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Liberty outlasts New Mexico State in Conference USA title game, remains in hunt for New Year's Six bid

The Flames are battling with Tulane for the Group of Five's New Year's Six bowl bid

No. 24 Liberty stayed perfect on the year with a 49-35 win over New Mexico State (10-4) in the Conference USA Championship Game on Friday. The win not only gives the Flames (13-0) their first FBS conference title, it also keeps them alive for a potential New Year's Six bowl game bid under the direction of first-year coach Jamey Chadwell.

The Flames outscored New Mexico State 28-14 in the final 30 minutes. Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter finished 20-of-25 passing for 319 yards and two touchdowns .He added 165 yards and a score on the ground for the team's sixth-consecutive win by double digits.

New Mexico State (10-4) finishes the year with its best record since 1960 but will have to wait at least one more year for the program's first conference title. The Aggies won just 35 total games between 2009-2021 before coach Jerry Kill arrived in 2022.
  • Liberty finds itself in a tight battle with Tulane for the Group of Five's automatic New Year's Six bowl bid. Liberty fans will be highly interested spectators when the Green Wave face SMU Saturday in the AAC Championship Game.
  • New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia injured his elbow on a 75-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, bringing what had been a stellar day to an unfortunate end. He finished 11 of 16 for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Backup Blaze Berlowitz was forced to finish the game for the Aggies. He finished 10 of 19 for 134 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
  • The Flames put up 49 points and 712 total yards of offense against a New Mexico State group that came into the game as the No. 1-ranked defense in Conference USA.
  • Liberty takes home the Conference USA title in in its first year of membership. The Flames had been an independent since moving up to FBS in 2018.
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Live updates
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 

New Mexico State, Liberty tied at halftime

Halftime: Liberty 21, New Mexico State 21

It's all tied up at 21-21 after an exciting first half in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty and New Mexico State combined for 525 total yards and 42 points through the first 30 minutes of action in the Conference USA Championship Game. 

Late in the first half, Liberty engineered an eight-play, 89-yard drive to take its first lead of the night after quarterback Kaidon Salter connected with Noah Frith for a 26-yard touchdown. New Mexico State answered right back with a four-play, 58-yard drive touchdown drive to knot the game right before the break. 

Both teams had their way on offense early. The game's first stop didn't come until midway through the second quarter when New Mexico State forced halted a Liberty drive by shutting down a fourth-and-2 inside the Aggies 10-yard line. The Flames returned the favor with a stop of their own, then went on a five-play, 55-yard drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown run by Quinton Cooley to knot the game at 14-14.

Liberty got off to a slow start before pulling away for a 33-17 win over the Aggies in the first matchup between the programs back in Week 2. If the Flames are able to complete the season sweep, they would be in a prime position to earn a New Year's Six Bowl berth. 

 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 

Liberty's offense vs. New Mexico State's defense 

The Flames have been far and away the best offense in Conference USA. Liberty is averaging a league-leading 40.1 points per game, which is more than 10 points better than Western Kentucky and Jacksonville State, who are tied for second at 29.8 points. However, New Mexico State is holding opponents to just 19.7 points per game and the Aggies surrendered 10 points or less three times in the final six games of the regular season. Friday will be the battle of the unstoppable force vs. immovable object.

 

Kill brings the program to new heights

You have to go back a very long time in the record books to find out the last time the New Mexico State program appeared in consecutive bowl games. New Mexico State won the Sun Bowl in consecutive seasons in 1959 and 1960 and had only one other appearance in the postseason in program history outside of that. 

Kill helped guide New Mexico State to a win in the Quick Lane Bowl in 2022 and saw his program knock off Auburn last month on the road. Taking down an undefeated Liberty team to win a conference title would be the next step in an unprecedented turnaround.

 
@NMStateFootball via Twitter
 
@LibertyFootball via Twitter
 

Regular season rematch

The Conference USA title game will be a rematch of a Week 2 showdown that was previously won by the Flames. After New Mexico State took a 17-13 lead with 5:18 remaining in the first half, Liberty scored 20 unanswered points to secure a 33-17 win. Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns and WR CJ Daniels had four catches for 129 yards and a score.

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