Brandy Karr/Photo

Liberty’s Tyler Renaud bursts through the line against Blacksburg on Friday night. Renaud scored three touchdowns to lead the Red Devils to the homecoming win.

By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports

jkirby@thepccourier.com

LIBERTY — Tyler Renaud scored his third touchdown of the night on a three-yard run with 6:40 to go in the fourth quarter to provide the

John Bolton /BoltonPhoto.com Emily Gibson was named Liberty High School’s 2015 homecoming queen at halftime of Friday’s game.

Liberty Red Devils with an exciting come-from-behind 21-14 homecoming win over Blacksburg on Friday.

The Red Devils were the recipient of a bad snap that sailed over the head of Blacksburg punter Thomas LaFrancis and was recovered deep in Wildcat territory at the 14-yard line to set up a short drive for the go-ahead score.

It was a tough, physical game played by both teams on a cool and breezy night. Both teams played stellar defensively, and the stats bear out the results. Liberty outgained the Wildcats 218 to 147 in the game. The game marked the first time all season the Red Devils held an advantage passing as well as rushing.

The Red Devils appeared to be clicking on the first possession of the game as they took the opening kickoff straight down the field to score, marching 55 yards on 12 plays. They gained four first downs on the drive, and Nick Reeves completed passes of 9, 6, 18 and 13 yards on the drive. Renaud scored from a yard out to put the Red Devils up 7-0 with 6:40 remaining in the first quarter.

The Wildcats gained some momentum several series later when the Red Devils failed to gain a first down on a fourth and one try from their own 43-yard line. Blacksburg took only three plays to score, as quarterback Jordan Rodgers scooted around left end on a keeper and raced 39 yards to tie the game up at 7-7 early in the second quarter.

The Red Devils had one more shot at a score before the half, but a Reeves pass was picked off by Netavion Thompson at the 10-yard line to end the drive.

The Wildcats took the lead 14-7 midway through the third quarter on a four-yard Bobby Riggs touchdown run up the middle. The score was set up by a 39-yard completion from Elijah Rodgers to Isaiah Burris to the Red Devil 4-yard line.

The Red Devils tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a nine-play, 64-yard drive that took 2:44 off the clock. Cavaugio Butler had three huge gains on the drive. He had gains of 20, 16 and 17 yards. Butler led the Red Devils in rushing with 68 yards on 13 carries.

The Red Devil defense allowed only 61 yards through the air, all in the second half. Meanwhile, the Wildcats allowed the Red Devils 66 yards passing, and it all came in the first half.

The Red Devils finished the game with 218 yards rushing. They managed only 49 yards in the first half against the big and physical Wildcat defense.

Liberty coach Kyle Stewart said his staff and players knew from looking at film that it would be a tough, physical game and that ground would be hard to gain.

“I was proud of the way we battled tonight,” Stewart said. “We finally got a huge break on the bad snap and took advantage of it. Yards were hard to come by.

“Our defense played outstanding tonight. It was a good team effort.”

With the victory, the Red Devils improved to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in Region I-AA play. They will travel this Friday to Woodruff to take on the Wolverines, who stand 6-1 on the season and are undefeated in region play at 4-0, along with Chesnee.

Following this week’s trip to Woodruff, the Red Devils will have a home game against Pendleton in week nine and then close out the season on the road against Carolina.