16 home date with App State. That result would push a team coming off six wins in 2025 further behind that pace. The Oct. 3 final score is the immediate tell.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Liberty keep the surge going?
The Flames visit Delaware on Friday, Oct. 2, after winning three straight games.
Can Coastal stop the slide?
The Chanticleers host Georgia Southern on Saturday, Oct. 3, with two consecutive losses behind them.