Kaidon Salter throws 4 TD passes, 3 the Reese Smith, and Liberty rallies, beats ECU 35-24

Updated Sep. 22, 2024 3:56 a.m. ET

Associated Press

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Kaidon Salter threw three of his four touchdown passes to Reese Smith to help Liberty rally from a 17-point deficit and beat ECU 35-24 Saturday night in a game that was delayed shortly after kickoff for more than 4 1/2 hours due to inclement weather.

Liberty (4-0) has won 16 consecutive games in the regular season.

Salter was 19-of-32 passing for 233 yards and Smith finished with six receptions for 80 yards. Quinton Cooley ran for 105 yards and a touchdown and Elijah Canion's 17-yard TD reception from Salter with 2:53 left in the second quarter trimmed Liberty's deficit to 17-7 at halftime.

Salter hit Smith for a 17-yard TD to cap the opening drive of the second half and a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Flames a 21-17 lead with 2:52 left in the third quarter. Rahjai Harris' 2-yard TD run about 2 minutes later put ECU back in front going into the fourth.

Liberty responded with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that took more than 7 1/2 minutes off the clock and culminated with a 15-yard scoring strike from Salter to Smith.

Cooley capped the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown with 2 minutes to go.

Jake Garcia's 8-yard touchdown run for ECU opened the scoring about 5 minutes into the game, Marlon Gunn Jr. added a 1-yard TD run with 3:18 left in the first quarter before Andrew Conrad kicked a 35-yard field goal to give the Pirates a 17-0 lead with 11:52 to go in the second.

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