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Saturday, January 4
Nassau, Bahamas
11:00 AM ET
Liberty University
8-4 , 5-3
7
vs
26
Buffalo
9-4 , 6-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Buffalo
6
3
7
10
26
Liberty
0
0
0
7
7
Buffalo Stymies Flames Offense at the Bahamas Bowl
1/4/2025 3:57:00 PM | Football
NASSAU, Bahamas – The Flames struggled throughout the day to create any type of consistent offense, allowing Buffalo to secure a 26-7 victory in the Bahamas Bowl, Saturday afternoon, at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.
With the loss, Liberty finishes the season with an 8-4 record. The Flames made their sixth-straight bowl game appearance and have appeared in a bowl game each year Liberty could become bowl eligible since the 2019 season.
With the win, Buffalo completes a dramatic turnaround after posting a 3-9 record in 2023. The Bulls finish the 2024 season with a 9-4 record and have now won four-straight bowl games, including their second Bahamas Bowl (also in 2019).
Liberty finished the game with its lowest offensive output of the season - 242 yards on 56 offensive plays. Liberty came into bowl season ranked No. 26 in the country, averaging 434.5 total offensive yards per game.
The Flames finished the game with 162 rushing yards, picking up 112 of those yards on two lengthy runs by quarterback Ryan Burger (57 yards) and running back Billy Lucas (55 yards). Liberty came into bowl season ranked No. 3 in the country in rushing offense (258.7 yards per game).
Burger, a transfer from Appalachian State, finished his first career start at Liberty by completing 4-of-12 pass attempts for 40 yards.
Nate Hampton took over a quarterback during the fourth quarter and finished the game completing 2-of-9 passing attempts for the same 40 yards.
One of Hampton's two completions was a 36-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Reese Smith with 7:00 left to play in the game, helping the Flames avoid their first shutout since 2019.
Liberty's defensive effort, which limited Buffalo to just three first-half field goals, was paced by linebacker Teylor Jackson, who finished the game with a career-high 11 tackles.
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 26-7 (Buffalo won)
Liberty (8-4, 5-3 CUSA)
Buffalo (9-4, 6-2 MAC)
Location: Thomas A. Robinson Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
Attendance: 4,610
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
With the loss, Liberty finishes the season with an 8-4 record. The Flames made their sixth-straight bowl game appearance and have appeared in a bowl game each year Liberty could become bowl eligible since the 2019 season.
With the win, Buffalo completes a dramatic turnaround after posting a 3-9 record in 2023. The Bulls finish the 2024 season with a 9-4 record and have now won four-straight bowl games, including their second Bahamas Bowl (also in 2019).
Liberty finished the game with its lowest offensive output of the season - 242 yards on 56 offensive plays. Liberty came into bowl season ranked No. 26 in the country, averaging 434.5 total offensive yards per game.
The Flames finished the game with 162 rushing yards, picking up 112 of those yards on two lengthy runs by quarterback Ryan Burger (57 yards) and running back Billy Lucas (55 yards). Liberty came into bowl season ranked No. 3 in the country in rushing offense (258.7 yards per game).
Burger, a transfer from Appalachian State, finished his first career start at Liberty by completing 4-of-12 pass attempts for 40 yards.
Nate Hampton took over a quarterback during the fourth quarter and finished the game completing 2-of-9 passing attempts for the same 40 yards.
One of Hampton's two completions was a 36-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Reese Smith with 7:00 left to play in the game, helping the Flames avoid their first shutout since 2019.
Liberty's defensive effort, which limited Buffalo to just three first-half field goals, was paced by linebacker Teylor Jackson, who finished the game with a career-high 11 tackles.
Box Score Highlights:
Final Score: 26-7 (Buffalo won)
Liberty (8-4, 5-3 CUSA)
Buffalo (9-4, 6-2 MAC)
Location: Thomas A. Robinson Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
Attendance: 4,610
Play-By-Play Breakdown:
First Quarter
- Buffalo was the first team to get on the scoreboard, getting a 52-yard field goal from Upton Bellenfant at 10:30 to take a 3-0 lead. The Bulls got to the Flames 34-yard line, but Liberty was able to make the stop and allow Bellenfant to benefit from the down-wind kick.
- Bellenfant continue to showcase his kicking efforts by connecting on a 43-yard field goal at the 5:37 mark, pushing Buffalo's advantage to 6-0. The seven-play, 42-yard drive saw the Bulls pick up two first downs, including one aided by a Flames pass interference call.
- Buffalo got its third field goal of the game and went up 9-0 on the first play of the second quarter on a 20-yard kick by Bellenfant. The Bulls got a pair of lengthy pass attempts from quarterback C.J. Ogbonna of 22 and 28 yards, but Liberty was able to stop the drive at the four-yard line to keep Buffalo out of the end zone.
- The Flames tried to get on the scoreboard just before the half, piecing together their longest drive of the first half. However, the 10-play, 34-yard effort was stopped at the Buffalo 31-yard line and Colin Karhu's 49-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds left missed wide right to keep the score, 9-0, in favor of Buffalo.
- The Bulls wasted little time getting on the scoreboard and finding the end zone for the first time on the day, taking a 16-0 lead at the 12:01 mark. Buffalo started the second half with a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 45-yard touchdown run by Al-Jay Henderson, his ninth rushing touchdown of the year.
- Liberty looked like it was going to answer on the next drive after quarterback Ryan Burger broke free for a 57-yard run to get inside the Bulls' 20-yard line. However, Burger tried to pick up a first down three plays later and fumbled the ball into the end zone at 9:56.
- Buffalo pushed its lead to 26-0, scoring twice within a 19-second time span. The first was Bellenfant's fourth field goal of the game, a 45-yarder at 12:28, while Bahamas Bowl Defensive MVP Red Murdock returned a 31-yard interception for a score at 12:09.
- The Flames avoided their first shutout since 2019, getting a touchdown on its final drive of the game. Hampton capped a 14-play, 75-yard effort, Liberty's best drive of the day, with a 36-yard touchdown to Reese Smith at the 7:00 mark.
Team Stats
BUF
LIB
Total Yards
359
242
Pass Yards
137
80
Rushing Yards
222
162
Penalty Yards
53
20
1st Downs
18
11
3rd Downs
6
3
4th Downs
5
3
TOP
37:01
22:59
1st Quarter
BUF 3, LIB 0
BUF - Bellenfant,Upton 52 yd field goal 7 plays, 29 yards, TOP 03:00
BUF 6, LIB 0
BUF - Bellenfant,Upton 43 yd field goal 7 plays, 42 yards, TOP 03:24
2nd Quarter
BUF 9, LIB 0
BUF - Bellenfant,Upton 20 yd field goal 8 plays, 55 yards, TOP 01:46
3rd Quarter
BUF 16, LIB 0
BUF - Henderson,Al-Jay 45 yd run (Bellenfant,Upton kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:59
4th Quarter
BUF 19, LIB 0
BUF - Bellenfant,Upton 45 yd field goal 4 plays, 7 yards, TOP 01:26
BUF 26, LIB 0
BUF - Murdock,Red 31 yd interception (Bellenfant,Upton kick)
BUF 26, LIB 7
LIB - Smith,Reese 36 yd pass from Hampton,Nate (Karhu,Colin kick) 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:09
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
2
TD
1
YDS
40
INT
1
CMP
4
TD
0
YDS
40
INT
0
Players Mentioned
QB
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LB
/ Football
K/P
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RB
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WR
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